How to Wash a Stallion's Sheath

Current Rating:
Views: 5,411
Favorite: 4
Categories: , How-Tos

URL:
Embed:
Share

About This Video

A stallion's sheath should be washed twice a year using water and mild soap to remove any smegma, dirt or debris. Use a hose to flush out the stallion's sheath with helpful advice in this video on caring for horses.

Member Comments
Add A Comment Now
Posted By Rick Gore
on April 22, 2010, 2:30 am
I have additional videos on Youtube: Visit Link

Posted By savanna Langer
on January 24, 2010, 5:06 pm
Here's a question. Ive always owned mares, ive looked after gelding and stalions at my local stable and i know about sheath cleaning, but why is it important?

Posted By zfh zfjzhmk
on July 10, 2009, 1:00 am
Thanks for this informative video. It still amazes me that so many novice horse owners have never even thought about cleaning the sheath!

Posted By Rick Gore
on April 4, 2009, 2:19 pm
Sheath cleaning is for all male horses (geldings and stallions). I was using cold hose water and my horse was dropping all day during the filming of the many videos, but he did not drop during this, probably due to the cold water. The horse in this video is Buddy a 4 year old QH. I have attached a few links to good pages that explain this process so you can get more detailed information to help keep your horse healthy. The following links are to different pages about Sheath Cleaning.
Visit Link
Visit Link
Visit Link
Visit Link



You Must Log In In Order To Participate in the Discussion.

Video Transcript

Hi I'm Rick Gore at the Travis Equestrian Center. Today we're going to talk about sheath cleaning. Gelding's sheath need to be cleaned some people say more I say twice annually is probably enough. Some people do it every quarter. Some people do it once a month. You don't want to clean it too much because it removes good bacteria that the horse needs. Basically, sheath cleaning is get, messing with the sheath and getting the horse comfortable to you being around his back legs. Again, if you've done your sacking out, if you've done a bunch of desensitizing with him, he's not going to have a problem with you reaching up there grabbing that, he's not going to have a problem with you squirting a hose on him. So to start the sheath cleaning process, basically I'm just going to get him wet, he knows about it, I'm going to touch him, he knows he feels me feeling him. After I get him wet, you can use, there's several different pre-made stuff, some people use ivory soap. I don't use anything, sometime I will just use a water and I'll just get my hand up in there and pick out pieces. Some people use gloves. You can see that I'm pulling off pieces of dirt, it's called smegma. It collects up there, the water makes it soft so it peels off pretty easy. Again this horse knows that I do this a lot, so he's not going to be worried about it. Some people like to use a sock, they'll put their hand in a sock and then get the sock wet and use the sock as a scrubbing to go ahead and reach up under there and just scrub around. If you use a cleaner, get a little soapy, it gets kind of smells mentholated, it's kind of cooling. Basically you're just going to get your hand up in there, you want to make sure and try to pull out any chunks of dirt, debris, any stuff that you see up in there. If you keep the water running in there, it helps flush it. You can actually stick the hose right up in there and it'll just fill up with water and then drain out. If you keep the water running there, as you pull out, the different parts of debris that you pull out of there, you can just rinse it away. Doing this twice a year is usually good enough. Again, you don't want to be reaching back here right away without making sure that the horse knows and respects you enough not to kick you, not to be afraid, not to be shocked. It's not the first time that you've ever reached up there and grabbed that. You should be rubbing and desensitizing him, setting him up for this so you have a good experience and he knows to allow it and that you're not going to hurt him. And that's how you clean a sheath.



Share This Video
Related Videos
How to Groom a Horse
Grooming a horse requires using a variety of brushes to loosen the dirt out of the fur...
How to Clean Minor Horse Wounds
Cleaning minor horse wounds is best done using a mild soap, like Ivory, or by using rubbing…
How to Maintain a Horse First Aid Kit
A horse's first aid kit should include a thermometer, Banamine, towels, syringes, needles...
Horse Care & Groundwork
Caring for a horse means being able to take it from stall to stall, and being able to tack and...
Fitting Horse Halters
When fitting a horse's halter, make sure that it fits correctly around its nose and that it is...
Preparing a Horse to Ride
Getting a horse ready to ride is a lengthy process that involves making sure that the horse is…
Brushing a Horse
When brushing a horse, always start with a rubber curry that has teeth and can pull hair out of...
Brushing a Horse's Mane
A horse's mane should be brushed so that the horse can look very polished and shiny. Use a...
Horse Tail Care & Brushing
Brushing a horse's tail for competition means making sure that the tail is big, thick and full...
Padding a Horse Before Saddling
When padding a horse before applying a saddle, make sure that the pad is clean of sawdust...

See All 883 Related Videos

About The Producer
Expert: Rick Gore

Specialty: Horsemanship


It is never the horse's fault. Good natural horsemanship and a true understanding of horses will always get the best results with a horse.

More Videos By Rick
Teaching a Horse to Mount From Both Sides
Teaching a horse to mount from both sides is important for a variety of situations, and it can...
How to Use Your Legs While Riding
Using legs while riding is a method of steering the horse by apply pressure with the thighs...
How to Train a Horse Not to Kick
Training a horse not to kick is done by spending time near the horse, grooming the horse,…
What Is the Proper Way to Cinch a Saddle
Cinching a saddle properly takes practice, as it should be tight enough to keep the saddle...
How to Teach a Horse to Back Up Under a Saddle
To teach a horse to back up under a saddle, first teach the horse the term "back" while on...
Why Bare Foot is Good For Your Horse
A horse going bare foot is healthier for the animal and for the environment, as the horse's...
How to Teach Your Horse to Open His Mouth
To teach a horse to open his mouth, give the animal a piece of carrot, let the horse lick...
How to Western Saddle a Horse
Mounting a western saddle on a horse requires first brushing down the horse's back, laying down...
How to Train a Horse to Jog & Lope
Training a horse to jog or lope begins with good groundwork where the horse learns both verbal...
Hobble Training Your Horse
Hobble training requires slowly getting the horse used to new things it might be afraid of, such...

See All 25 Videos

View Your Corral
View Your Profile
Link To Equestrian Life
Find Friends!