Willy washing advice please!

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Summer pudding

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Noticed today that lovely tb gelding has a very dirty willy...I have tried sloshing around with warm water laced with hibiscrub but with limited success as he won't extend for me!..Any suggestions...spraying up there with baby oil and then the bits will drop off of their own accord is one suggestion - anyone done this with success? He was absolutely brilliant, no stamping or leg kicking, he just seems a bit shy!!!
 
I stick baby oil up inti the sheath if mr winkie wont come out.
or a good back scratch works, or he often hangs out after work so I grab the baby oil quick, put it on and the next day it's clean!
 
Dont use baby oil, was advised by my vet to use 'ladies' products..:) ie Feminax wash, which I did, works a treat and then i put KY jelly on stubborn bits on sheath, next day wsh off in warm water and flannel, again works a treat :)
 
Because despite being for babies, it can cause irritation in horses, especially in sensative areas such as the sheeth and penis. You should also not use hibiscrub.

Just pop a little olive oil on your hand, and set to - as they say.
 
I use sudocrem, havent heard of any issues with it and it works really well. Just apply and leave, everything stays nice and clean for weeks.
 
My advice would be to just use warm water and thats all. My vet took a massive 'bean' from my horse, and said it was the largest he'd ever seen and went on to say that most people who wash their horses willies end up with problems when they introduce all these different products as it alters the PH balance. I know someone who was always washing their horses bits and he ended up with a really swollen sheath.

Warm water is sufficient he said.
 
having just been through hell with our pony who had penile squamous cell carcinoma whic didnt end well, we've had alot of experience with horses sheaths/willies. He had gunky willy and we kept cleaning it all the time with hibiscrub big mistake, vet came out as it never seemed to get any better gave us some cream as there was infection and only to clean it with warm water when it looked readlly bad. This worked for a while then the pony went off colour really gunky smelly sheath again vet come out gave us something different if didnt work worked for a while same thing happened again so he had to go to vets where they discoverd bacterial problem, they said that where the sheath had been cleaned excessivly in his life it had changed the the ph and bad bacteria preferred it and repeated infections had caused alot of scar tissues making the fold stiif lots of nooks and crannies for bacteria hide in had been created. So he had all the bad bacteria killed and then had new bacteria grown from a healthy horse and put on it and told if this didnt work it would have to be a management thing but dont clean it excessively if it needs cleaning warm water and dry it! It didnt work pont had another check up and thay found polyps on the tip of his penis which we they said would turn cancerous so was on check ups, 2 years later they turned cancerous 4 months later he was dead

So dont over clean it or use anything but warm water
 
I'm a semi-professional willy washer... here's a wee willy guide I wrote...

A Beginner's Guide to Willy Washing
Katherine Royce
Clean As A Whistle

Why clean the sheath?

The membranes of the penis and sheath produce a lubricating substance called smegma. This, combined with dead skin and dirt, can build up in the sheath, as crusty scab-like lumps, thick grease, or leathery layers, which can be irritating and uncomfortable to the horse.

The sheath is a bacterial environment (like a vagina) and if the bacterial flora become imbalanced, an excessive build-up of foul-smelling greasy material can coat the inside of the sheath, and even leak out to stain the hind legs.

The highly extendable/retractable nature of the horse's penis creates a lot of folds, nooks and crannies that matter can accumulate in. Smegma and other secretions can lodge in pockets around the urethra, at the head of the penis, where they form lumps called "beans." These can be of a waxy consistency, or as hard as gravel, and if not removed, continue to increase in size. The "average" bean is between the size of an almond and a Brazil nut - but I've removed beans the size of golf balls.
Beans are, at best, uncomfortable for the horse, and at worst, very painful. They can potentially block the flow of urine, and may cause behavioural issues or compromised movement in the horse's back end.

It is advisable to at least check your horse's sheath at least once a year, and to clean if necessary, to remove these accumulations of material. Some horses will go a lifetime without ever needing a clean. Others will need a clean every few months for their health and comfort.

Some horses (especially greys) can also develop cancerous growths such as melanomas in the sheath, so regular checks can also detect and monitor these growths.


How to clean the sheath

*Safety Warning* Most horses are fairly agreeable to having their sheath cleaned, or will at least tolerate it without too much fuss. Only very few will have serious objections. Your safety is more important that success, so be careful and patient, and if you feel the situation is becoming dangerous, please stop! Some horses will require sedation and expert help - there is no shame in admitting this.

You will need:
- a bucket of water (warm if you're nice)
- a soft cloth (Chux or similar)
- surgical-type gloves
- water-based lubricant (Wetstuff, KY Jelly etc)

Be aware that most horses will not drop their willy out for a clean - you're going to need to go up after it. This can be a little disconcerting for the horse, so your calmness and confidence is important for them to relax and allow you to proceed. Fake it if necessary!

To assess a horse's probable reaction, stand at their shoulder facing backwards, and with one hand on the horse's back, calmly and firmly run your other hand along the stomach towards the sheath, and feel all around and over the sheath. Don't lean too far forward, or your head is in range of angry hind legs. If the horse stands relaxedly, continue. If they swish their tail, stamp their feet, or try to kick, desensitisation is advised before continuing with the clean.

Wearing a glove, repeat this procedure, gently running your fingers into the sheath. If the horse remains calm, wet your hand and squirt on some lubricant. Insert your fingers into the sheath (a pouch about the size of a fist) and work your fingers around, removing any chunks, grit or greasy material that you find. Once you've picked out all you can, wet your cloth and wipe out the sheath - this will remove any greasy smegma you missed.

