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  Discussion on Am I Going In Far Enough?
Author Message
Member:
cpaddock

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 4:27 pm:

I am a new horse owner, and my poor guy is taking the brunt of first-time mistakes. He does not enjoy me touching him anywhere near his sheath, and especially does not enjoy when I clean it. I try to clean it when he is DrOpped, but by the time I get everything ready the sucker is back in its shell (so to speak). He must read my mind! Anyway, I have had to resort to cleaning the sheath when it is all tucked in, and I am just not sure if I am doing it right. I can't get my hand in very far (only about 2/3 of my hand goes in, about an inch from my wrist) and it is a very tight squeeze. When my hand is in, it feels like I have reached the bottom because it feels like his belly muscles at the top of the sheath or something. It is all hollow and I don't feel the tip of his penis. Do I just need to fine-tune what I am doing?
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 4:51 pm:

I'm sure Dr.O can be more specific about how far to go, but as a long time stallion owner I thought I'd pass on a hint I learned that might help. First, get everything ready before hand. Use KY jelly or something you don't have to worry about if you have a hard time rinsing throughly. Don't use soaps or baby oil. I use a small plastic bucket of warm water, plastic surgical gloves, a very small tack sponge, KY jelly, and paper towels. I get this all out so he can see me getting it ready. Then, I tie him up where I can clean. I hold a sponge that has been dipped din warm water on his stomach right in front of his penal area with just a little pressure. Don't let it get cold, but redip in warm water if need be. I keep talking "sweet" saying o.k., go ahead, DrOp now etc. And, when he starts to, reward him even if he doesn't DrOp all the way. Soon he will DrOp as soon as he sees you getting stuff ready. If done slowly and gently most stallions and geldings like the service! Of course, breeding, you have to wash before doing collections or live cover - both of which the stallions enjoy, to say the least. They are DrOpped and ready as soon as they see the box of plastic gloves come out of the tack room! LOL
Member:
babychop

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 5:09 pm:

Hoo boy, it can take a while to get them to enjoy it. I am fortunate, my big guy DrOps every time I groom him and seems to enjoy it which has not been the case with other geldings I've had in the past. Be sure to check inside the head to make sure he doesn't have any beans around the urethra too - just run your finger around it, sometimes they hide in there... Warm water is a must, they will shrink right up with cold. There are sheath cleaners on the market but Sara's suggestions make sense also. If you do it gently and sweet talk them into it (give them a good grooming first so they're good and relaxed) they should start to equate it with a good thing rather than something to avoid. Just remember not to go grabbing at him and do be gentle.
Member:
juliem

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 5:17 pm:

Just be careful with the sweet talk and make sure no non horsey people are around! I was cleaning a really dirty gelding once who wouldn't DrOp. Had my hand and arm inside him which he was fine with, but wouldn't DrOp. He was tied in the stall and I was telling him, "c'mon big boy, give it to me. You know you like it" when around the corner came the property owner with some friends, none of whom were horse people. Red faces all around!
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 9:16 pm:

Too funny, Julie.

Thanks for the suggestion about the KY, Sara.

I've used the sheath cleaners and gotten irritation afterward because the horse stopped cooperating terribly well for the rinse stage.

And you know how horses are! They don't forget it if they get sore from a cleaning.
Member:
babychop

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 11:14 pm:

Lol Julie, yeah, one must keep in mind the non-horsey crowd that invariably shows up at the least appropriate time...

Vicki, I wouldn't forget a sore spot there either! Can you blame them! Anyone have a good gentle cleaner for the smegma that is thick & sticky as hard peanut butter? My boy is SO hard to clean that stuff off of, it's a blessing he's so cooperative but dang, it's tough to get off.
Member:
juliem

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2012 - 11:46 pm:

I have used anti bacterial hand lotion and it works pretty well. Be sure it's for sensitive skin and is unscented as the perfumes can irritate. You don't need to rinse. I imagine had I been using KY in the above scenario, it would have been even more embarrassing when they spied the industrial size tube of KY lubricant!
Member:
babychop

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 - 12:05 am:

BAHAHAHAHAHA (SNORT) LOL on the industrial sized KY!!! Thanks for the ideas
Member:
mrose

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 - 1:31 am:

julie, that Excaliber sheath cleaner works really good, but you do have to rinse it off.
Member:
chrism

Posted on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 - 9:18 pm:

I took an horse husbandry course some years ago, and it was suggested then to squirt warm mineral oil up in there to help "soften" and clean things up - the instructor wasn't real keen on doing a lot of scrubbing with soapy stuff or special products.

I've always had mares, so I don't know if this works, but it would be the first thing I'd try.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Feb 9, 2012 - 7:04 am:

Hello Carolyn,
If your goal is to clean the whole sheath you are definitely not far enough. On an average size horse the sheath is about 8 to 12 inches deep. If the description in the article is not clear enough perhaps having your veterinarian show you how next time he is out will help. About the only regular cleaning my male horses get is a thorough rinse out with the hose after a ride and a occasional check for a bean and they do just fine.
DrO
Member:
babychop

Posted on Thursday, Feb 9, 2012 - 6:22 pm:

Thanks Chris & Dr O! Carolyn, failing that, the next time your vet happens to sedate your horse for whatever reason (doing his teeth, whatever), that is a perfect time to clean away - he won't even notice you're giving him a good, thorough cleaning.
Member:
paul303

Posted on Friday, Feb 10, 2012 - 11:33 pm:

I had a paint gelding years ago that was a horror story ( as far as smegma was concerned ). I was given the same advice as Chris with the mineral oil. It made things a lot easier when he did DrOp, since the smegma was soft and easily wiped off. I didn't do it constantly, just now and then. I owned him for 30 years and did this about the last 20 years of his life ( he died at 38 ). Of course, I'd never do this on a stud.
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