Is this typical stallion behavior, or is my friend's horse just picky?

Yes, it's very common for stallions (and many geldings) to have poop piles. We have 2 here (an older 29yo and a junior 4yo) and both do the same thing. The younger stallion (still a colt really) uses one pile in a corner of his pasture closest to the neighbors horses.

The older stallion actually marks all four of the "corners" of his pasture.

It's a hold over instinct from wild horses where stallions marked their territory against other stallions. Also you'll see them marking the piles left by other horses, pooping on top of what mares left and will urinate on piles left by geldings or yearling colts.

If you run mares in a herd environment with a stallion for a while you'll notice the alpha mare starting to go in the same place as the stallion. Before long they'll have the others in that pasture doing the same thing. The bigger the pasture the more "marking piles" they'll be.

Stallion Behavior

Stallions are known for this.

My gelding did this as a stallion.

Now a gelding he still carries on this trait.

When I have to find his pile I know exactly where to look.

My mare is the pile next to his area (she's always had this trait...like stallions) and the filly is all over the freakin' place.

My stud colts were not practicing this behavior until they were almost two. Close..but not perfect.

They had the back half of the stall and by 2 they had the corner and by 3 they had a nice tower of poo.

hehehehe

Why......why.... why might you go away a mare in warmth next to a stallion? all evening with out suprvision??? this is like cruel torture! And little question, the mare has been bred for particular. Or a minimum of the stallion tried to reproduce her, some mares do no longer stand with out concern till the stallion has had a while to convince her to realize this. He might have only beat her up yet by no ability effectively controlled penetration. nevertheless, you may take her for a being pregnant ultrasound in 21 days.

My gelding does that. I have 4 pastures then the 2 run in shelter areas.

Every single pasture has 'his' poo pile. And about 15 feet from each shelter he has another one. Doesn't poop in the shelters at all. Mare goes willy nilly where ever the urge strikes her.

Very convenient for neighbors who like the fertilizer.

He has done it ever since we've owned him...He was about 17 or 18 months old when he was gelded.

stallions have a poop pile to say this is mine ; not all stallion's do this but most do.it is the norm all of mine do it.we have had 4 at a time and they all have their little corner were the poop.My first stud that I owned was in a stall and use to poop out a 6in. knot hole [LOL] I thought that some body was cleaning my stall.

Most of the horses I've had usually poop in the same spot. All of them have a different place. I think it is normal for the stallion to poop their and to not to be suprised. As for being a 'stallion' that has nothing to do with that. All genders of horses can do that.

Horses in stall and small turn outs will poop and pee in the same spot, on a whole. Some don't but the majority will. Like almost any animal they don't like to drop a big duce where they sleep. Its its not that strange to come accross that.

yes my neighbors mare she only pooped in the right back corner of her stall I know this also because i had to clean out her stall haha it was so easy! she was a very clean mare

but then her gelding had poop everywhere! so it just depends on the horse's personality and cleanliness!

oh and if it helps her mare was aTB and her gelding was a QH

I have had a few horses over the years who would only poop in one spot. It makes it very easy to clean their stall. All of the horses I have known that do this have been German warmbloods.