Sheath Cleaning for Geldings and Stallions - Arabian Horses

There's lots of discussion about whether the sheath of a male horse should be cleaned on a regular basis or not. And lots of people just have no clue that such a task should even be considered. So here is my two cents worth on the cleaning of sheathes in Arabian horses or any other male horses for that matter.

I think that the question of to clean or not to clean can be directly affected by the enviroment of the horse. My horses are all stalled so I don't know anything about the status of outside horses, but I find the tidy horses don't need cleaning like the untidy ones. I also found that for the brief period of time that we used pellets for bedding, I had more sheath related problems than on white shavings. Cedar shavings also cause problems here. That leads me to believe that the status of irritants withing the horse's sheath is directly related to what he lays down in.

A squeaky clean penis at all times is not good for the horse. He needs the natural lubricants provided by smegma. However dirt, sand and other debris are attracted and trapped by the smegma and are as big a problem as a lack of natural lubricants. Foreign matter in the smegma can also alter it's usefullness. What that means is you have to judge each horse on it's individual circumstances. All male horses should probably be checked once or twice a year to see what their individual status might be.

Some horses are more sensitive to cleaning than others. Usually the light skin is more sensitive than dark skin. Red skin in an area that should be light skin indicates irritation and should be cleaned but gently.

To minimize soreness and swelling, use a good sheath cleaner and let it set and soften up the smegma. If the smegma is stuck forcing it to come loose will make the horse sore. It takes longer to keep applying the cleaner and allowing it to sit but in the long run the horse will be more comfortable.

When cleaning the sheath it is important to look for a bean. The bean is a pale, kidney-shaped accumulation of smegma in a small pouch just inside the urethra. So looking at the end of the horse's penis you will see the opening (urethra) in the center. All around it is a small pouch, the bean will be in there. Pushing gently with the end of your thumb into that pouch will usually push it up and out.

Some horses will drop to be cleaned, others will not and some will only drop partially. Some people let their vet do the cleaning. Others get a tranquilizer from their vet so they can do the cleaning themselves. I prefer to teach my horses to drop and do the cleaning without the use of tranquilizers. When using tranquilizers on male horses it is important to know that some relaxants can permanently cause the horse to no longer be able to retract his penis up into the sheath. This is rare but it does happen, so you need to be informed of the risks with the particular tranquilizer you might use.

There are some horses who might experience pain and swelling after cleaning the sheath. Symptoms like this should resolve within a few days, if not contact your vet. for more information on sheath cleanining