How to encourage Gelding to allow me to wash his ‘area’!!

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Oldernewbie

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Sorry not putting the full question in title ???
I’ve had mares previously but now sharing a gelding.
When he is relaxed and has ‘dropped’ his manhood I can see he would benefit from a good wash, unfortunately though as soon as I try he pops himself back ‘up’!
Any tips from experienced gelding owners?
 
My gelding doesn't mind having all the loose sheath skin turned back, and liberal amounts of aqueous cream slathered around. Leave for fifteen minutes or so and then remove all loose scabs and general gunk either with your hand or kitchen towel. My vet showed me how to do it, and said don't worry, it is a blind end - you absolutely cannot do any damage! Not sure he would stand for the hosepipe though!
 
Have everything ready, gently massage his tummy, then pounce - in a casual way.

Highmileagecob said:
My vet ... said don't worry, it is a blind end - you absolutely cannot do any damage! Not sure he would stand for the hosepipe though!
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Who? The vet? JK. Interesting about the sheath having a blind end. I suppose it's obvious but I never realised. (Sometimes I wonder why male Homo sapiens don't have sheaths... )
 
Unless it's really crusty and flaky I'd leave alone. When I had geldings I'd leave unless really necessary, and if they wouldn't drop I'd add a handful of sudocrem in the sheath, which did a good job of loosening all the gunk. Aqueous cream as above also works.
 
My old lad has a gunky one. We have the sheath cleaner once a year and in between (if I need too) I either use aqueous cream or (if its out) I give it a squirt with baby oil and then the crusty bits soften and drop off.

I don't like to over clean. I've seen a pony end up with serious infection and sores from been cleaned with sheath cleaner every week.
 
I love these threads, I read them out to my non horsey OH, who finds it all absolutely hilarious! He would like to know, who is the lady who uses her kitchen towel, to make sure we never get invited round for dinner ??!!!

As for me, I just leave them well alone, tbh. Occasionally pick a bit off if I see a big flake. Was horrified to once see the labradors eating them off the floor though. Yuck.
 
Is this really necessary do we think? I don't have any geldings at the moment but have in the past and have absolutely never bothered cleaning under there and never noticed any problems! It is another of those things which noone ever used to even think of doing but which is now regarded as necessary maintenance! I still struggle to believe that there are actually people who choose to do this for a living o_Oo_Oo_O
 
The only time I ever cleaned a gelding was when my TB x Welsh had a partial phallectomy and it used to get a bit gunky due to lack of air (there wasn’t much left!)
I’ve had plenty of geldings over the years and he was the only one I ever cleaned.
 
Jellymoon said:
I love these threads, I read them out to my non horsey OH, who finds it all absolutely hilarious! He would like to know, who is the lady who uses her kitchen towel, to make sure we never get invited round for dinner ??!!!

As for me, I just leave them well alone, tbh. Occasionally pick a bit off if I see a big flake. Was horrified to once see the labradors eating them off the floor though. Yuck.
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I think she meant paper kitchen towel that is disposable!
 
Leandy said:
Is this really necessary do we think? I don't have any geldings at the moment but have in the past and have absolutely never bothered cleaning under there and never noticed any problems! It is another of those things which noone ever used to even think of doing but which is now regarded as necessary maintenance! I still struggle to believe that there are actually people who choose to do this for a living o_Oo_Oo_O
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I think the extent to which we work horses on artificial dusty in summer surfaces has increased the gunk that builds up in sheath area. Some geldings are cleaner than others.

Personally I think every gelding owner should keep an eye on the smegma build up in sheath / gunk building up on willy and beans forming. You can fairly non invasively keep and eye and work out what frequency it needs doing.

Any soap, petroleum products, baby oil etc. are not good to use and will do more harm than good. Plus many "sheath cleaners" are not good great either. Anything that disturbs the natural microbes or changes skin pH is not good. if you clean with a non skin friendly product you run the risk of disturbing the skin and increasing the gunk that builds up.

I use agri gel - which is what vets use to do internals on animals
 
I never used to bother either, and then my cob's sheath swelled to three times it's normal size. Panic call to the vet, who came and did a wash out. Sheath returned to normal within a couple of days. Now I do a regular check every couple of months or so. And yes - disposable paper towel designed for the kitchen.
Leandy - The occupation slot on the passport could be quite entertaining! Presume they are equine hygienists.
 
