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What needs to be done for a gelding's sheath

  • Clean everything - sheath, penis and bean

    Votes: 35 79.5%
  • Clean only the sheath, remove the bean

    Votes: 3 6.8%
  • Clean only the penis shaft, remove the bean

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Ignore it all, nature keeps it as it should be.

    Votes: 5 11.4%
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Sheath cleaning (yea, I have to go there).

7K views 34 replies 22 participants last post by  jmc 
#1 ·
Yankee is a smegma factory - seriously, I didn't know geldings could create that much of a mess. He can start having smegma on his thighs two weeks after a cleaning. The grey ick is usually visible at the entrance to his Man Parts.

This is more along the lines of a poll - Most of my horsey life, the mantra has been to clean the sheath AND the penis. Sometimes it's been "clean the sheath, the penis is not necessary, except to remove the bean".

My current vet is adamant that cleaning the sheath isn't necessary At All, and it's all about cleaning the shaft, and of course clearing out the bean.

I've found that cleaning the sheath helps reduce Yankee's itchyness, and my vet seems unhappy that I disagree with him (he's an old country vet, I do like him a lot and he's a great vet).

So, what's the consensus. What do you, and your vet, think is the proper way to keep a gelding's genitals healthy?
 
#5 ·
I'm sure not every stallion likes an arm shoved up their sheath either. I've seen geldings totally drop out to the floor and almost fall over they liked it so much. Meanwhile I've worked with some who would rather kick your head off then have you even touch the opening. A geldings anatomy still works, they can drop all the way out and even get erections, they just cannot impregnate a mare.
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#4 ·
To answer your question...

Lacelynn, it comes out all the way :) Gelding doesn't change the physiology, just removes the ability to breed, and usually the desire.

Heck, many geldings still get... ahem... excited. :oops: Like mine.

I haven't cleaned a stallion since the early 80s, but the process is the same. Stallions likely just enjoy it more :)
 
#6 ·
I've never really discussed it with my vet so I have no idea what he'd say. I always clean everything but I guess if you're in a time crunch or something, the bean is the absolute most important factor.

However, my geldings usually act like they feel a lot more comfortable after they've been thoroughly cleaned.

Thankfully, all of mine are accepting of it, even the super sensitive and non-people friendly Pokey. If he wouldn't stand for it without sedative, he just wouldn't get done because he can be downright dangerous if you try to sedate him.
 
#8 ·
Any ideas as to how to get them relaxed? My gelding retracts into a point of no return, I can clean his sheath and when he isn't paying attention to me gently grab his thing and check/remove a bean but once I let go, that's it. I can't seem to find it up in there......:shock:
 
#11 ·
My gelding always drops when I put his blanket on, so I usually take it off, do some grooming and get everything ready and put his blanket back on (or sheet, fly sheet, cooler, etc) and BAM!! his boy parts become easily accessible.

It's kind of trial and error, some geldings will drop when you groom them, some when you itch a certain spot, some never drop without sedation, it just depends.

I clean the entire thing only as often as needed, doing it too often can cause irritation.
 
#10 ·
Henny gets dirty fairly quickly as well, though I only clean him about once a month. I've yet to check for a bean, but I thoroughly clean the sheath and his weenie. I know it gets itchy with all the build up in his sheath cause he'll sit there and "mutually groom" the wall or my pony. :lol:
 
#12 ·
I clean everything when I can.
The other day I could only clean Red's sheath because he just wasn't a happy camper and would NOT drop. I groomed him for 20 minutes or so and the second I started to move my hand back there he was not having it. He does seem a lot more comfortable after I do it.

Does anyone use rubber gloves?
I know it's gross but if I use gloves I can't always feel around that well and feel like I'm missing something :/
 
#14 ·
I clean my geldings' shealths all of the time. I always have. I don't spend long enough each time to get everything totally clean, so I've always been able to train a gelding to accept this bc I don't irritate them.
Since I don't own any stallions I don't think it's so important to get them "show clean".
 
#15 ·
I clean Mudpie's sheath periodically... he retracts his penis, but I can easily clean out his sheath pretty thoroughly, and when he's not paying attention I can get out the occasional bean. Poor guy had a pretty big one a couple of days ago! :(

To clean the actual length of the penis I have to wait until he's sedated (usually I do it after he gets his teeth floated) which isn't ideal, but it's been the only way I've been able to make it work. :)

I always do it with warm water, and only occasionally do I use mild ivory soap. The rest of the time I just gently peel out the **** with warm water.
 
#16 ·
If you're not sure that they'll allow you to rinse thoroughly down there, you'd want to use just KY jelly because it absorbs/evaporates and doesn't leave a goopy mess that will cause buildup. Of course, don't use soap if you can't rinse them out.

They don't have to drop to get them thoroughly clean, you just have to be willing to go elbow deep....literally.

ETA: xlioness, I don't use gloves for the same reason. I can't feel around to make sure I've got everything. But, I keep a super-size bottle of Dawn in the barn to wash whatever needs washed LOL.
 
#17 ·
My vet is still adamant that cleaning the sheath is useless. Clean only the penis, and the bean, and only with warm water. I'm still not sure I agree with him.

He said Yankee's penis was filthy (yes, I know! That's a week after the last cleaning - he wasn't perfectly clean but wasn't horrible then!) and that he only had two small beans (I was able to remove two small ones last week). He did find what might be an injury (or something worse (!) he's not sure yet) on the shaft which might be causing the swelling I saw. He thinks it might be a bruise caused by the syringe I use to get warm water deep in.

