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Posted on Tuesday, Mar 7, 2000 - 9:46 pm:

at the track we put furozone on freely and let stand for 24 hours next day clean with warm water never a problem good luck

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 8, 2000 - 3:42 am:

My youngster (10 months) will not allow you to even touch anywhere in the sheath area without swishing his tail/threatening to kick. He is very good about all other handling procedures and was fine until he had a traumatic castration. Any tips other than gentle persistance? Also how often am I aiming to clean it out thourghly and is it essential enough to justify sedating him?

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 8, 2000 - 9:33 am:

I would recommend using a lip chain and someone correcting the threatening behavior with a sharp jerk. I do this several times a week with ill mannered horses and it always works but I do believe it takes experience to do it correctly. The tendency is to begin correction late and once begun to over-correct, confusing the horse. When done correctly the horse improves evertime you use it until it is not needed.
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Apr 2, 2000 - 12:27 pm:

Thanks - I have achieved a reasonably clean sheath today with not too may problems, but I did not find that bean! How long should I leave it to the next wash?

Posted on Monday, Apr 17, 2000 - 11:52 am:

I'm new at this and tried my first sheath cleaning yesterday on my 7 y.o. gelding. I was using a mineral oil soaked sock over my hand. A lot of stuff came out by just scraping around up in there, but I really didn't know what I was doing. Could someone describe exactly what you should do once your hand is inside the sheath? Thanks...

Posted on Monday, Apr 17, 2000 - 2:41 pm:

Well, Joe, it's easier to clean things up if: #1. You squirt some mineral oil or baby oil inside the sheath the day before you're going to shampoo. #2. You wear a latex glove instead of a sock (I had to laugh, no disrespect intended). #3. Get your horse to DrOp. Sometimes you can accomplish this by gently pressing just below the anal opening, but in some horses the "spot" is different, so feel around.

After he's DrOpped, use water and soap (I like the Excalibur) on the penis. Rinse, rinse, rinse--warm water, please. Then, when he retracts, you can go into the sheath with your hand full of soap, suds the cavity liberally, massage the soap all around the inside, then rinse, rinse, rinse.

If there is a bean--and my older gelding has never produced one--it's a little blob that lurks inside the head of the penis. You need to sort of feel around for it. The ones I've seen have been colorless.

I get my young boy horses used to being touched in the area when they're young, along with the sacking out process.

One more thing--nine times out of ten, while you're involved in this hygienic operation, someone like the meter reader or the church ladies will come to call and stroll out to the barn when they don't find you in the house. I have yet to come up with a suitable explanation of what exactly I'm doing and I've never thought it appropriate to just offer to shake hands. Maybe you can think of something.

Good luck.

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 18, 2000 - 1:53 pm:

Hey Eva - How did you know 'one more thing?' A few weeks ago when involved in this job an old chap on holiday who was jogging past called in to see if he could take some video pictures of the horses as background on the activities of the area ... he didn't seem to be so keen when he saw where my hands were. God knows what he told the people back home!!

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 18, 2000 - 1:58 pm:

Oh dear, Eva, I had a good laugh at your last paragraph. I usually clean my horses' sheaths at 18h00 after the grooms go off, as I cannot seem to explain to them why I need to do such a strange thing; if they are on duty, they walk past the stables with their faces averted and actually seem to be embarassed! I've also had my tenants arrive and wonder what I was doing, but I could see that they didn't like to ask. The subject is a little delicate to people who are not horse owners, I guess.

I just wish I could find a bean one day! I'm sure it's lurking there determined to avoid me.

Alexa

Posted on Tuesday, Apr 18, 2000 - 7:00 pm:

Actually, Claire, it was my visiting mother and some Presbyterian church ladies who first caught me in the "act."

They had taken her to lunch, then expressed a desire to see "Eve's pretty horses." As they came into the aisle, they saw quite a bit more than they expected--but were gracious through all their embarassment.

And you know, there's absolutely nothing you can say to explain to non-horsey people why your hands are where they are.

Ah well! They are unfailingly friendly to me when we meet, but I do notice that they tend to avoid the dishes I bring to the church's pot luck suppers.

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2000 - 2:02 am:

Hi everyone, I have a bunch of care-take geldings and two of my own. I've never cleaned their sheaths! Why would we need to do this. I've not noticed any problems with them. Would I really need to start now. I don't think they've ever been cleaned in their lives! I've always had mares in the past so I guess I'm out of touch.

