How much for a sheath wash?

Wagtail

Wagtail

Horse servant
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How much would you pay/charge to wash a horse's sheath. I am anti cleaning sheaths but if there is lots of smeg on the legs or an infection I would do it. So how much?
 
What a strange question, I am guessing someone owns a horse that hates it being done and is offering to pay you do it and risk getting kicked into kingdom come - charge a lot in that case !

I pay £2.00 for a tube of KY jelly, few pence for latex gloves and a sponge and get the job done.
 
Takes me about half an hour with a hosepipe, baby oil, rubber gloves and cotton wool.

So charge a pair of disposable rubber gloves, small bottle of baby oil and pack of cotton wool. Plus half an hour of your time.

And if the horse is not as good as my boy add £50 danger money :D :D
 
I use diluted sheath cleaner and latex gloves, my boy loves it lol. Friend has asked me to help her with it but she thinks hers will kick out, so will need to hold a leg ! No idea I'd probably say £5-£10.
 
Lol, no thanks! But actually, if you don't mind doing it then there could be a demand for the service.

The horse is on part livery. The client doesn't do anything but ride the horse. I am lucky in that I have never had to clean my geldings bits, but this one has been used to having his done regularly and therefore needs it doing now he's with me. I never have problems with horses that have not been interfered with in that region, only those who have had it done regularly. It seems to increase the production of smegma and stops it self cleaning, sadly.
 
Wagtail,

I have found overweight horses suffer more as do geldings that do little or no exercise. Geldings that don't let themselves down to pee are dirty b's too.

My vet is dead against using any form of commercial sheath wash as she see's alot of sore and inflammed boys bits caused from using the bottles of stuff purchased in saddlers shops. KY jelly and warm water only, no pushing up or scrubbing ! just let the KY soften everything and it drops out.

My lad into his 7 month of box rest has to be done regularly to keep him comfortable and not smelling like he is rotting, but if he was on a normal routine of turn out and working he rarely needs attention. I have kept geldings for 35 years, I now have a weanling filly, who is destined to be my final riding horse, never ridden a mare before - what on earth am I going to do with my stockpile of KY jelly ! I could set up a company - Dick Cleaner and Co Limited, but I think I will stick to the day job at a desk and keyboard !
 
kirsty17 said:
I use diluted sheath cleaner and latex gloves, my boy loves it lol. Friend has asked me to help her with it but she thinks hers will kick out, so will need to hold a leg ! No idea I'd probably say £5-£10.
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Gosh what a funny thing to be asked to do!! It takes me about 5 mins and I prefer a flannel as the bobbly surface seems to agitate any stuck on bits and I use ie udder cream as I find it loosens off any crusty bits too. Mine enjoys it as well!!?!! Probably a fiver for an easy horse but if its going to be a difficult one I would charge about £15?

Again only do it once/twice year when crusty(he is crusty most time) otherwise would not do it at all if clean one.
 
I just squirt on the baby oil from a distance and he retracts it by the next time I see it it is spotless!!

No need to even touch it! 3 of us on my yard use the same trick!

If I were paying I'd say £5-£10 & I'd only have it done when it needs doing!!!
 
Becki1802 said:
I just squirt on the baby oil from a distance and he retracts it by the next time I see it it is spotless!!

No need to even touch it! 3 of us on my yard use the same trick!

If I were paying I'd say £5-£10 & I'd only have it done when it needs doing!!!
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That method works for me too - no need for latex gloves etc !

and as for the poster with lots of spare KY Jelly - I look forward to hearing you explain that away when you try and get rid of it :)
 
the more you wash it/clean it the more it needs doing as you generally are altering the pH of the willy goo and exaberating the production of sid willy goo. left alone it will self regulate and self clean. do keep an eye on sheaths during the fly months so you dont get maggots in there, but really best left mainly to itself to clean. unless your horse is smelly/willy goo on legs/a bean! If you do clean it/wash it rinse well and finish with a dilute vinegar rinse to regulate the pH.!!
 
I swear I would pay ANYTHING to avoid doing this myself!

Strangely, I've never seen the need to do it, and thus far no problems. Perhaps I've just been lucky? I am not a squeamish person at all, but I really don't even want to contemplate it. Certainly if one of my geldings needed it done I would be only too grateful to pay for the service.

But I'm clearly a wimp :p
 
Bernster said:
That method works for me too - no need for latex gloves etc !

and as for the poster with lots of spare KY Jelly - I look forward to hearing you explain that away when you try and get rid of it :)
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The look on the check out girls face at Tesco is a picture when I buy it in lots of 6 or so tubes mixed in with the salad cucumbers etc etc !! My husband turns his back when the shopping goes through the tills if it includes the KY jelly, and if I send him on his own he refuses to buy anything other than carrots for the "bloody horse" !

An even better story for you - again in Tesco - I had a cob with harvest mites and my vet wanted to treat him with a cream called Conatrane and it's cheaper to buy it in a chemist than from the vet.

I am standing there in the queue at the pharmacy and on reaching the front I can't remember the name of the cream, so I told the assistant it begins with a 'C' and is for putting on itchy sores, caneston she said - thats it I said. She goes off and comes back with a tiny 5ml tube - Now bear in mind I am in a big queue of mainly women - no I said I need a big pot ! The assistant then said that most women find the 5ml tube to be sufficient and I realised I had the name wrong !! I didn't know what to do with myself, the people standing in the queue had all taken 10 steps backwards, I just fled !

That is a true story and I never set foot in the place again for years. The lovely old cob died a few years ago at the grand age of 29 and I had lots of fun with him, he never needed his sheath cleaning but his sore legs caused me a degree of embarrassment !!
 
I was told if theres no problems - leave be!

Ive had my boy 3 years now and still no problems - if its loose and hanging i grab crusty bits off by clean hand but otherwise leave well alone

Dont u think you can sometimes cause problems by looking for them and buying chemical stuff????
 
I value my life too much to do my boys bits, i wanted too see if it was gross and he tried to kick me into the next century, not only once at me, but proceeded to double barrel the air in my direction just in case i had the nerve to try anything of that sort ever again . Thankfully it wasnt and every so often il build up the courage to 'just check'. God knows what the hell im going to do if i check one day and it needs cleaning lol xD

hhhmmm... how much travel would you charge? :D:D:D

If it ever happens, reckon it will be a squirt of oil from a distance and hope for the best! I kind of want my head to still be on top of my shoulders when iv done :p
 
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