Question for gelding owners - it might make men cringe!!!?

Question

Ok - I have 3 geldings, and as you know you have to clean their sheaths, (charlies, willies, etc whatever you wish to call it) every few months. Now 2 of them are not a problem, 1 just drops it out for me to clean when I rub his tummy - and acutally lists his leg too!! The other takes a bit of coaxing but in the end drops his down too, the third is a totally different story, you touch him there and he sucks it up well and truely out of sight and now amount of coaxing will persuade him to drop it, before I resort to a mild sedative, does anyone have any ideas, I manage to clean around the inside of the sheath in upto about my wrist, but just how far do you go up after it!

Also does anyone else have trouble removing the bean?

Honestly the things we have to do for our pets!

OK for those who think I'm crazy - here's an extract from a book.

We all know that it isn't the most pleasant experience, but it is essential to your horse's health! Therefore, it must be done regularly.

What is "smegma"? Smegma is a collection of dirt and excretions, builds up inside the sheath and must be removed for the sake of the horse's health. It is not the most pleasant thing to do, but it is essential. If you don't or can't do this, you should have your veterinarian clean your horse's sheath at least every 6 months.

What is a "bean"? A firm lump of smegma that has collected and hardened inside the horse's penis. This lump or "bean" must be removed as often as possible. It can cause serious pain to your horse. There have been thousands cases in the last year where the bean is overlooked by the owner and becomes so large that the horse can no longer urinate...which may also cause other problems due to blockage.

Answer 1

I have several geldings, to be honest I find it easiest to wait until the vet has had to sedate them for something else like their six monthly teeth rasping & then make the most of them being sedated - at least this way you don't keep getting huge vets bills!
I think it's great that you do clean your horses sheaths every couple of months, most people don't. Don't worry if you can only do it when your has been sedated for other purposes, as long as there is no sign of infection or discomfort then he will be fine. I usually try to look at them when my geldings are having a pee so you can see if there are any problems in need of attention.

Answer 2

Someone has queried why horses in the wild manage without this - it's because there are no geldings in the wild, only stallions, and er,um not to put too fine a point on it, they use the mares to keep themselves clean! (Sorry, no nice way of putting it! lol).

I only have a go at my geldings if I notice it looking a bit grotty. At some point during the day, all horses will stand with it all hanging out - so take a look if you can, without disturbing him, and if it all looks OK, and he's not having any problems urinating etc, don't fret. Alternatively, there is stuff that you can leave on, which helps to both get and keep the sheath clean. YOu can apply it and it helps the smegma to come away naturally.

Answer 3

This is a normal grooming maintenance on stallions and geldings. Be careful using a sedative - some animals instead of calming them to drop it has the opposite effect - they get aggressive/resistant. I've seen that happen once and it was a BATTLE with the vet to get him done. Be ready for it just in case. Some people never do it - but when a gelding lopes by you and 'gurgles' while he lopes it's usually a sign he needs done. Horses that rub their tails a lot - and have been wormed - that's the problem. I'm a little surprised so many are not aware this needs done.

Answer 4

Some people don't bother at all, so as much as you can reach is usually considered sufficient unless there is an infection such as thrush.
If you have a chat with the vet they'll tell you whether you need to go as far as a sedative. I've never heard of anyone resorting to that. The sheath is just the soft skin around the outside of the penis; its generally just inside the sheath that you do unless they're really mucky.

Answer 5

oh, ppl yeah, i know u have to clean a horses sheath and it is definitely unpleasant. umm... my horse was the same way and i would just do my best cleaning him without him dropping and that always seemed to work he never developed any problems. i don't really know any ways to get the horse to drop. but if u want him too, it sounds like the sedative is working you may just have to keep using that. sorry i don't think i was much help

Answer 6

Yeah and you have to clean a stallions too. It is very important for both geldings and stallions to maintain proper healthy skin in those areas. Infections can set up and cause some major head aches.

I would not worry to much about him refusing to drop, as long as his sheath is cleaned out it will help.

Answer 7

umm.. i dont kno, my dad usually does our horses. i would get a very mild sedative, just enough 2 make him sleepy. then he should let it out. my colt got gelded a month ago, and after the vet gave him a sedative, he let it out. this might not help. sorry, but good luck.

and 2 the ppl's who said that they didnt kno u had 2 do that, well u obvisously dont kno much about horses. b/c u HAVE 2 do it, or they could get an infection. k. or they could get the biggest bean EVER!

Answer 8

Horses in the wild also don't get clipped...DUH...lol. I've never had to clean a thingy yet, we haven't clipped my mom's horse yet, so if I were you, maybe you could clean it good as you can one time and then the next time use the sedative and clean it really good....alternate so you're not always giving him a sedative and maybe he will eventually start letting it out for you on his own...just an idea.

Answer 9

I don't have an answer for you but felt compelled to reply. I honestly never knew you had to do such a thing for a gelding. wow. The image alone has messed me up for the day. I will ask my friend up the street, who owns horses, what she recommends & if I get good info I will update my response with a reply to help you. If at all possible. Good luck! & yeah, the things YOU have to do for your pets - not me!!! lol

Answer 10

My 28 yr young gelding is also reluctant to have this important health regime. However I solved with the following method....
After a long trail ride, when hosing him down, he is so relaxed he drops it out and is quite happy to have the area cleaned. This is a non invasive way to clean the area and is completed without fuss to him or me.