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2000 - 3:11 am:

Hello Inice,
It long supports my thoughts on women and sheath cleaning...No seriously the one thing that should be watched for is a build up of the bean in the urethral fossa. I have seen these get as big as a ping pong ball and look like they could cause serious discomfort. For a picture of the urethral fossa: The Horseman's Advisor: References: Equine Illustrations: Anatomy of the Viscera and Organs of the Horse: Penis and Related Structures.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2000 - 3:18 pm:

Dr.O, I'm going to leave that "women and sheath cleaning" statement alone except to say that I'M the one somewhat squeamish about doing it. My wife, on the other hand, has no problem and will jump right in (up to her elbow). Inice, at a recent trail ride, a more experienced rider pointed out what appeared to be a swollen sheath on a gelding. She suggested that better sheath cleaning might have prevented this because crud build-up on the penis and in the sheath area could cause irritation and swelling.

Posted on Thursday, May 18, 2000 - 4:03 pm:

I would think they might just feel better without all that gunk too!! - then again, as they are male perhaps not.......

Posted on Monday, Jun 5, 2000 - 11:07 pm:

Thanks for all the responses! Take no offense anyone, what happened was quite funny. I was attempting my first sheath cleaning when my husband came around and wondered what in the world I was doing! I explained the procedure to him and he seemed reassured, but he walked out and came back in with a halter over his head with lead rope attached, and politely asked if he could be next in line! I cracked up..He's such a comic..The horse didn't seem to think it was such a good idea though, but I'll try again. How often does this need to be done anyway?

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 6, 2000 - 9:38 pm:

Dear Inice,
I usually do this at least once a year and typically in the spring. I call it "Spring Cleaning"..lol
Anyway, some people do it twice yearly, but I find that once a year is just fine, unless you are showing showmanship or your horse is having trouble with excess buildup in the urethral fossa.

Posted on Thursday, Jun 15, 2000 - 2:09 pm:

Inice, I loved your response, it reminds me of my husband. He witnesses this procedure quite regularily, as we have a stallion. I clean his sheath & penis quite thoroughly before we breed each mare & often my husband asks why he never receives such detailed attention!

I've enjoyed many of your responses to sheath cleaning & you're right about "non-horsey" people being able to understand many things "we" have to do.

As for how regular should it be done, that probably depends more on your horse. Appaloosas and Paints or light pigmented horses tend to produce more smega than others. When my stallion is finished breeding, I usually do him once before I turn him out at the end of the spring and again in the fall before it turns cold. Then, he is kept clean, clean, clean, for all his girlfriends in the spring.

I too, use exalibur and find it works best when, you apply a generous amount into the sheath - before your boy starts to hang. Wait at least 5 minutes & rinse with warm water and a dash of hibitane soap. By the time the 5 minute soak has occurred, my stud is hanging nicely for me & I'm able to completely clean the penis & sheath! (I use a small round sponge on the inside of the sheath and to gently wash the penis, it works great for that stubborn smega & my stallion has never suggested that it was too rough or didn't feel good!)

Never found a bean yet either! Good luck!

Posted on Thursday, Jun 22, 2000 - 10:59 am:

This must be a man thing.... My husband refuses to "do the deed" on his gelding however he is the first to get in line (with the clear direction that I should go wash up!) This is such an amuseing topic, no matter how serious the response no one can resist a wise crack....

Posted on Thursday, Jun 22, 2000 - 11:28 am:

Hey Emily - its all about feelings of inadequacy and inferiority!!

Posted on Thursday, Jun 22, 2000 - 7:06 pm:

Oh I can see this discussion is gonna plumit down hill fast... Hang on everyone and enjoy the ride! :)

So I volunteer every year to, you guessed it, clean sheaths for a local christian camp. This is a 3 day process because they have around 60+ geldings. Now the logistics of doing this with out "educating" campers, remember this is a christian camp, is quite tricky. So I am discussing this (while working on one of the horses) with the camp director. He tells me how much he appreciates this, he just can't bring himself to stomack the job and it would cost too much to have a vet do it. I agree with him and reply, "Oh yes, it would cost you $20-30 per head." He turned beet red and quickly left. Well it took me a few secconds to realize the terrible pun.... oops, I guess he's the one that got education that day...

Posted on Friday, Jun 23, 2000 - 12:13 pm:

Hi everyone-
I just have to say this whole conversation is cracking me up, I have a gelding (16 mos. old) and am wonderning if I will have the nerve to do this.
I do have a question, when do you need to start and how often? To my knowledge, he's never been cleaned. I have been looking at him lately trying to figure out if he needs it or not. That in itself almost embarrasses me and I have been caught and had to explain myself. haha

Posted on Friday, Jun 23, 2000 - 7:34 pm:

... Just wait until you get into a conversation about strategies and tricks to get your horse to DrOp!

Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 7:56 am:

Hello All,
About 15 years ago our local 4H chapter was going to The National Competition where they compete verbally, with horse knowledge. I think they call it "Horse Bowl". But there was one problem, not one could say the word "penis". Unfortunately, a frequently asked question in horse bowl was about sheath cleaning and it is difficult to describe without using what was called by the group: the "P" word and the Leaders had their sites set on National Champions.

