*ahem* problem with sheath cleaning - yet again, sorry

Shysmum

Shysmum

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as title !! Help please !

Shy (3) gets the telltale goo every three weeks or so. He is not keen on having himself handled, and I'm not too keen on the cowkicks either. he can even cowkick if my friend holds the other leg - ballet practice ? :eek:

These are what I've tried -

- warm water, sponge only, some gunk = kicks/spins
- baby wipes, unscented, lots of, some gunk = kicks/spins
- sheath cleanser, warm water rinse, gunk = kicks/spins
- aqueous cream to soften then wipe gently = huge kicks
- gentle hose up there = horrified look :eek: and kicks
- doing nothing = black gunk on thighs

Done whilst eating hay, eating feed, next to a mate, after a ride. Just about tried the lot. Other than sedation......

Any advice gratefully received. If I do nothing and just wash his legs, what will happen ? Will it just work it's way out au natrelle ? And don't even ASK about Mr Bean :eek::eek:

sm x
 
No I haven't tried baby oil.... do you just squirt and leave it there, or does it involve hands up his bits ? The latter being the most dodgy bit to the whole saga.
 
no, not twitched yet - a brainwave there me thinks :D So baby oil squirted up, leave, then twitch, get me hat on (no joke!) and get my hands up - sounds like a plan. Worth a try - thanks !!

They should make especially long gloves for gelding owners, while I'm at it.
 
I get mine from the local hospital :-), I know nurses there and once the long surgicle gloves pass their use by date they give them to me :D

Hey the first time I did foxy because I didn't know his reaction I wore hat, body protector and had the yard first aider with me ( no joke :D)
 
brilliant - hyperdrug's 5 miles from me......thanks so much.

There is so much advice on this, but it's not much help when you can't get near the tackle is it *sigh*. I do have some sedalin stashed away now I come to think of it - hmmm, now there's a thought..

Shy is certainly a lot better than my last horse, who would rear on you if you so much as looked at his lower belly, tho he never got the gunky legs ( and how hard is that stuff to get off ) Urgh.
 
To be honest, I squirt a good whoosh up there and then leave it for a couple of DAYS to loosen all the crud off. You will find that the natural 'up and down' of peeing loosens a lot of it.
 
Got the baby oil, got the baby wipes (both sensitive of course), got hubs coming down to help...Shy's bits don't stand a chance now ;). Squirt today, wipe on tuesday, that's the plan.
 
Could you spend some time, just a short amount each day, say as part of your grooming routine trying to desensitise him to having his bits handled?

I realise you need to get him clean now if he's already gunky but moving forwards it would be far easier for all concerned if he was more accepting of having it done.

And I know I often say this but clicker training is brilliant.
 
We used to have a horse who didnt take to well to having his sheath cleaned, so we used to spend a few minutes a day touching around the area scratching round the inside of his leg and letting him getting used to it. Once he stopped fidgiting then introduced a dry sponge till he got used to the feel of it, then would dampen the sponge and wipe the outside area till eventually he would let you clean up it. It just takes time but eventually he will let you.
 
He will let me brush "the area" with his soft pink dandy brush :eek: , and can be good as gold - when it's clean. I'm sure he's sussed when it's minging (you can honestly smell it from 6 paces) and that's when the ballet kicks in. I am a little concerned, after reading on here not so long ago, that there may be maggots up there or something.

If this time I can't "get up there" I'll have a word with the vet I think. thanks so much for all the advice - HHO is fab !!
 
I had this problem with my lad - My YO advised me to leave it alone as he would;t let anyone touch it. My brave friend decided to have a go, and horsey obviously liked it cos he is so well trained now, whenever he gets a full groom he pokes his todger out and lets me clean it thoroughly!!! And when he's had enough he whips it back in!!!!

Very strange tho!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Chico Mio said:
To be honest, I squirt a good whoosh up there and then leave it for a couple of DAYS to loosen all the crud off. You will find that the natural 'up and down' of peeing loosens a lot of it.
Click to expand...
I agree couple of squirts and let it do its magic if worried then use sedalin once in a while so you can give it a good clear out!!!!!!
 
Update.....

-bucket of feed with nose in it - check
-hubs lifting near fore - check
- me squirting up the oil, while dodging the ballet sidekick - check
- oil dripping out of bits - check
- me try to wipe the main drip off, he's fine, so me continue with another six wipes, up into the depths and it slides off - check
- clean willy and bits - check

Cue getting rid of wipes before stallion shettie gets em, or lab eats them,washing of hands and nails (don't ask) and huge smiles all round :D

I'll give it another whossh/wipe in a few days.

Thanks so much everyone !
 
vet out to sedate;) having had a kick when attempting to do it without. you shouldnt be needing to do it so often so perhaps with sedation you can get it done properly and then perhaps not have to get it done again til next year.
 
Our horse is exactly like this, we've been trying to do the 'gradual every day' approach but after 3 years he is still no better and kicked my mum only last week. He did have a phase in the summer where he was letting us do a good clean and put fly-gel around the area (paranoid about maggots!) so we thought he was cured but he's gone back to his old ways. The vet came and sedated and cleaned yet again and has told us the problem is fungal and we need to introduce 'good bacteria' to cure the problem. He said that can be done either by using swabs of a healthy gelding's sheath or live yoghurt. Needless to say we have opted for the yoghurt but are still not sure how we are going to get it up there for however many days it's going to take!
 
Why do you need to do it again in a few days? I think you may be doing more harm than good. The baby oil should loosen it all and it should fall out naturally now with the natural ins and outs of daily business. If you got up there and gave it a wipe then i would say leave alone for a while. Surely all the extra activity up there will just irritate it more?

My share gelding gets a bit crusty around there sometimes, we just wait for it to all hang loose and then give it a healthy baby oil squirting (dodging legs) then it's all fine after a couple of days. God, if i tried to stick my hand up there then i would get my head kicked in. If it is needing to be done so thoroughly more than a few times a year then i would be getting the vet involved.
 
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