Sheath cleaning - getting it to all hang out?

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soloequestrian

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I have a new horse (had him 3 weeks). I went to give his sheath a check and I think I can feel something hard where there shouldn't be. I suspect a bean or a build-up of smegma or the yellow stuff (does it have a name??). He is very good about me furtling around but starts to object when I touch the hard bit, which is a long way up - he has his penis tucked right in! I've tried twitching him to see if he would relax so I could have a proper look but it didn't really do much. Are there any tricks I could try before going for sedation? Should I go for sedalin rather than domosedan? Is there a difference in effectiveness for this job?
Thanks in advance.
 
As you’ve only just got him I’d sedate so you can give it a good clean. A friends horse was so uncomfortable he wouldn’t let anyone near. She got something from the vet to sedate him and even then, the bean was huge and a real job to get out.
 
meleeka said:
As you’ve only just got him I’d sedate so you can give it a good clean. A friends horse was so uncomfortable he wouldn’t let anyone near. She got something from the vet to sedate him and even then, the bean was huge and a real job to get out.
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Thanks, do you know what sedative she used? I'm a bit worried that his will be tricky to sort out too.
 
As he is a new horse I would be inclined to get the vet to IV him, sort his sheath and have a good look at his teeth at the sametime.

I have to clean my old boy every 6 weeks ish, just warm water and plenty of cotton wool. He draws himself up whilst I am doing it but I can shift a lot of gunk. About 15 minutes after doing him he will relax and let the lot drop, I can then clear the final bits.
 
As he is new to you, and it sounds like it might be sore I'd probably get the vet out for proper sedation and a look.

I say this as a well practiced willy wrangler as F has issues with suspected squamous cell carcinoma. With him I know he won't do anything to protest other than hold it up as high as he possibly can, in which case there are ways of encouragement/just holding on longer than he can :p. But I wouldn't do that with one I didn't really know.
 
asmp said:
Get a Bean Lady out!

(search my thread “had the bean lady out“)
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Can anyone tell me how the bean lady's get them to drop their sheath's - or don't they?

I don't think they would be sedating them to clean them, so wondered what they did that was different to any other person doing the same job?

Also does anyone know what the professionals use as a cleaning solution? Just interested to know?
 
I didn't respond yesterday as everyone seemed to be suggesting to get the vet out, but for future cleans, I discovered that rubbing my gelding's tummy while he ate supper induced him to let it all hang out.

You've got to have everything ready though: maybe two buckets of warm water, rubber or disposable gloves in your pocket.

I just used a mild soap - something that sensitive humans use. Then clean warm water to rinse.

And act natural. You're not really up to anything. He won't believe you but do your best.
 
Both of our geldings let it hang out after having a long relaxing lick of HorsLyx. It happened to be the mint flavour, but I dont think that's important!
 
“Well practiced willy wrangler”
Love this! Hope you put it on your CV!
(Hope Frank’s willy is ok)

My horse often drops his if he’s been given some tasty food, then he licks my hands and I stroke his neck. However being a coward I paid someone to clean his willy following the “bean lady” thread!
 
Mine will let it all drop if you scratch under his tail - like a magic button! I echo others though if you think there's an issue/something uncomfortable I'd recommend sedation for safety's sake.
 
Mine won’t drop it, but does find it perversely pleasant so I just go in. It’s perfectly possible to clean it ‘in situ’ but I wouldn’t try it with one that moved quickly.
 
I have read you should just leave well alone. However, when my boy had maggots up there I had to clean it. Worst experience of my life :eek:

FYI, the bean is at the side of their urethra, not in there sheath.
 
Reacher said:
“Well practiced willy wrangler”
Love this! Hope you put it on your CV!
(Hope Frank’s willy is ok)

My horse often drops his if he’s been given some tasty food, then he licks my hands and I stroke his neck. However being a coward I paid someone to clean his willy following the “bean lady” thread!
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Of course 😂 the vet has commented on my good grip in photos 😂.

