Sheath cleaning... Who does it?

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The wife

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After a post popped up on my news feed about a video of a person 'washing' her friends geldings sheath - I use this term lightly, anyhow it's got me thinking... Not sure why I think it's odd but Would you be happy with a friend washing your boys bits? And Who actually cleans their geldings sheaths?

I've owned geldings for best part of 20 years and have never cleaned their sheaths. Yes the BHS would have a hissy fit as I SHOULD do them every 6months it appears. I have occasionally stuck the hosepipe up there if caked in mud but then felt guilty and that is as far as it goes, wouldn't have a clue where to start, other than gloves and I guess oil?! Please tell me I'm not alone in this really can't imagine it's particularly comfortable getting a full arm up there to scoop out whatever is lurking beneath...

Google is most unhelpful, it brings up lots of films, which brings us on to a whole new concept of horses willies.
 
The last time I cleaned a geldings sheath, a poor man walked over to the stables with a parcel. No amount of explaining would have helped me.

I'm glad my horse is a mare.
 
I have never done them before buy had to do current horse yesterday as he was covered in black sticky gunk. Yack

But no, I wouldn't care if a friend did it rather than me if I decided it needed done. What an odd thing to even think!
 
I will admit that I've occasionally given it a scrub with the sponge while giving my gelding a bath, but I've never actually ventured in! I don't see the need unless there's an actual medical reason.
 
I clean Kal when he gets gunky . . . which is about every six months or so . . . but in between I leave well enough alone.

Have to say, I'd still rather have a gelding than a mare . . . all that squirting and making a mess of their banks and their tails . . . ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

P
 
I am squeamish and get the vet to do it. Worthwhile both times I have had it done. I think leaving well alone is fine, but as long as you know that there is nothing 'up there' that is uncomfy and thats worth a check when you get a new horse or one that starts behaving a bit funny.
 
I cant' think who does it should make a difference, but no, I dont' clean my gelding's sheath either. Have had a bit of rub with a sponge when he is being bathed but that's it. The other place that gets just as manky, is around a mares teats. Serious ick but needs to be approached with caution !
 
I've not done it in the 14 years I've had my gelding and so far so good - touch wood! When he has a bath I give it a rinse with a sponge like Skully.
If he's ever had it "hanging out" I've pulled a few bits off while he's been happy standing there but that's as far as I've gone.
 
If my gelding gets very sweaty I'll give it a wipe around, but haven't ventured up there for years. My mare is the disgusting one, collecting season juices in every crease and fold...
 
An old gelding of mine had bean the size of the palm of my hand tear its way through the shaft of his willie -I nearly passed out!!! All I did was inocently pull off a lump of smegma and a great hole appeared I truly couldn't believe it !! Ive always kept my horses washed regularly now I dont want that to happen again
 
I do, my boy is pink skinned and seems to have awful issues in the summer with flys etc so I like to make sure it's kept clean and there's no nasty bites or anything that will attract the flies even more. He usually gets cream put on his sheath whether it be Sudocrem or a sun cream so I don't like a build up of that. Hardly touch it any other time of the year . Did do it about a month ago as he kept kicking his back legs as if he was irritated. Turns out there was a massive bit of mud caked up there! I was also never sure of what the 'bean' was but it made its way out last year!
 
depends on the horse, there are 2 geldings at the yard at the moment who need their sheaths cleaning every few months or they really react badly and get uncomfortable. a couple of other geldings have never had their sheaths cleaned, or needed it.
 
No none of my geldings have had their sheaths cleaned. I've owned them from birth/very young though so they've never had it done prior to my ownership. I do however do the bean check on them periodically and if any of them were to be found straining then I would have a dig around.
 