I've been using the syringe for a while, with great results. However, if I caused an injury with it - never gonna use it again.

Yankee's perfect in pretty much every way. Just wish he wasn't such a smegma factory!
 
#19 ·
My guy gets dirty quickly too. While I'm not about to go up there every week, he does get itchy in that area if it's not clean, so I use a baby wipe in that area to keep things on the outside clean. He seems to drop often enough for me to pick off the bigger flakes a little at a time and keep on top of it.
 
#20 ·
First I'm going on the premise that you're asking about geldings and not stallions. Our stallions never needed cleaning (their activities with the mares took care of it :lol:)

Shaft and been when needed has always worked great with no problems and a happy gelding. Quick and easy to just flake it off the penis. Bean took longer to develop so it was less frequent.

However, since all I have is mares now (and what I've usually had most of the time) it's even easier since I just need to flake it off from between the teets as needed.

The real fun is look you get when you get to tell some female that she needs to learn to clean the smegma when it builds up on her gelding. Which is nothing to the look when you explain and show them how it's done (and then tell them they need to finish the job :D). Of course you save the bean cleaning for last since it tends to provide the best reaction :lol:). Of course there are some fun stories that have taken place, but that's beyond the scope of this thread :)
 
#23 ·
Yup. I've cleaned stallions too, before breeding, but that was never an issue, the boys we were working with were, ahem, well trained.

And, I'm a female myself. I daresay most females who are into horses aren't wilting lillies, cleaning my gelding sucks but it's just part of the job. Heh. We could take a poll and see who's more uncomfortable about handling a male horse's equipment, men or women :)
 
#21 ·
You forgot the option of

Call Vet
Hold horse while he is sent off to la la land
Giggle while horse is busy trying to kick the vet but can't actually get his leg off the ground without falling over
Look properly horrified as the Vet shows you the handfuls of gunk and a giant bean
Tell the horrified onlookers that unexpectedly showed up "It's ok, he's a VET"
Clean up the giant mess the Vet left and write large check
 
#22 ·
No, the real fun is when a women was very tentatively cleaning her gelding for the first time and the girl that's was showing her how, but letting her finish, said "you act like this is the first time you've ever handled one" :rofl:. I thought we would all die laughing and then she replied she'd "never had to clean one before and (something to the effect of) it's never been this big" :rofl::rofl:)
Women can be very "off color" when their around each other (it's like I'm not there when they get started with that stuff).
 
#25 ·
Hello, fellow gelding owners. I had a related question and thought I'd tag it to this thread since we're already talking about the subject, but I apologize if it's poor forum etiquette and assume the mods will move/delete if it is.

Some of you have said some horses can go months or a year without needing a cleaning, but most seem to do it pretty often...how can you tell when it needs to be done?

I have never cleaned a horse's sheath area, and while I am of course willing if I need to, I'd much rather have the vet do it if it only needs to be done every few months. I've had my gelding (the first horse I've been completely responsible for) for two months, and I realize it's awfully irresponsible for me to have overlooked this, but I honestly didn't realize until this thread that it's something that needs to be done with such regularity.

So...how do you guys decide how often to do it? Do you check if it's necessary or just follow a schedule? Can you tell without really getting up in there?
 
#27 ·
So...how do you guys decide how often to do it? Do you check if it's necessary or just follow a schedule? Can you tell without really getting up in there?
I let Yankee tell me. When he gets uncomfortable, he starts rubbing his tail. Also, he starts getting smegma on his thighs and in front of his sheath.

I also look every time he drops, to see how bad the shaft is. Also, if his sheath starts swelling, it could be he's got a bean big enough to cause issues (per the vet).

I would like to hear from other gelding owners how they tell.
 
#26 ·
My guy Does Not Drop (other than to pee) so I have to go in after everything. I probably clean him once every 2-4 months, usually with Excalibur and warm water (and no gloves... when you're going elbow deep you'd need the full sleeve ones anyway). I have used Ivory soap as well, but haven't had access to a wash stall with warm water out of the hose in a while, so don't want to risk not being able to rinse thoroughly with politely warm water at the moment.

The first few times his eyes got a little big. Now I just let him graze while I do it and I can even let other people learn how to clean a gelding on him because he just doesn't care. Doesn't enjoy it like some I've heard of, but is no more put off by it than by picking his feet so long as you're gentle.
 
#30 · (Edited)
When I notice he's dropped and he's kind of dirty/gross, I make a mental note to clean him the next time I give him a bath (which usually happens once a month or so).

Good Article, and lines up with good sense- that too much cleaning can cause a problem. That said, I think I'll keep cleaning my guy his few times a year. I doubt that is enough to cause any problems and makes me feel better to check and know that he doesn't have a giant bean formed. Article or No, I can't believe the big old beans they can get are comfortable, even if they aren't life threatening.
 
#33 ·
Well I wish I knew what I was doing. My horse seems to look like he is having problems peeing, he pees, but doesnt seem like alot of volume. then he tries again it seems like more frequently than normal. I tried twice. I put him in trailer, with cut gate closed. I really didnt feel anything and think I was doing it right , did get inside the urethat and the area around it felt nothing. But I dont have any feeling in my fingertips, farrier said sheeth looked swollen and I hadnt said anything about it. I had hoped to wait till spring when his shots were do, but ehh, maybe something we can nip in the bud. Any way on the way to vet this afternoon as per our agreement.
She doesnt work on diesel engines, generators or marine machinery. I dont do vet work.
 
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