Any sheath cleaning experts?!

AnotherNewbie

AnotherNewbie

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The unfortunate day has almost arrived and tomorrow is sheath cleaning day for my share horse! I've drawn the shorts straw the last few times, tho both owner and I will be there tomorrow!

Anyways, he always has the most disgusting sheath ever. Even when you clean it to sparkling, within a week he has black gunk reappearing out of it and sticking down his back legs. We've tried many different brands of sheath cleaner, always rinse it out well but its still horrible. It doesn't get cleaned that often, so it's not like we're always upsetting the natural bacteria up there. I think last time was about 4/5 months ago. We just try to keep his legs clean. He's out 24/7 at the moment so it's not like it's getting straw stuck up it like sometimes happens (and I guess it doesn't help).

So just wondered if anyone had any ideas to help improve his willy-health, or any tricks to make the job easier!

Tea and biscuits (if you can still stomach it!)
 
Never used a sheath cleaner. Ive always used hose pipe (not on full) and squirted that up, then used my hand (with glove on) to have a pick about, and then smothered my hand in baby oil and got the rest out so to speak. Never had any problems with his willy-health as you say.
 
I personally tend to give my boy's a wipe out about once a week or so with a wet sponge (just water, nothing else). The horse that I just moved on was less tolerant, so I used to give it a squirt with baby oil every now and again when it was dropped out, and that seemed to work quite well...
 
I had a horse who needed cleaning every week, luckily he was more than happy for me to do it, even seemed relieved! I just groomed him so he dropped to relax, used a sponge, warm water and sheath cleaner, picking off all crust (ewwwe). A clean willy is a healthy willy :D
 
I rarely clean any of my 3 boys sheaths and I have to say that I think if any of them had black gunk from it appearing on their legs then I would ask the vet for advice, because I doubt that can be normal. I have never seen that. My boys sometimes appear a little 'dry and flaky' but never oozing anything.
 
The black gunk is 'just' excess smegma that he produces. I've always been told not to do it more than a couple of times a year? Will try baby oiling it to within an inch of his life tomo....!!
 
anothernewbie said:
The black gunk is 'just' excess smegma that he produces. I've always been told not to do it more than a couple of times a year? Will try baby oiling it to within an inch of his life tomo....!!
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As its that bad I would clean more regularly- but I am not a vet so maybe check with them :)

A build up of c*** in between a mares teets can become incredibly painful and so I'd imagine the same thing?? Someone correct me if I am wrong in thinking that....
 
I had the vet put for my dirty boy. She said its just him but to clean him when it's chunky not just gunky, her words! I do him once every month or every six week.
 
If there's gunk coming out you need to do it more regularily it varies from horse to horse how often they need doing .
I would not use baby oil on a gunky horse .
 
My old cob used to have this problem with gunk all over his back legs cos he used to kick at the thing if it was getting uncomfy. Now I keep on top of the problem with a weekly wipe round with unfragranced baby wipes. If I do ever miss a week if I'm away or something I use warm water with the tiniest bit of hibiscrub and then it's gloves on and go for it. He used to hate having it done, but now he realises he feels better afterwards you should just see the soppy face he pulls. He also lets me know if it wants some attention in between cleans by lifting his back leg and looking between his legs!!
:D

btw - sheath cleaners only seemed to cause more irritation, more gunk and a lightweight purse.
 
What would you use then Goldenstar? I know it really needs something to emulsify the grease almost, but I don't know what. Was hoping baby oil would work the other way and just make it slide out.
 
Now you've said it, baby wipes do sort of emulsify grease, they get sudocreme off skin which i swear is near impossible with soap and water! Might be worth a shot! He doesn't show any signs of discomfort with it, and stands still whilst you clean it, but nothing will persuade him to let it hang loose and make it easy!
 