Im a bit surprised by people thinking this isn’t a job that ever needs doing!
I was my mares grubby bits and if I dont do between her udders she gets a horrible hard back build up which must irritate and makes the skin sore!
Not meaning to be to graphic but if a horse is left entire running with mares as nature intended then no they will naturally be self cleaning through activities of procreation but gelded horses don’t have this opportunity!
Thank you for all the helpful suggestions though, I am going to purchase some sheath cleanser and just get on with it, then leave well alone for a good while.
 
In my time with geldings they either like it or don't. Are you trying to clean his sheath or his willy? I've never attempted to clean the willy but try to give the sheath a clean once a year in the summer.
I get some water let it warm up in the sun, add a little hibiscrub, grab the sponge and very gently insert the sponge into the sheath turning the sponge as I go. I go up the sheath as far as I can and then as I pull it out, out comes the gunk. I keep doing it until my boy starts to move about and then I stop. Some of the stuff does smell abit, so I'm sure its better out than in.
Leandy - this isn't a new thing I've had geldings for 30 years and its how I noticed my horse had a sarcoid growing on his sheath (just on the inside) which then got treated successfully.
 
Bean lady came to do mine. 4yo TB was a saint and out popped a teeny tiny bean, he was cleaned up and quite chilled about it.

8yo WB wasn't having any of it, he was very much not up for any contact at all. I can't touch his sheath without a hindleg coming for me though i do spray with the hose after he's worked which he doesn't seem to mind. He will have to wait until he's sedated for his teeth to be done. It's a sarcoid check as much as anything else for him, as above, as he has others.
 
It’s the first thing I check if they start to rub their arses. Nearly always due to irritation caused by a build up of gunk in the sheath. I clean gently with a sponge soaked in lukewarm water, never use any chemicals.
 
I was in the "Don't mess around with it" camp, until Alf (who always had the cleanest, pinkest, shiniest willy) got fly strike a few years ago.
I'm very careful to keep it clean now!
 
I have a little feel now and then and pull out any gunge as one of mine gets terrible beans, and I get the bean lady regularly they do such a great job without any fuss it's well worth the money.
 
dorsetladette said:
I don't like to over clean. I've seen a pony end up with serious infection and sores from been cleaned with sheath cleaner every week.
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One can buy sheath cleaner?? I wonder what the label looks like :oops:

I can count on one hand the number of times I have grabbed hold of my gelding's willy and given it a good once-over. I used soap, but the mildest of mild, old-fashioned 'Sunlight' soap that we'd had in the cupboard for decades. And of course a good rinse afterwards. It can be tricky to juggle everything while holding on for grim death.
 
Mine won't realllllly let me touch, and his willy is looking a bit gunky. He's not super keen on the hose, but do people literally spray the hose up the end of the sheath? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

I think if I tried to rub any product on it, I'd get a kick for my troubles.

Or maybe I'll just wait until he needs sedation for something else?
 
This article about "Mr Hand" has been posted many times on this Forum, and it always makes me chuckle....

"Part 2: THE CLEANING PROCESS...
WRITTEN BY: Patricia Harris [1998]

1.) Check to make sure there are no prospective boyfriends, elderly neighbors, or Brownie troops with a line of sight to the proceedings. Though of course they're probably going to show up unexpectedly ANYWAY once you're in the middle of things. Prepare a good explanation.

2.) Trim your fingernails short. Assemble horse, hose, and your sense of humor (plus, ideally, Excalibur cleanser and perhaps thin rubber gloves).

3.) Use hose (or damp sponge) to get the sheath and its inhabitant wet. Uh, that is, do this in a *civilized* fashion with due warning to the horse; he is apt to take offense if an icy-cold hose blasts unexpectedly into his personal regions ;-)

4.) Now introduce your horse to Mr Hand . What I find safest is to stand facing the horse's head, with my shoulder and hip snugly against the horse's thigh and hip so that if he makes any suspicious move such as raising his leg, I can feel it right away and am in any case pressed so close that all he can do is shove, not really kick. The horse should be held by an assistant or by your free hand, NOT tied fast to a post or to crossties. He may shift around a good bit if he's not happy with Mr Hand's antics, but don't be put off by that; as long as you are patient and gradual, and stick close to his side, he'll get over it. Remember that it would be most unladylike of you to simply make a direct grab for your horse's Part. Give the horse a clue about what's on the program. Rest your hand against his belly, and then slide it back til you are entering The Home of the Actual Private Part. When you reach this first region of your destination, lube him up good with Excalibur or whatever you're using. If the outer part of his sheath is really grungy you will feel little clods and nubblies of smegma peeling off as you grope around in there. Patiently and gently expedite their removal.