They enlisted my help and so one summer evening we collected the 30 plus kids together, and their parents, just to practice saying the word "penis". Some parents were worst than some kids and it sort of turned into a pep rally centered around the "P" word, with the whole group shouting it out together. We were outdoors on our farm but I have neighbors that might be in loud shouting distance, I still can't imagine what the neighbors thought and they have never brought it up.
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 2:42 pm:

We have a Winner of Weaner Story Contest.....

What a mental picture that leaves Dr O. :0)

-Emily

Posted on Saturday, Jun 24, 2000 - 8:37 pm:

That would be quite a site ... a pep rally centered around the "P" word! Don't know if our neighbors would want to evict us or join us!

Cheryl mentioned a conversation about techniques to get your horse to DrOp. Well ... I'll jump in on this one, even though my way is a little unorthodox.

I've trained my geldings to do tricks (bow, lay down, teeter-totter, count, etc.) and their reward for doing these tricks has always been a gentle pat and a treat. Well, they love it and get so enthusiastic at the prospect of doing these tricks and obtaining the reward, that a certain part of their anatomy (that "P" word) sort of "stands at attention." Luckily I don't show either of these guys or demonstrate their talents much in public. As it is, I've taken countless ribbings from friends and relatives on how I affect my horses.

So ... in order to get these guys to DrOp, I just get out my little "velcro" closed bag of treats and give the command for one of the tricks and presto, we're ready to find that illusive bean and/or commence cleaning. Needless to say, these guys aren't afraid of the sound of velcro either!

Also, gentle rubbing in front of their sheathes will also induce a more relaxed DrOp in my guys, but that takes longer!

Posted on Sunday, Jun 25, 2000 - 4:17 pm:

I am really enjoying this topic. When looking at a horse I have always rubbed near their sheath to get them to DrOp. I just want to take a look and see how they have been taken care of. I was looking at a horse one day and reached under him and rubbed to get him to DrOp. The owner immediately wanted to know what I had done to his horse to have that effect on him. I told him it was a secret.

Posted on Monday, Jul 3, 2000 - 9:12 am:

I'm a new breeding of paint. Can someone tell me how to clean the sheath if my mares are not in heart and getting him to unsheath? Also, how do I get my yearling stallion to unsheath? If the sheath is not washed on a regular basis, can it cause fertility problems in mares?

Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2000 - 10:47 am:

I'm new to the board, so perhaps I've missed the discussion concerning various ways to get a horse to "DrOp". My geldings will allow me to clean their sheaths, but neither will DrOp. Any and all suggestions will be welcome. I've tried to rub in front of, behind, around the sheath, and beneath the anus with no response. Hope someone can help me out as one is a paint and one a pinto who both have excessive greasy buildup to contend with.

Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2000 - 5:45 am:

Molly and Julie,
Instead of posting your question at the bottom of someone elses discussion you should create your own. You will get more responses and it helps others find related information better.

Before you post a new forum discussion be sure to review the already existing articles and forum discussions on your subject. This is the appropriate topic for your subject, so just back up to your topic using the navigation bar at the top of this page and select the approriate article.

If after reviewing the already existing resources your question remains unanswered go to the closest topic and post to that forum by clicking on, "New Discussions" and choose a title that is descriptive.
Thank You,
The Advisor Administration

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 13, 2001 - 8:25 pm:

I have really enjoyed all you funny comments about this subject. I am going to be trying for the first time to clean my gelding sheath. I feel much better about it now as I will just think funny thoughts and see how it goes. Thanks everyone !!

Posted on Friday, Mar 16, 2001 - 12:47 pm:

Here's a question for everyone....I don't have a warm water hose....is there a good way to rinse inside the sheath otherwise?

I tried sheath cleaning for the first time just the other day, and my guy was very good about it. I got a good bit of gunk out...although I was surprised it was BLACK (or at least dark in color). When he DrOps down I only see yellow stuff on his penis. Where does the dark color come from?

I know I need to do more cleaning up there too. Is it possible to do a good job even if your horse never DrOps down for you?

Daisy

Posted on Saturday, Mar 17, 2001 - 7:49 am:

Warm water, perhaps brought from home in a large insulated thermos, in a bucket using a rag os pretty effective, I still would rinse out with the hose one last time. The black is sloughed pigment from the skin.
DrO

Posted on Friday, Apr 20, 2001 - 10:40 pm:

This is too funny - I am a new subscriber, just think of the reaction to this conversation with people who don't even know what a "sheath" is! People bending in the correct direction, rubbing in front, behind, next to the P and below the anus and then having a rally to learn to shout the P word!! This is really good!

P.S. - I have geldings and am not too comfortable doing this either!
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