The How-Tos for Udder and Sheath Cleaning

The Debate About Sheath and Udder Cleaning

• But first, is sheath and udder cleaning the best thing to do? Perhaps not! The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has some guidelines that ruffled a few internet feathers. The AAEP published (years ago) an article about the benefits of smegma and lubricating the penis inside the sheath.

• This article essentially said sheath cleaning was unnecessary, beans never interfere with urination, and horses likely never need this done.

• The AAEP removed the article, and stated this:  

American Association of Equine Practitioners

We owe an apology to equine practitioners, who were misrepresented by a post about sheath cleaning which we published earlier this week.

The post meant to debunk some misconceptions horsepeople hear regarding the need for owners themselves to clean their geldings’ sheath several times a year; however, we failed to clarify that we never intended to challenge the benefits and validity of procedures recommended and performed by veterinarians.

The post missed the opportunity to remind horse owners to always defer to their veterinarians’ recommendations and expertise, and we sincerely regret it.

We are very appreciative of our members’ feedback and commitment to practice excellence, and we look forward to better serving the profession in the future.

Sheath and Udder Anatomy

• Stallions and geldings have sheaths, while mares have udders. Both are located under the pelvis and require some maneuvering to reach.  

The Sheath

• The outer sling of the penis (technically called the prepuce) is the dangling skin and fat that houses the penis, which spends most of its time inside the sheath unless reproducing, urinating, or relaxing.

• Inside the penis is the urethra, which transports urine from the bladder to the outside world, and extends the length of the penis. Surrounding the urethra is the urethral fossa, which is a circular pocket. Inside that circular pocket are more pockets.

• From the outside in, there’s the sheath, the gap between the sheath and penis, the penis, the gap between the penis and the urethra, and then the urethra.

Smegma

• The fabulous sebaceous glands that secrete sebum to protect their skin and provide shine also live in and around the sheath. When there is sebum, plus dirt and dead skin cells, wrapped in a container that is the sheath (or between the udder teats), you get smegma – the amalgamation of those ingredients.

• Smegma is a waxy substance that collects in the sheath and udders and may escape to glue itself to the hind legs. It might be dark or light-colored and of varying-sized chunks.

• When smegma collects in the urethral fossa, your horse makes a bean. Incidentally, mares can also make beans; more on that in a sec. Beans can be tiny or cover the palm of your hand. In extreme cases, beans may interrupt the urine stream or create more medical issues involving the bladder and kidneys.

A Mare’s Udders

• Unlike other mammals, horses have two mammary glands, also called mammae, and therefore two teats. They are between the belly button and the groin.

• Where the teats touch can often cultivate and hold crud and smegma. Cleaning this area is much easier than removing beans from a stallion or gelding.

• Mares may collect beans under their tails. Below their anus is the vulva, which opens to the mare’s reproductive system. The labia and folded vulva tissues can also hold beans, often to the point of discomfort. Tail rubbing is a sign of many things, including a bean.

Does Your Horse Need Sheath or Udder Cleaning?

• At some point, yes. Excessive smegma can be uncomfortable and attract pests during fly season, especially if there’s a stinky blob on the legs.

• Should you do this on a schedule? Probably not, as it’s more of an “as-needed” thing. Unless your horse needs sedation or you don’t want to do it, it might be regularly scheduled alongside dental care or spring/fall vaccines.

Reasons to clean udders and sheaths

• Wild horses use their penises for breeding, and this activity often keeps beans away. Your horse will need more attention in domesticated settings, like your barn. There are many reasons for udder and sheath cleaning and removing beans:

• • Increase your horse’s comfort
  • Reduce odors and smears of smegma on the legs
  • Inspect your horse for tumors, cuts, ticks, swelling, and anything else abnormal.

How do you know when to clean your horse’s udders or sheath?

• Most horses give you clues about needing a cleaning. Your horse might rub their tail, have sticky hind legs, and you may be able to smell the smegma when grooming near that area. Sometimes you can see chunks of smegma on the teats or penis when relaxed.

Sheath Cleaning Tips 

• You’ll need some tools to get started cleaning a sheath.

