Help! Advice needed re sheath cleaning? Sorry long.

Nickles1973

Nickles1973

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I am ashamed to admit it, but I am a bit squeemish when it comes to this kind of issue and I have been putting off this job for an age! So after a few comments from other liveries about how yucky my lads willy looks I decided today was the day I would do the deed. So warm water, sponge and rubber gloves all to hand I set about grooming the beastie after a nice relaxing hack in the hope that his dirty tackle would descend! Obviously he had got wind of my intentions as he refused to oblige. A little frustrated I decided that I would just have to settle for giving his sheath a good wash and this is when the fun started. Every time the gloved hand and sponge touched his sheath he responded with a wicked cow kick! I lost count of how many times I dodged him (no mean feat as he has quite a reach) I persevered and managed a couple of quick wipes just around the inside but obviously this is not a game I want to play every time I try to touch his sensitive areas! If I shout and get annoyed with him he becomes even more aggitated and I think this would make the ordeal more dangerous for me. I don't want to just leave it but I'm not sure how best to get the job done without an injury. Any suggestions are gratefully recieved. Steaming cup of tea and a biccie for getting this far!
 
I don't think there is much you can do if he absolutely hates it!

Wait for him to drop and see if he allows you to touch it at all (I would leave the sponge and water for now). If he allows you to touch it, see what you can clean before he retracts it. Maybe try a bit of baby oil, it does soften things up and may clean the area without you having to touch him at all. (is it me, or is all this sounding a bit pervy?!!)

Take care and always wear a hat just in case!!!
 
i must be so lucky with my chap!!!!! he loves this be done but not with a bucket and sponge the hose pipe (slow running) start outside around area if he reacts badly STOP but mine just lets it all hang out and you can get a lot off as it naturaly comes away with the water. i only discovered his preference when he was being washed and kept letting it all down.
what does your boy do when you bath him? hope this gives you an idea if others are making comments could they not help and show you how they do it?
good luck
 
my boy is the same. i know he's not been cleaned for over 3 yrs coz i asked his previous owner about it. my vet says it should be done on a monthly basis which got me worrying. so what i've managed to do, is when i'm bathing him, i give him a good rinse in that area with the hosepipe, which oddly enough he doesnt seem to mind. and from what he's allowed me to see of his sensitive area, it looks fairly clean.
 
None of our previous horses have ever minded being cleaned but the one we have now hates it and he too does the cow-kick. Having tried everything to get him used to us even touching his sheath, let alone cleaning we've just had to get the vet to come and sedate him and do a thorough clean. We wanted to do it before the weather gets much warmer because they can get fly-strike which obviously would be horrible. Also he was getting very pongy!
 
Nickles1973 said:
Every time the gloved hand and sponge touched his sheath he responded with a wicked cow kick! I lost count of how many times I dodged him (no mean feat as he has quite a reach) I persevered and managed a couple of quick wipes just around the inside but obviously this is not a game I want to play every time I try to touch his sensitive areas!
Click to expand...

Some geldings ARE pretty touchy about their personal bits being touched (let's face it, they've had a major bit lopped off and they're not taking any chances! :eek:)

This is NOT a one day job. Take your time, go as far as you safely can and then stop - and try again tomorrow!

Step 1. Desensitisation. Take a hose, with a jet but light pressure - and hose first the back legs and then between the legs. Continue hosing 'the bits'.

Step 2. When he's stopped trying to kick the hose and the water and NOT before, keep hose on 'the bits' and stroke the external 'bits' with your hand.

This stage make take 2 - or 10 - sessions but go NO further until you can handle the outside of the sheath (with hose on it) without him kicking!

Step 3. Have bucket of warm water and LARGE clean sponge handy. Put a good dollop of sheath cleaner in the bucket. Repeat the hosing/handling until he's settled then CAREFULLY insert warm, soapy sponge into sheath. Keep hose playing on the outside of sheath - it serves as a distraction and also slightly numbs the area. Leave sponge in for 5 minutes and then remove, wash clean, re-dip in warm sheath cleaner and re-insert sponge. Repeat until sponge comes out reasonably clean and then play the hose up into the sheath to rinse.

Step 4. Not to be attempted until you have carried out step 3 at least 2-3 times without incident. Insert the sponge and push it right up in the sheath. Still with hose playing on the outside of the sheath, insert soapy hand and locate 'the member' and have a gentle dig with a finger to check for 'the bean' (a nasty lump of smegma that can interfere with weeing.) Dig it out. If youcan't find a bean, don't worry - he might not have one. THAT step only needs doing every 3-6 months.

I have used this technique on literally dozens of young colts and geldings and I'm still alive to tell the tale! :D
 
I had the same problem with my boy - he hates it :(. I totally agree with JanetGeorge it is not a one day job with a tricky boy. I, more or less, did everything JanetGeorge has surggested. Even today I gently touch the area during grooming to remind him what it feels like to have a hand near his bits. Do keep doing it as I had a huge vet bill for a 'willy wash' when I was desparate....:)
 
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