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when I was a lot younger (and stupider) I decanted some aqueous cream into an old conditioner bottle and set about the process. didn't go well. horse got really irritated by the remnants of perfume etc in the bottle and I ended up getting the vet out as he was so uncomfortable....!!!

my most recent gelding sometimes gets smelly there, so I give him the occasional (6 monthly on average) squirt of some "sheath cleanser".

if he's hanging loose I'll pick off the flakes but apart from that I leave him to it!!

would never invade, in the way I did before, again!!
 
I have always owned geldings and never cleaned a sheath - I was of the understanding that cleaning it can disrupt the ph balance and cause more harm than good.
 
I regularily clean sheaths I was very relaxed about it until Fatty arrived with his penis covered with infected sores .
I had such a scary lecture from the vet I've been conscientious since .
I have to say I make my grooms do it mostly but do it an odd time in the interests of fairness .
Hunters need more sheath cleaning than other orses all sorts gets up there on a muddy days hunting.
 
I never clean my welsh's sheath, I'd get my head kicked in and its always clean so there's no need.
My Connemara on the other hand gets disgusting black gunk down his leg from time to time and that's when I know I need to give it a clean. It's a pretty grim job requiring a hose, rubber glove and the ph balanced cleaner but luckily he is a good boy and doesn't make a fuss. If it didn't get gross then I wouldn't. Btw he has had a vet to check it and there's nothing wrong with him its just unfortunate!
 
If he has thick black stuff on his legs then I take a wet sponge to clean the area out but otherwise I leave alone. I did once have to call the vet out as I came back off holiday to find a very swollen sheath area, reaction to fly bite poor chap!
 
I do it every couple of weeks at the moment. The field is wet and it's always full of mud as well as the normal stuff that's up there.
 
I did mine he was pretty good about it. Have a mare now they are a bit easier. Hmm not sure about a friend doing it.

This is a very funny read: (By Cheryl Sutor )

Step 1:

Check to make sure there are no prospective boyfriends, elderly neighbours, 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.
Step 2:

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

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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.

Step 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 <vbg>. 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.

Step 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. Much to my surprise it worked an orange horse did NOT kill me for doing it and he does not seem to have suffered any permanant damage as a result ;-> I have never in my life seen another bean that enormous, though.
Step 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.

Step 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...

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...

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).

Now, go thou forth and clean that Part :)
 
I do it on a regular basis. My gelding tends to get very gunky and is better off if I help him out cleaning it and extracting the bean. When I bought him, he had never been cleaned, had a swollen sheath and trouble urinating due to a huge bean blocking the ways, so he was uncomfortable enough to kick out when somebody tried to touch him there - after a cleaning under a light sedation, he has been comfortable since then and lets me do the cleaning without any sedation. And, yes, a friend has cleaned him for me - she cleans her own gelding as well. Some geldings are just like that, they develop huge beans and need to be helped, some do well with not getting cleaned more often than once a year, but it is beneficial to teach them it is okay for the sheath to be touched and manipulated with - this way you can check for early warning signs for different nasty ailments as well.

I don't use any cleaning liquids, though, just clean water.
 
I have four geldings.
2 I never touch and never have done. They don't seem to need it and ones a Shetland so very low!! The other would kick my head in- best left ;)
One I've given a quick rinse once or twice as he's young and if there ever is a problem i don't want him to end up reacting badly as above at his bits being touched.
The fourth is the bane of my life! Needs doing weekly in summer or he gets very irritated displaying almost colic like symptoms. It's disgusting and foul and filthy!
I've no idea why any horse produces this much gunk but I have little choice than to clean it.
 
People who do it regularly will be adamant that it MUST be done regularly as otherwise it gets v gunky, whereas people who never do it will tell you it is best left alone and that they never have problems.

This is because cleaning it disrupts the natural balance and stimulates more smegma to be produced meaning that 'gunk' and beans occur more often. So obviously, people who mess about with it regularly will find that they do it more and more often because the smegma builds up more and more each time they interfere, so they'll then be insistent that it 'needs' to be done. It's a vicious circle.

I have always had geldings and have never ever cleaned a sheath. They've all been fine.
 
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