Relube your hand, and get ready to go deeper. At the back of that fist-shaped pouch is an opening to a smaller cavity - this is where the willy is probably lurking. This area also accumulates matter, so you need to clear that out too. At this point, expect to be in up to your wrist. Once the second chamber is clean, it's time for the willy itself. You're fumbling around for something that feels a bit like a squishy tennis ball. Grab it (gently!).

*Please note, even horses that have been calm up to this point may react to this intrusion, so stay alert and safe*

Feel around the surface of the willy. Flakes and chunks of dead skin are often stuck to the skin - carefully remove them, remembering that this skin is very sensitive! Be thorough - work your way from head to root, and all around - there are a few nooks and crannies back here!

Finally, we'll look for beans. Grasp the head of the willy and squeeze gently. You may feel a hard lump. Work a finger (again, gently!) into the opening at the head of the willy, and rotate it around, hooking out any hard lumps or waxy deposits you find. If the bean is very large, you might need to try to squeeze it out, or break it into smaller chunks.

This procedure is the most challenging for the horse - it is very uncomfortable or painful, if the bean is large. You want to be as quick and painless as possible, but it's ok to give the horse a break if he starts to get stressed, and just give him a pat and let him breathe.

Once all beans are removed, check you haven't missed anything in the sheath. You can hose the sheath out, if the horse doesn't object, but this isn't necessary - water-based lubricant is designed to be left on sensitive skin without causing irritation.
Congratulations! You and your horse now deserve a glass of wine!
 
katpower said:
I'm a semi-professional willy washer... here's a wee willy guide I wrote...

A Beginner's Guide to Willy Washing
Katherine Royce
Clean As A Whistle

Why clean the sheath?

The membranes of the penis and sheath produce a lubricating substance called smegma. This, combined with dead skin and dirt, can build up in the sheath, as crusty scab-like lumps, thick grease, or leathery layers, which can be irritating and uncomfortable to the horse.

The sheath is a bacterial environment (like a vagina) and if the bacterial flora become imbalanced, an excessive build-up of foul-smelling greasy material can coat the inside of the sheath, and even leak out to stain the hind legs.

The highly extendable/retractable nature of the horse's penis creates a lot of folds, nooks and crannies that matter can accumulate in. Smegma and other secretions can lodge in pockets around the urethra, at the head of the penis, where they form lumps called "beans." These can be of a waxy consistency, or as hard as gravel, and if not removed, continue to increase in size. The "average" bean is between the size of an almond and a Brazil nut - but I've removed beans the size of golf balls.
Beans are, at best, uncomfortable for the horse, and at worst, very painful. They can potentially block the flow of urine, and may cause behavioural issues or compromised movement in the horse's back end.

It is advisable to at least check your horse's sheath at least once a year, and to clean if necessary, to remove these accumulations of material. Some horses will go a lifetime without ever needing a clean. Others will need a clean every few months for their health and comfort.

Some horses (especially greys) can also develop cancerous growths such as melanomas in the sheath, so regular checks can also detect and monitor these growths.


How to clean the sheath


You will need:
- a bucket of water (warm if you're nice)
- a soft cloth (Chux or similar)
- surgical-type gloves
- water-based lubricant (Wetstuff, KY Jelly etc)

Be!
Click to expand...
No, please no lubricants. Just warm water. Seriously.
 
Justification said:
No, please no lubricants. Just warm water. Seriously.
Click to expand...

We're not talking buckets of lubricant - just enough to make it easier for the hand to go exploring. And these are water-based, PH neutral substances which are designed to be used, and left, on sensitive skin.
I have given this a lot of thought, and done a lot of reading. I won't use baby oil, antibacterials, soap or other products, precisely because I'm very aware of the natural balance of the sheath, and don't want to disturb it.
I'm also only advocating doing this once a year, on average.
 
bliss87 said:
having just been through hell with our pony who had penile squamous cell carcinoma whic didnt end well, we've had alot of experience with horses sheaths/willies. He had gunky willy and we kept cleaning it all the time with hibiscrub big mistake, vet came out as it never seemed to get any better gave us some cream as there was infection and only to clean it with warm water when it looked readlly bad. This worked for a while then the pony went off colour really gunky smelly sheath again vet come out gave us something different if didnt work worked for a while same thing happened again so he had to go to vets where they discoverd bacterial problem, they said that where the sheath had been cleaned excessivly in his life it had changed the the ph and bad bacteria preferred it and repeated infections had caused alot of scar tissues making the fold stiif lots of nooks and crannies for bacteria hide in had been created. So he had all the bad bacteria killed and then had new bacteria grown from a healthy horse and put on it and told if this didnt work it would have to be a management thing but dont clean it excessively if it needs cleaning warm water and dry it! It didnt work pont had another check up and thay found polyps on the tip of his penis which we they said would turn cancerous so was on check ups, 2 years later they turned cancerous 4 months later he was dead

So dont over clean it or use anything but warm water
Click to expand...
I am so sorry to hear of your sad experience. One of my reasons for posting was that I had a lovely horse that had to be pts in similar circumstances. When he came to me the end of his penis had been removed to get rid of a growth. Years later he developed a very aggressive form of cancerous growths in the sheath, which were inoperable/untreatable (it was a few years ago). It broke my heart and to this day I wonder if I wasn't vigilant enough in keeping an eye on things 'down there'. From what you say there is a case for not over doing things. Thank you for taking the time to contribute to this post.
 
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