We did successfully treat the lesions when he was 19 and he had 5ish years without. Today we just monitor and it’s on the list of ailments that might get him in the end.
It is why I advocate checking though even if people aren’t cleaning as we managed to catch it very early (it had just looked like a bit of excess dead skin but the skin looked different underneath)
He loves my visits as a result, that will be a fun Xmas job 😂
 
I'm a seasoned willy washer as my boy has melanomas in his sheath and they get very dirty. I have to sedate him every time as he tries to take my head off (which is better than my old boy who seemed to enjoy it too much1)Sedate using ACP (Sedalin or Relaquin). This acts as a muscle relaxant too so everything usually hangs out when they're knocked out with it. Domosedan or IV sedation doesn't have the same effect.

ETA - just use warm water and a some liquid paraffin (if you can get hold of it, it's increasingly difficult) no soap no matter how mild or baby oil (it's scented and this can affect the ph balance)
 
annagain said:
I'm a seasoned willy washer as my boy has melanomas in his sheath and they get very dirty. I have to sedate him every time as he tries to take my head off (which is better than my old boy who seemed to enjoy it too much1)Sedate using ACP (Sedalin or Relaquin). This acts as a muscle relaxant too so everything usually hangs out when they're knocked out with it. Domosedan or IV sedation doesn't have the same effect.

ETA - just use warm water and a some liquid paraffin (if you can get hold of it, it's increasingly difficult) no soap no matter how mild or baby oil (it's scented and this can affect the ph balance)
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IV sedation does work if they use ACP as well. My old boy initially needed sedation to have a good look as his sheath was always so gunky. Now I can do it without sedation. I find his actual willy (nickname Mr Crusty) has thick dried yellow flaky bits that need regular picking off I usually grab it after a ride when he’s relaxed whilst his sheath further up is always a revolting sticky brown gunky stuff and I use plain water mainly to wash off. My other horse proudly waves his around including slapping his belly with it and is pretty clean so I just check it from time to time.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
IV sedation does work if they use ACP as well. My old boy initially needed sedation to have a good look as his sheath was always so gunky. Now I can do it without sedation. I find his actual willy (nickname Mr Crusty) has thick dried yellow flaky bits that need regular picking off I usually grab it after a ride when he’s relaxed whilst his sheath further up is always a revolting sticky brown gunky stuff and I use plain water mainly to wash off. My other horse proudly waves his around including slapping his belly with it and is pretty clean so I just check it from time to time.
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Sorry should have said 'ordinary' IV doesn't have the same effect. Mine has had ACP intravenously too with good effect when we biopsied to be certain it was melanoma and not anything more sinister. One vet who was supposed to be examining him turned up without any IV ACP as it's used so rarely these days and had to phone the practice for them to rush some out before the other IV sedative wore off! Sedalin will have the same effect for a third of the price and you don't have to wait for the vet.
 
Just to complete the thread, sedated today with Domosedan (vet said Sedalin is rubbish). Huge bean removed - about the size of a conker. I was actually worried that it wasn't going to come out it was that big, but a bit of easing got it. It was obviously very uncomfortable - even under the sedation he was still kicking but thankfully with the leg away from me. No way I would have managed without the sedative! Other than that everything was very clean so I echo some of the comments above - it's fine not to clean but things need to be checked! I wouldn't have known there was anything wrong without having had a feel about up there!
 
meleeka said:
Mine won’t drop it, but does find it perversely pleasant so I just go in. It’s perfectly possible to clean it ‘in situ’ but I wouldn’t try it with one that moved quickly.
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This is me and mine 😂
I can do a really thorough clean without it dropped. He got maggots one year so in my opinion it was do or die so I just got stuck in 🤢
We are now pro’s and he lifts one back leg up for me!
Op as above being new I’d get a vet out and just get it sorted this time whilst being able to guage his reactions and tolerance for next time.
 
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