• • Wear gloves – and have an extra pair if you muck things up accidentally.
  • Use warm water buckets – two squeaky clean buckets. One for soapy water, one for rinsing water.
  • Cotton sheeting or the softest cloths you can find, and by softest, I mean SOFTEST, are best for the sheath area.
  • Excalibur sheath cleaner or Ivory soap are good soaps. KY jelly is an option, too.
  • Skip wound cleaners, betadine, shampoos, dish soaps, or other detergents. You don’t want a skin irritation in your horse’s most delicate areas.

• Some horses will not drop their penis for this process. Don’t fight this, and talk to your vet about sedation during the next vet visit or as a special trip.

Steps for sheath cleaning

• Don’t contaminate your supplies. One gloved hand will work with the sheath, and the other will touch the buckets and any bottles you use. The goal is to keep fresh cloths and supplies free from smegma bits, bacteria, or contaminants.

• • Rinse the area first by massaging a wet cotton sheet or cloth inside the sheath.
  • You may be able to loosen larger pieces with your hands after the initial rinse.
  • Then, rinse the area with soapy water on a cotton sheet or a few globs of Excalibur gel.
  • Work on massaging the clumps of smegma out.
  • Give a final rinse to remove any remaining products.

The results of cleaning a sheath and around the urethra. These are two beans. OUCH.

If your stallion or gelding has dropped

• You may be able to look and remove any beans if your horse has dropped their penis from the sheath. This requires gentle handling and honoring your horse’s body language.

• Start by gently holding the penis and carefully opening the space between the urethra and the penis body. The beans can be VERY DEEP and wedged in the inside pocket of the fossa, in addition to hanging out near the urethral opening.

• Here’s where body language comes into play even more. You’ll have to massage and manipulate the area to remove those beans.

• This handling often makes your horse retract (FAIR), and you can try again another day or when your vet is there.

Cleaning Udders

• Gather the same tools as you would for sheath cleaning. There’s a lot of horse forum chatter about using dish soap for mare udders, and the answer is a resounding NO. Stick to gentle soap, like Ivory.

• Rinse, soap, remove dirt and gunk, and rinse again.

• Some mares may show signs of a bean in their vulva like tail scratching, so proceed cautiously. That area is an entryway to their uterus, and pushing anything, like a bean or soap, into the area can create trouble. You can carefully inspect the outer layers for a bean and gently pluck it out.

• It’s always fine for your vet to do this for you!

Safety first!

• Stand close to your horse. This spot puts you *mostly* out of the kick zone.

• Press against your horse to feel for tension. If you accidentally use your clean, gloved hand, change gloves before touching your supplies.

• Take as much time as you need. Patience is essential, and stopping if your horse gets agitated is okay.

Food for Thought on Cleaning Sheaths for Hygiene

• There are enough anecdotal tales of horses’ attitudes and temperaments improving after a bean removal. I have a horse that will drop, lift a leg, and bonk me with their nose to dig around for beans.

• I’ve also been around horses that produce so much smegma that the inside of their legs is always sticky black. This is natural for that horse, but summertime flies are a huge issue.

• The best advice is to get to know your horse and talk to your vet about any medical reasons you should, or should not, be cleaning sheaths and udders.

Train Your Horse for Handling

• Regardless of the necessity of cleaning the sheath and udders, you still have to handle them regularly to check for issues.

• Horses love to have medical problems in tricky spots. You must be able to inspect, handle, clean, and treat these areas without a fight.

• Tumors, summer sores (which are horrible, BTW), and insects can all invade your horse’s nether regions. Not to mention foreign objects, cancers, or cuts.

• You will only be doing your horse favors if you can reach inside places to feel for problems. No one wants to find a tumor that’s too big for treatment. Catch it early!

Ask your vet for sedation

• If your horse is reactive, uncomfortable, or fearful about this process, work on it daily in tiny amounts using tons of positive reinforcement. Maybe you can only barely touch the outside of the sheath, so do that every day until you can do more. Never fight. This article has some thoughts on desensitization that work well for the sheath and udders.

• Sedation during a dental visit or other routine care is the perfect time for a regular sheath cleaning and will save your horse, and you, some drama.

• Vets are also happy to come out and sedate your horse for you. A vet visit also allows them to show you good techniques for cleaning beans and vulvas if you are learning.

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