Male horses (stallions and geldings) should have their sheaths cleaned periodically by their owners. Why does a horse's sheath need to be clean? Smegma! Smegma is an accumulation of secretions from sebaceous glands in the horse's sheath. These secretions, in accumulation with dirt, result in the waxy 'smegma' that owners must remove from their horse. How often one should clean his or her horse's sheath will vary with each individual horse. Some horses may require monthly cleaning while others only require biannual cleaning. Smegma will vary in type from a dry crusty consistently to a smelly damp excretion that will require more frequent cleaning.
The penis and the inside of the sheath should be cleaned to prevent the accumulation of smegma, which can cause edema of the sheath and irritation of the penis. Additionally, owners will often hear a strange 'noise' when jogging their geldings indicating that the sheath is dirty. Special attention should be paid to the end (head) of penis because the urethral process has a recessed opening around it that allows smegma accumulation. This results in the notorious 'bean' (Figure 1) which puts pressure on the end of the urethral process and can make urination uncomfortable. The bean must be removed as it can grow in size to that of a small chicken egg. Oftentimes, large beans will have to be broken-up into two or three pieces to be removed. Once the bean is removed and the penis has been cleansed, the inside of the sheath should be cleaned.
There are two basic ways to clean the sheath of the horse. One is to have your veterinarian sedate your horse so that it will extend (drop) its penis. The second way is to train your horse to have his sheath cleansed. This can easily be done by teaching your horse (a good time is when you are washing the sweat off after a good work out) to allow you to touch his sheath area. You must let the horse know that you're handling his penis and sheath and that the procedure will be nonpainful. Be careful! Anxious horses may kick when you first try to clean their sheath area. Take time and your horse will slowly trust your gentle training. Sheath cleaning must be a non-painful procedure.
What materials are needed to properly clean your horse's sheath? You will need the following materials to safely clean:
* 1 pair of latex gloves
* warm water
* liquid soap (non-irritating or a lubricating liquid, e.g., K-Y ??)
* a medium size sponge
* assistant to hold the horse (especially in the beginning when your horse may not be accustomed to the procedure)
Sheath cleaning is best done in a quiet place away from distractions; the wash stall is usually a good place. It is often best to try the procedure after the horse has just completed a work out and feeling more cooperative.
Have your assistant hold the horse on the same side as you are standing (the near or left side) before beginning the procedure. It is very important that you instruct your assistant to turn the horse's to the left side if the horse goes to kick (so that the rear end is directed away from you).
Start by standing with your backside towards the horse's head just behind the elbow of the horse (be careful of a forward kick to your body). Take your left hand and place it on the horse's left hip and lean down and take your right hand and slowly but surely grasp the head of the penis. Gently pull the penis down. Now switch hands and take your right hand and grab your sponge out of your bucket of warm water. Have your assistant put some sheath cleaner (gel or soap) on the sponge and slowly start cleaning the penis. Rinse the sponge as needed.
The next place to clean is the urethral diverticulum at the head of the penis. Smegma collects in this deverticulum and forms the famous 'bean'. The bean can vary from size of a pencil head to a small chicken egg (sometimes the bean will have to be broken up in order to get it out). You will have to use your fingers to express the bean out and clean the diverticulum 'sac'.
Once the penis is clean, insert your right hand (or left hand if you want to release the penis) inside the sheath. The sheath will usually take a little more work to get clean due to the numerous folds.
Once the sheath and penis is clean, irrigate the sheath with water. If you use a hose to irrigate, don't use too much water pressure. Be gentle. Let the sheath drip dry after rinsing.
Contact your veterinarian if you have any trouble cleaning the sheath of your horse or if you notice any abnormalities.
