Help! My horse won't let me clean his sheath!

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Help! My horse won't let me clean his sheath!

Horse-hearted · Advanced

My guy used to. You can train them to be more comfortable with it, but for a short term solution, a vet may be your best bet. My guy took a long time to get used to my hands 'there'!

SoftTouchTraining · Well Schooled

I don't know if you use warm water, but that may help. Also, sedating them a bit the first couple times can help. I use a sheath cleaner that just loosens all the dirt, ect then I can just use a warm wet wash cloth to wipe them out.

spirithorse · Advanced

Warm soaking wet wash cloth or rag, begin by rubbing it on the belly area just in front of the hindleg....then just slowly work your way inward. Do this every day until he gives in.

prospect · Advanced

sometimes it just takes time and a little at a time - you have only had him a short while so he may need more trust to let you there.

I find a really good massage after a work out really relaxes my boys and quite often they drop during the massage and that's when I clean them - I have everything ready just in case.

Make it part of your grooming every time and touch it as much as possible and it will become routine.

I also do discipline them if they lift the leg when I am touching and cleaning.

This may sound gross but my big gelding always wants to smell my hands afterwards - don't know why but it is part of the ritual with us. So you could try cleaning a bit, letting him smell your hands and then trying again. Just a suggestion.

Don't know if the suggestions will help but they work for me.

prospect · Advanced

I forgot to add that there is a specific massage that always makes them drop too - it is when I really push hard on the sides of the hind end.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Thanks for these ideas everyone. Yes, Prospect, I do notice that when I brush the side of the hind end, this horse and my last horse both drop. Very interesting!

You're right, Prospect. I do discipline him when he lifts his hind leg. He did that when I first got him, but doesn't do it any more. Now he just swishes his tail, so I think that's progress.

A very nice girl at the barn clipped him last night and she gave him a bit of Ace, so she was able to clean the sheath too.

-- Edited by Barbara F on Tuesday 9th of November 2010 09:14:00 AM

prospect · Advanced

Great- now you have him clean - just keep trying every time you groom and who knows - I had not done my big guy in about a month and yesterday got a huge bean out. Just goes to show that it does need to be done regularly.

Horse-hearted · Advanced

:) ahhhh, happy endings!

Queenrider · Advanced

I broke my guy to saddle February. 09 One of the things I do is get them used to being touched eveywhere. During brushing he would drop naturally so I just use a diaper wipe or two once a week. During training I would do this gently but persistently most days for about a second or two. I just gradually lenthen the time.

Marlene · Advanced

I've had my gelding for a year now. He was sensitive to all kinds of touch including girth and tummy area, when I first got him. so lots of general grooming, extra attention to butt brushing, tummy rubs, inside of the leg, etc.,gradually working more towards sensitive areas. Eventually he did allow brief touches "down there". I did small "fake washes"' with just warm water at first so I didn't have to prolong the ordeal too long to get soap off. He's pretty good now, but I still often make sure he will accept touching anywhere. If this process hadn't worked I would have gone with the sedation/vet routine. But you still want them to gradually accept you doing what you have to do. I also did all this with him not tied, because he already had a "thing" about that. He seems more tolerant if he's not tied, just ground tied, or lead in hand. Same for hoof trimming. I think he just had trust issues and it takes time and lots of good experiences to get past that.

KatyM · Well Schooled

All the geldings I've owned have been just gross in their sheaths - so as the others have suggested, I've spent time getting them used to being handled. I've always tried to rinse the sheath and remove the large chunks on a regular basis (and I've never used soap or other cleaners being concerned I wouldn't be able to get it all rinsed out.)

However, I've always had the vets do the poking around for beans - usually when they've done dental work and the horse is already sedated.

Oh, and a raised hind leg always gets a quick, stern "QUIT"

-- Edited by KatyM on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 02:44:54 PM

MagsNMe · Advanced

This is one thing we're already getting my little guy on. He quite likes it, truth be told. He's only 4 months.

kschmittendorf · Well Schooled

I was also told that I needed to do this regulary with my gelding and he most definitely will not allow it without a sedative! From what I have been reading and what my vet tells me is this does not need to be done unless your horse is showing signs of difficulty while urinating. There are a lot of beneficial bacteria in the sheath and routine cleaning could kill those off, leaving him open to infection. Something to think about.

Daniela · Yearling

My gelding gets very dirty, very quickly. He virtually never has beans but boy does he get gunky. I have to clean him out once a month, but he likes it. You do have to take your time to get them used to being touched down there. I make sure my hands are warm, and I usually just use baby wipes to clean out the gunk. I am afraid to use excalibur or a soap in case I don't get it all out. You can use the plain regular KY jelly to clean them out as well - will loosen things up and you don't have to worry about rinsing it out. Great in the winter. You might find that in the heat of summer, after a ride and the horse is sweating ... and he'll get itchy from the sweat and gunk. Great time to get them used to being cleaned out, and usually they appreciate it more once they realize that they feel better after.

Worked for me - your mileage may vary. :)