Bobbly said:
You could try KY Jelly.....
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I use KY to clean my horse's sheath :o On the basis that it's designed to go places where the sun don't shine, unlike e.g. baby oil. It also unsticks and dissolves the black gunk nicely. I try not to use it too often, but just like humans ;) horses vary in how oily they are - some produce more gunk than others. Mine is in the black stuff down the back legs group, and will cock his back leg to let me in at it!
 
anothernewbie said:
What would you use then Goldenstar? I know it really needs something to emulsify the grease almost, but I don't know what. Was hoping baby oil would work the other way and just make it slide out.
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Well I use sheath cleaner which I put up and leave a while them wash.
I also use very very dilute hibiscrub ( before every one gets excited hats what the vet advises ) on very dirty or sore sheaths .
Very gunky ones I soften by putting up udder cream then washing out.
One of mine gets a very dirty sheath especially in winter when he hunts he's the one who arrived with an infected sheath and lead to vet giving the sheath cleaning master class .
I have four geldings three of them are shameless they have learnt to love being washed they get the whole lot out as soon as they see the stuff it's just plain wrong the TB is a bit shy .
He's needs doing after every time he hunts to stop it getting gunky and sore I have tried various diffent approaches and this works for him .
 
My cob was a dirty ****** in that when it came to sheath cleaning he would spread his back legs and bottom lip would start quivering.

I only used to do him when i saw the muck hanging there, or if he was 'hanging' and i was quick enough i would give it a once over with a gloved hand and baby oil.

I remember the first time i did it, i was with my vet and didn't realise quite how far up your hand can go, i was mortified!
 
My guy only gets dirty up in the cAvity so I have to go up in there. He isn't my biggest fan when I do it. The dilute hibiscrub was on my vets advice too
 
Some need doing more often than others. I use KY on my boy's bits. A good squirt before a hack then a rinse with the hose when we get back. Don't forget to check for a bean!
 
My boy gets gunky I use a handful of aqueous cream, with a glove on massage it about to loosen everything and then wash it out well. I did ask the vet about using this, and he said it was ok as long as it was washed out well.
 
Right this is going to sound so stupid, but I've never had to deal with this before, I've owned my gelding for almost a year but have rarely seen his winky, he only gets it out after rolling in the field or around his male friends! Recently I've noticed a small amount of sticky black stuff on his back legs, just on the inside quite high up- is this likely to be the black stuff you're all talking about? If so can someone give me a quick idiots guide to sheath cleaning? I'm guessing you can't just wipe the outside, so do I just wait for the rare chance that he gets his winky out or what? I feel awful that I don't really have a clue what I'm meant to be doing! He's quite an amicapable chap so I don't think he'd be bothered be cleaning that area. I can't bear to think he could be uncomfortable!
 
What a choice topic!! lol, I'll bet there's not many replies from the male fraternity on here. For the record, my welsh cob dropped his for a wee while the farrier waited who exclaimed 'thats the cleanest willy I've ever seen!!' as my cob displayed the smoothest shiniest member you could imagine!!
 
My friends pony has a really dirty sheath all the time and has black goo on his legs. She had the vet for his teeth and asked him for advice. He said not to over clean it and just to use baby oil. Never use hibiscrub or a sheath cleaner. In the wild they would not have humans to do this!!!
 
Elvis said:
Right this is going to sound so stupid, but I've never had to deal with this before, I've owned my gelding for almost a year but have rarely seen his winky, he only gets it out after rolling in the field or around his male friends! Recently I've noticed a small amount of sticky black stuff on his back legs, just on the inside quite high up- is this likely to be the black stuff you're all talking about? If so can someone give me a quick idiots guide to sheath cleaning? I'm guessing you can't just wipe the outside, so do I just wait for the rare chance that he gets his winky out or what? I feel awful that I don't really have a clue what I'm meant to be doing! He's quite an amicapable chap so I don't think he'd be bothered be cleaning that area. I can't bear to think he could be uncomfortable!
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Yes that would be "the black stuff we're all talking about" - smegma. My boy has melanomas in his sheath and although they don't cause him any big trouble, they do cause him to overproduce smegma (always reminds me Red Dwarf, and Lister's favourite "smeghead" insult.) My vet told me to use nothing but warm water and liquid paraffin to clean it (soak a sponge with it and slosh it around inside until you loosen the gunk and it comes out),NOT Baby Oil as although it is mostly liquid paraffin, it is scented and this can upset the natural bacteria (much in the same was that scented soap can cause thrush in ladies) Unfortunately NOBODY is allowed to touch that area (even looking produces much tail swishing and face pulling!) so it only gets done twice a year when he is sedated for his melanomas to be assessed. Vet would refer it was more frequent, but is happy with that under the circumstances as he'd rather have me alive! I do give it a rinse with a hosepipe (from a distance!) about once a week, but not sure it achieves much. Baby wipes or a warm damp sponge are the best way of getting rid of any on his legs rather than trying to brush it off.
 
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