Had the Bean Lady out today 😮

[Fluffypiglet]

I don’t need to find a bean technician now 😁. YM did my boy for me last night and he had a bean and looked so relieved and more comfortable by the end of the wash. I’ll be buying some proper cleaner at the weekend and doing a better job of cleaning every so often. Poor chap was very sore 🙁.

 

[The Trooper]

Crikey! They're impressive, in a strange and slightly disgusting way.

My dad's gypsy cob Trojan is extremely protective of his manly bits and if you go near he promptly throws a foot your direction. We booked a 'Sheath/Bean Lady' a few weeks ago now but she never turned up! I should really look into getting someone else out as he's possibly protecting himself as a result of pain

I have 2 mares and often get looked at weird for cleaning their udder's and lady bits on a regular basis, when i first got Belle i had no idea i had to; evidently neither did the people who had her before me as her udder was disgusting! And the smell!!

Now i keep them both clean, Belle loves it, she willingly gets her legs out the way to give me access. Bonnie on the other hand tried to kick me the first time but i think she is coming round to it.

 

[meleeka]

For those that think their horse won’t like it I find it’s best to scratch the belly first and work round to the sheath. They do really mind if they are already uncomfortable though.

Mine loves it, which makes it worse in some ways. He’ll lift his leg out of the way and his facial expressions are something else. I have found proper beans in his urethra before but because I do it twice a year ish they aren’t large. His sheath itself is truly minging though, but I’ve found it’s no better or worse if I do it more often. My last horse loved it too so perhaps I’ve got a talent 😂

 

[ester]

I use gloves. However, the water I squirted in the other day ran down my arm and soaked into my rolled up sleeves so I may as well not have worn the gloves!

TP, there's a small "pocket" above the urethra, which they come out of.

I use gloves too! But even with marigolds I seem to go up quite a long way so there's a gap between the glove and my elbow with smells.

Also I do find that for grabbing hold for pictures no gloves gives a better grip

Re the pocket OP did say they came out of the sheath, I think that is why there is some confusion as to whether they are sheath lumps or pocket beans

 

[albeg]

Also I do find that for grabbing hold for pictures no gloves gives a better grip

Re the pocket OP did say they came out of the sheath, I think that is why there is some confusion as to whether they are sheath lumps or pocket beans

Mine is now quite obliging (as long as you're out in the open where the neighbours can see 😂😂), so gloves don't need to come off for grabbing.

Ah, I thought the confusion was urethra vs pocket!

 

[ester]

I think having bits treated with liquid nitrogen understandably makes you less obliging.
If I'm cleaning I take my time and with lots of encouragement it half gives in, if I just want a quick photo I tend to skip some of the encouragement and the KY as it makes it a bit too slippy . Our yard is overlooked by our neighbours bedroom. I haven't dared ask the vet how many people send him regular willy pics

 

[albeg]

I think having bits treated with liquid nitrogen understandably makes you less obliging.
If I'm cleaning I take my time and with lots of encouragement it half gives in, if I just want a quick photo I tend to skip some of the encouragement and the KY as it makes it a bit too slippy . Our yard is overlooked by our neighbours bedroom. I haven't dared ask the vet how many people send him regular willy pics

Oof, can understand that. Hope all is well for him now!

 

[Micky]

What is a ‘bean’?
The ‘bean’ is the common name for a collection of smegma in the tip of the horse’s penis. The tube that the urine passes through is called the urethra and just above the urethra is a pocket of space called the urethral fossa and this is where the build up of dirt and grime happens, which results in hardened ‘beans’. When the beans get so big, they interfere with the horse’s ability to pass urine properly, which can lead to all sorts of infections and kidney problems. Generally, when horses have severe beans, they will be in obvious discomfort.


Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/cleaning-sheaths-the-bean-queen-665653#uPFydPmiQIiPYHGH.99

Ahh I thought they couldn’t possibly be squeezed out of the urethra! Must be all the stuff I usually get off, sometimes peel it off the shaft (!!) other times warm water a sponge feminax and gloves..he seems to be relieved afterwards and actually doesn’t to sleep whilst I’m cleaning..omg! Did I really just write that...

 

[scats]

They are an impressive size!

I had a gelding who had squamous cell carcinoma and had a partial phallectomy. As a result, his remaining willy didn’t self-clean very sufficiently and I had to check it often for further lesions. I used to spend a lot of my time with my hand up there!

 

[Nancykitt]

A friend of mine has just set up a sheath cleaning business, she covers Cheshire/Lancs region but can travel a bit further if there's a number of horses on a yard that need cleaning (she refers to it as a 'man valet'!). Our three boys were amongst her first clients, all had considerable sized beans. All horses seemed happier and moving better afterwards, especially the OH's cob. My friend puts a 'bean of the day' on her facebook page, I can't believe the size of some of the things she gets out of there!

 

[shortstuff99]

Honestly, my mare gets so disgusting between her teats, it's as bad as what the OP found if I don't stay on top of it!
I've no idea if it's normal for mares or not but it's pretty grim.
Suspect your boy might be feeling somewhat comfier after that OP!

My mare also gets very gross between her tests, what's even weirder is she loves me cleaning them! Gross!

Also mares can get 'beans' and it can apparently cause quite a few behavioural issues.

 

[Mule]

Ah Jesus, reading everyone's posts makes me think I should have a go at it. I really don't want to though

 

[Xanthoria]

Well for those who have never done it, I can give a few tips (haha!)

1. cut your nails
2. don't bother with gloves - just make sure you have a nail brush and warm water to scrub your hands with afterwards
3. use baby oil gel - stops it running everywhere. Corn oil is not an acceptable substitute... don't ask me how I know this...
4. get gel on your hand and slowly and gently approach the sheath, keeping an eye on the horse's face for a reaction!
5. very gently get the oil all over the inside of his bits - you'll find a cavity with the main... bit.... and a lot of scurfy, dried, black smeggy stuff to pick out. get it all lubed up, and then let it marinate for a while to soften up
6. go for the bean: you'll need the end of his... man part... sticking out a bit. Using the tip of a finger feel around and find that little cavity just inside the head and if there's a bean, it's be the only hard thing you can feel. scoop it out, throw it on the floor, exclaim loudly, take a picture and Instagram it.
7. look up: a small child or non-horsey male will be watching you. guaranteed.
8. wash off using a little sponge, baby shampoo or other mild shampoo, and warm water. I often put the sponge up in the sheath and squeeze it out a few times - if you have a v tolerant horse and warm water, you can even put a horse end up there and hold the sheath shut for a second to sluice it all out!
9. If you can't wash off all the baby oil, don't worry - it's very very mild and can stay on there. The area will just look very shiny and new for a while...

good luck!

 

[tankgirl1]

My mare backs into me sometimes with a leg up - 'Oi, Human clean my smeggy boobs!' My shettie gelding is only just OK with having his belly brushed briefly, I reckon he'd boot me into 2020 if I tried to clean his sheath

 

[tankgirl1]

Ah Jesus, reading everyone's posts makes me think I should have a go at it. I really don't want to though

Same

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ah, I thought the confusion was urethra vs pocket!

I was confused (which is easily done!). I had always thought that 'beans' were within the urethra. I've never delved up near the end of the willy, despite having owned geldings. I've only cleaned the sheath and the shaft of the willy before.

I need pictures, so found a couple on t'internet.




The OP's horse did indeed have big beans!

 

[JennBags]

I had the lady out a few weeks ago for mine. One horse is fine, I could do him myself, but Nelson lives up to his name of nervous Nellie and I cant get near it. We twitched him for safety and he was fine, they both had beans.

 

[Leam_Carrie]

Oh goodness... now thinking I need to do my mini Shetland geldings bits. I knew I preferred mares for a reason!

Thanks for all the advice on how.