Vet been re swollen sheath - all looks ok so now a 'how to'...!

[Sarah1]

Hi everyone!

Firstly thanks to everyone who replied yesterday!

Vet been said probably needsa a clean tho he would usually advise not to mess, doesn't think there's anything untoward but taking bloods to test protein levels as a covering all bases measure, he doesn't expect anything to show tho.

Said he's fit as anything & healthly as, well, a horse - good times!

So now got to clean his 'bits - bad times!

Can anyone tell me how to please!?!?!?! Or better still pop over & do it for me????!!!!!!!!

 

[kerilli]

good to hear there's no cause for alarm.
nice warm water (essential), sheath cleaner ideally or diluted hibiscrub or similar, rubber gloves, soft sponge, lots of patience, lots of time. clean sponge to rinse with ideally.
hard hat and someone else present are a good idea...
if he's good about it, you need to turn the end bit sort of inside out because it can have a 'bean' of hard smegma which you can sort of pop out... gross, i know!
i never minded doing it, but i'm kinda glad i've only got mares at the moment!

 

[Sarah1]

Sounds 'interesting'!
Thanks for your reply - will have to give it a whirl this weekend!
Had thought maybe I could get hubby to do it (more chance of plaiting fog me thinks!) as he's familiar with boys bits but after he's had to be there for the vet I think I've used up all my horsey favours!
As vet was talking to me on phone I could hear big lad kicking off in backgorund so I think Hubby & vet have had quite a torrid time of it as Bailey hates being messed about!

 

[Sarah1]

Do you have to wait til he gets everything out or can you coax it out at will, as it were?!?

 

[Chico Mio]

Have you never read 'Mr Hand' by Pat Harris?

A humourous but informative guide to sheath cleaning:

Your horse's "Actual Private Part" may or may not choose to venture out on your appointed Hygiene Day. You can, er, manually make friendly with the Actual Private Part to see if that helps, but basically it is HIS PERSONAL Actual Private Part and if it wants to stay indoors there is really not much you can do to change his mind.

It is therefore sometimes necessary to either a) have the vet tranquilize him to lull the Part into an accessible state, or b) roll back those sleeves and go seek out The Part on its own turf. You need long arms, as The Part has a most capacious mansion and can retreat to amazingly secluded locations when it so chooses. Warm water and a lubricant (e.g. Excalibur) help a lot; go slowly and show the Actual Private Part that you are not a threat. Be firm but gentle. Hum seductively Cleaning a gelding by Braille is not perhaps the very easiest thing in the world but I assure you it can be done. And just keep reminding the Actual Private Part, "Whither thou goest, so goest I." Long arms, that's the key. I'm not kidding. REALLY long arms. ;-)


Mr. Hand

Step 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. Much to my surprise it worked and 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.

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.)

Now, go thou forth and clean that Part

 

[Sarah1]

That's the funniest thing I've read in ages!!! As you say very informative tho - thanks!

 

[lucy1984]

Wear latex gloves and smoother hand with vaseline, then if the willy isnt out just insert your hand gently up and rub about. Whenever the willy comes out again the smegma will drop off and it will be shiny clean. trust me.

 

[kerilli]

if you haven't got Excalibur, baby oil does a good job.
one of my geldings used to obligingly drop it out the moment i rubbed his tummy... with another, it was a case of following the directions above!
(btw, good luck on getting your OH to do it... just mentioned this idea to my OH who was utterly revolted at the thought!)

 

[Umbongo]

I would advise not to use any soaps or hibiscrub etc...as this will strip his sheath of all the natural bacteria required to fight off any future infections as dirt enters etc.

A woman at my yard sprays her old boy's sheath with baby oil in a spray bottle whenever his sheath looks a bit manky, and he is about to go for a wee in the stable! then leave it and the smegma will loosen and drop off over a couple of days, think she does this a couple of times a year.

I think the less you play around with it the better. Spraying baby oil and leaving it make it's own way off is far better for the horse and the natural bacteria than using soaps and your hands. And afterall, I do not know many geldings that will stand there and let you scrub there sheath unsedated!

I have never cleaned sheaths as all the geldings I have had have been fine....after all they never got cleaned in the wild!
Thank god I have mares now though

 

[lucy1984]

[ QUOTE ]
I have never cleaned sheaths as all the geldings I have had have been fine....after all they never got cleaned in the wild!
Thank god I have mares now though

[/ QUOTE ]

I have had K since he was 16 and I've only ever had to do it once and it shined up like a new penny

Marley's has never made an appearance yet

 

[brighteyes]

<font color="blue">I have never cleaned sheaths as all the geldings I have had have been fine....after all they never got cleaned in the wild! </font>

I have never heard of wild geldings...

Now stallions, on the other hand, keep theirs clean naturally

 

[Umbongo]

Ha yes reading back that was a very stupid thing to say....well I know what I meant!

 

[AGAGE]

I decided a year or two ago to start cleaning Ted's as he got it out a show, when we were doing our individual show bit. It was very scabby and rather embarrassing, as I thought he had gone lame as he wouldn't trot properly. I was about to withdraw when looked to sister and mother in audience and found them in hysterics pointing at it, other people watching were also laughing!

He also gets it out after finishing a dressage test when walking out of the arena or getting off the lorry. So couldn't bear people staring at it when scummy, especially as he seems to get it out at the most embarrassing moments!

You may find your boy will get used to it being done if you do it more frequently. i.e every few months. Ted no longer bats an eyelid, just carries on eating his hay.

I've found it's easier if done after grooming as he generally has it 'out'. As Kerrilli said, using warm water and being very gentle and patient works best.

I would also suggest using lots of disposable gloves, as found that the greasy stuff sticks to gloves even when attempting to rinse off in water.

Good luck!

 

[S14Tobin]

Anyone who remembers a few months back may recall I am far far more familiar with my horse's nether regions than I care to be, and I have to clean his every 1/2 days. I only use a VERY diluted warm hibiscrub solution (and I mean very diluted) once a fortnight, the rest of the time I alternate between a sheath cleaner and plan warm water. If you want to use vaseline afterwards you need to make sure everything is very dry before you try and put it on... if you can get some very thin gloves, I would use them if you're squeamish... but the bit in the hilarious extract a few comments above regarding long arms is correct!

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]
<font color="blue">

Now stallions, on the other hand, keep theirs clean naturally

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmph! Tell MY stallion that! IF he's coveringevery day, it stays relatively clean (although we do wash 'the part' with clean warm water before and after covering for mare hygiene reasons. But if he has a week of no 'work' - it's minging!

 

[ester]

I do franks every 6 months or so and he doesnt get it out.

I use barrier healthcare sheath cleanser which is just oil based and some warm water, and marigolds

moisten area with water, put cleaner on hands, push hand into sheath and rub round sheath (ignoring willy at this point!), wash hand in warm water at frequent intervals to remove grey mank. Then start on willy! With frank I shove my hand right up, grab hold, and pull gently while massaging and cleaning the area (cant see what I am doing at this point, hand can be quite deep in, hence the use of marigolds not latex gloves

. Eventually he normally relents and lets me have it enough to pull it down gently and can remove excess skin from the outside with my other (non holding hand)

I take my time and I suppose it takes a bout 20 mins.