Cleaning Sheaths.

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

I'm wondering how many of you clean your stallions/geldings sheaths on your own, or if you pay the vet to do this? I'm also wondering at what age you would normally start this for your males?

 

[Lauralee]

I clean them myself. Wouldn't dream of paying a vet to do it unless the horse was violently opposed to the event.

I would recommend starting this on yearling boys, but must confess that I don't generally start them until they are breeding age! LOL its just not a fun chore.

I usually clean the breeding stallions in the spring about 2 weeks before starting breeding season.

Geldings can get done in the summer after it warms up more, or as I get around to it.

HAVE FUN!!!!! LOL

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Never cleaned them never needed to.

Rabbit is now 27 years old has been a working stallion since he was two, is still and has never been cleaned, never had, nor given, an infection.

It is up to you, IMO it is not something that needs to be done, and certainly not routinely.

 

[Lewella]

Geldings really should be done several times a year. Some of them don't let it all hang out and air out like a stallion will and they can get a really nasty build up. I had one gelding who ended up with a urinary tract infection from a dirty sheath (he didn't have a bean - just a ton of really hard, crusty, uncomfortable smegma).

I've had colts gelded at 10 months of age who already had a bean that need to be removed (most vets will check for a bean while the horse is under).

 

[Dream]

I consider sheath cleaning to be regular part of maintenance on a male horse. Geldings are worse than stallions. I have removed beans from several horses that were almost a big as golf balls (full size horses). I have seen sheaths so dirty that the horse was unable to drop. One or twice a year should be all that most boys need. I figure it can't hurt and in most cases it will help them.

As a vet I mostly clean sheaths on horses that are bad kickers and require sedation but occasionally I will do one for an owner that just doesn't like to do it.

 

[Miniv]

May I make a suggestion? WINTER TIME is probably not a good time for cleaning sheaths.......Brrrr.....

:

MA

 

[Soggy Bottom Ranch]

Completely agree MA...........it's terribly windy and cold here in WI. To cold for me! I was just curious how many do this lovely task themselves, or how many pay their vets to do it, and at what age they start?

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

I do Willie's myself. Its not the must fun chore, but it has to be done IMO.

:

 

[TangoMango]

Yep, do it myself . I have 2 older geldings (big horses) that HAVE to have theirs done a few times a year. They get so much gunk up in there, and I usually always find a bean.

Now, I have this little 6 month mini colt, that I think is going to ned his done,. His fur around his sheath looks yucky. Now, I have only ever done big horses, a mini colt is going to be an adventure.

:

 

[FoRebel]

I usually have my vet do the sheath cleanings when she comes to do teeth since they are sedated at that point anyways. I am going to end up doing our stallions in the spring because I just can't bring myself to pay the call charge and then pay for the vet to clean the sheaths when I can do it myself! I just don't know wether or not I can do the 2 (big horse) geldings by myself.... I know at least one of them needs to be ACEed when he has his sheath cleaned.

Yeah, I am going to do the stallions on my own and probably have the vet do the geldings when she comes to check teeth!

 

[Sonya]

I'm with Jane....no weenie cleaning over here either. On the recomendation of my vet...leave it alone unless there is a problem.

 

[Jill]

I've had male horses (big and mini) since 1994, and have cleaned only 1 sheath and only 1x when one of my big horses was bit by some insect on his weenie.

 

[Beccy]

"Weenie cleaning"??? :lol: :lol: :lol:

We don't do it either, large horses or small. Never have, and wouldn't unless there is a problem.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

I clean my boys at least two or three times a year. Charlie I clean a lot more often, just because he hangs out more and its easy just to splash some water one and get him nice and clean. I wouldn't suggest using any products. Just plain warm water, with some sterile lube if you need it. Cleaning too often with soap can actually cause an infection (even on a perfectly healthy horse) and can dry them out badly. Water won't do either of those things. I also consider it a normal and 100% nessesary part of male horse ownership. There is nothing more disgusting and painful than an uncleaned horse. Some of the owners of stallions that come in to be bred should be ashamed of their horse's personal (stallional?) condition.