5.) Thus far, you have probably only been in the outer part of the sheath. The Part Itself, you'll have noticed, is strangely absent. That's because it has retired shyly to its inner chambers. Roll up them thar sleeves and follow in after it ;-)

6.) As you and Mr Hand wend your way deeper into the sheath, you will encounter what feels like a small portal that opens up into a chamber beyond. Being attentive to your horse's reaction, invite yourself in . You are now in the inner sanctum of The Actual Private Part. It's hiding in there towards the back, trying to pretend it isn't there. Say hi and wave to it . No, really, work your finger back and forth around the sides of it. If the horse won't drop, this is your only shot at removing whatever dried smegma is clinging to the surface of the Part itself. So, gently explore around it, pulling out whatever crusty topsoil you find there. Use more water and more Excalibur if necessary to loosen attached gunk.

7.) When Mr Hand and the Actual Private Part have gotten to know each other pretty well, and the Part feels squeaky clean all around, there remains only one task: checking for, and removing, the bean. The bean is a pale, kidney-shaped accumulation of smegma in a small pouch just inside the urethra. Not all horses accumulate a bean, but IME the majority do, even if they have no visible external smegma. So: the equine urethra is fairly large diameter, and indeed will permit you to very gently insinuate one of your slimmer fingers inside the urethral opening. Do so, and explore upwards for what will feel like a lump or "pea" buried no more than, I dunno, perhaps 3/4" in from the opening. If you do encounter a bean, gently and sympathetically persuade it out with your finger. This may require a little patience from BOTH Mr Hand AND the horse, but the horse will be happier and healthier once it's accomplished. In the rare event that the bean is too enormous for your finger to coax out, you might try what I did (in desperation) last month on the orange horse: Wrap thumb and index finger around the end of the Part and squeeze firmly to extrude the bean.

8.) Now all that's left to do is make a graceful exit and rinse the area very thoroughly in apology for the liberties you've taken . A hose will be MUCH easier to use here than just a sponge and bucket, IME. Make sure to direct the water into the Part's inner retreat too, not merely the outer part of the sheath. This may require you to enfold the end of the hose in your hand and guide it up there personally.

9.) Ta-da, you are done! Say, "Good horsie" and feed him lots of carrots. Watch him make funny faces at the way your hands smell. Hmm. Well, perhaps there is ONE more step...

10.) The only thing I know of that is at all effective in removing the lovely fragrance of smegma from your hands (fingernails arms elbows and wherever else it's gotten) is Excalibur. Even then, if you didn't use gloves you may find you've got an unusual personal perfume for a while. So, word to the wise, do NOT clean your horse's sheath just before an important job interview or first date ;-) and of course, there is that one FINAL step...

11.) Figure out how to explain all this to your mother (or the kid from next door, or the meter reader, or whoever else you've just realized has been standing in the barn doorway speechlessly watching the entire process.)"
 
Oldernewbie said:
Im a bit surprised by people thinking this isn’t a job that ever needs doing!
I was my mares grubby bits and if I dont do between her udders she gets a horrible hard back build up which must irritate and makes the skin sore!
Not meaning to be to graphic but if a horse is left entire running with mares as nature intended then no they will naturally be self cleaning through activities of procreation but gelded horses don’t have this opportunity!
Thank you for all the helpful suggestions though, I am going to purchase some sheath cleanser and just get on with it, then leave well alone for a good while.
Click to expand...

So am I surprised, I check it regularly especially in the summer when there's the possibility of fly strike.
The cheapest, easiest and gentlest way to clean it is to take a gloved handful of vet lube and massage it gently up inside the sheath. It will loosen the smegma, then if he will allow you to, rinse the area with a hose.
I cringe when people use baby oil, sudacrem and the like in such a sensitive area.
 
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