I would never pay a vet $50 to clean my horse's sheathes

I can do it better myself. I can take more time, more care, and more calm than a vet would be. Some horses (GELDINGS ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!) need some sedation to help them drop down, and acepromazine can be very helpful for that. NEVER, EVER give a stallion acepromazine, EVER. I do my own sedation, so if I need a little something its not a big deal for me to take care of that, but in some situations a vet would be needed for that. One of the best times to clean them is after getting their teeth done

If you are like me and have the vet out to do dentristry, they are sedated then and once the vet leaves you can pounce and get them all shiny.

As far as age, I don't know... I've never bought a young horse

I wouldn't do much right off. But before they are bred I would definately be handling them there and washing routinely. There is nothing more fustrating and dangerous than having a stallion in to be collected and having him fly off backwards or kick if you touch his penis. I would probably start "feeling him up" around 6 months to get him used to it, maybe even every week so that its entirely normal for him. Then when he's a yearling or even a little bit older start actively trying to wash him, again with plain water, no soap. That's my two cents

 

[Little Wee Horse Farm]

One school of thought says you kill "good" bacteria as well as "bad" bacteria when you clean sheaths and recommends to leave them alone. Go ahead...........light me up!

 

[nassaunellie]

I clean my geldings a couple times a year. It's not just the penis that get's dirty...when you put your hand up into the sheath, you can't believe the amount of "stuff" up there!!! I have one gelding that always has more build-up than the other. He always lets me know when he's uncomfortable because he will start tail-rubbing. Sure enough, I pull a ton of stuff out and he feels so much better after that. The funny thing is...they like it...the lip starts twitching like when you scratch their favorite spot - which I suppose your doing! :lol: It's not as daunting of a task as I thought it would be.

I would wait until warm weather unless there is a problem. You can also have your vet show you how to do it.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

One school of thought says you kill "good" bacteria as well as "bad" bacteria when you clean sheaths and recommends to leave them alone. Go ahead...........light me up!

Definately correct! The key is killing the bacteria evenly

If you kill one more than the other, the latter will take over and cause an infection. That's why we don't recommend using soap, just plain water

Plain water will remove the debris, which is what causes the pain, without drying the skin or killing the bacteria that is naturally and normally on the skin.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

I clean my geldings a couple times a year. It's not just the penis that get's dirty...when you put your hand up into the sheath, you can't believe the amount of "stuff" up there!!!

Well I totally agree it is very necessary. I mean come on how would you feel if you didnt take a shower or werent able to clean your private area for years on end.

If you are telling me you have a horse who doesnt or never has gotten any smegma(sp) I would be shocked I have never seen a stallion or gelding who didnt get a build up- yes some are cleaner then others naturally however no way would I want a filthy stallion breeding my mare

this is in my opinion regular , routine maintanence that every male horse should have I would imagine a bean can be very painful.

Granted it is my least favorite part of grooming however it is something that needs to be done

I also clean the stallions in between breeding different mares again IMO just normal stallion management.

Nathan Ace can be not so great for geldings either I knew a gelding that had to have his weenie cut due to not being able to pull it back in after dropping-(after a shot of Ace to help clip him)

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

You are right, it is certainly possible with geldings as well. The risk is about 100x less for geldings (0.01% vs 1%), and the consequences aren't as serious to the animal's career/life either. Amputating a gelding is a terrible thing, but compared to a breeding stallion who is no longer able to breed, and is therefore sometimes in risk of loosing his life, its not quite as bad.

 

[~Karen~]

Hmmm, never thought about giving them a cleaner weiner! What is this "bean" you are talking about? Just debris or is it a certain something? I learn something new on this forun every day I visit!

(I've always had mares myself, other than a short term with 2 geldings in my past.)

~Karen