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Location: Somewhere around here | So long story short a few horses ago I had a geldings that HATED you cleaning his sheath or getting a bean out. I found this out by getting a very hard kick in my ribs. Learned my lesson and drugged him every time afterwards. I don't have this horse anymore but I'm pretty terrified of checking/cleaning any horse down there without having the drugged before hand. Any tips on getting over this fear? |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
 
| Very simple solution. Have the vet clean him. Most people do. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| no harm in drugs. Might be safer! |
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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I always have the vet do it because I'm scared of hurting the horse. I know it's silly. I can't see what's going on in there. But it's a phobia like yours. However, I don't care about getting over it. I just pay the vet, lol.
Maybe you need to feel more confident about doing it. Knowledge is power. You know that the closer you get to him, the safer you are? If he kicks and you're smack dab next to him, they say you'll most likely just get pushed. Think about it. That makes sense.
Why don't you ask the vet to oversee you? You might feel more confident with her there. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Start slow, keep an eye out when you groom him for him to drop naturally, then grab it and judge his reaction. It's easier to check for beans anyway when they're dropped.
If I have one that is fussy I usually enlist someone else to pull on their tail and keep their weight on the side I'm on. I stand right up against them so they have minimal space to wind up, and so I can also feel when they shift better.
If at any point I don't feel safe i call in the drugs. Luckily through just desensitizing them by grabbing it when they drop all ours are pretty good. It's actually one of the things I check when I look a a horse lol. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | OhMax - 2017-05-03 8:15 PM
Start slow, keep an eye out when you groom him for him to drop naturally, then grab it and judge his reaction. It's easier to check for beans anyway when they're dropped.
If I have one that is fussy I usually enlist someone else to pull on their tail and keep their weight on the side I'm on. I stand right up against them so they have minimal space to wind up, and so I can also feel when they shift better.
If at any point I don't feel safe i call in the drugs. Luckily through just desensitizing them by grabbing it when they drop all ours are pretty good. It's actually one of the things I check when I look a a horse lol.
Ditto this. Do what you can when it's dropped. Lots of.....petting and treats when it's over. Any verb I tried to use just now sounded really bad haha |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I can do both of my geldings sheaths without meds. Do I? Not usually!! I might sneak up and get a bean out when they drop during a massage and it's over before they know I got ahold of it.
Most of the time, I help the vet do it when she does their teeth, so heavily sedated. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Nateracer - 2017-05-04 8:00 AM
I can do both of my geldings sheaths without meds. Do I? Not usually!! I might sneak up and get a bean out when they drop during a massage and it's over before they know I got ahold of it.
Most of the time, I help the vet do it when she does their teeth, so heavily sedated.
I have done our own when needed, if they just really didn't need their teeth done for another 6 months or so. Thankfully all our boys are pretty easy. But yes we like to have it done when we get their teeth done. Vet does it and they are already sedated. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| I gradually pick bug and bother any horse I get until doing this becomes a feel good clean it out kinda thing and if you mess with them enough, yes you may need to start by sedating first, they all come to appreciate and like being cleaned no joke. I've only had 5 geldings that refused to be cleaned without sedation after messing with them.
My friends get super cracked up because it is a part of daily grooming for me to clean tits on mares and butt n tail cracks of everyone and my old faithful gelding will drop it out when I brush him and he gets picked and cleaned on. I've been parked next to people that are like my god he drops on command and they are in shock 
My ponies never have dirty nether regions 
ETA: why be embarrassed about this? Obviously I'm not I'll clean them extensively in the parking lot with god and everyone watching. Most educated horse ppl understand though that your just fully grooming your kiddos
Edited by astreakinchic 2017-05-04 8:31 AM
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 Expert
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Location: The best kept secret in TX | Maybe this question has already been asked, and not to steal the thread but when you haul one to the vet for a cleaning do you usually do it with normal maintenence? Such as teeth, feet, or coggins? How many times a year do you have this done?
I am thinking this is my gelding's problem when riding... I don't remember the last time I had him cleaned... 
Edited by IRunOnFaith 2017-05-04 9:25 AM
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | One of my mares loves being cleaned, and I've also done it about every time she gets brushed since she was born and she's 6 now. She will even lift her leg up for you LOL
Now my other mare feels extremely violated and snaps her tail at me, but I'm quick with her and she stays pretty clean herself.
The vet gets the boys, I did it once myself and that was enough for me. haha! |
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Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| IRunOnFaith - 2017-05-04 9:24 AM Maybe this question has already been asked, and not to steal the thread but when you haul one to the vet for a cleaning do you usually do it with normal maintenence? Such as teeth, feet, or coggins? How many times a year do you have this done?
I am thinking this is my gelding's problem when riding... I don't remember the last time I had him cleaned...
My one gelding is DIRTY. I clean him about every 3 months. He will have pea sized beans in that amount of time, or larger.
The other gelding is what I consider normal. I check him when I do the other one, but usually only end up actually getting serious about cleaning every 6 months or so. He doesn't get beans hardly at all. If only they were all so easy! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I don't do the beans myself, the guy that does my teeth does it and says its much better if they are sedated. But I did have a gelding that needed the "other" stuff cleaned more frequently so I just took my time. He was super gentle but he still didn't like it and it would have been much easier with him relaxed more aka drugged lol |
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 Veteran
Posts: 103
Location: Georgia | One thing that makes my geldings more agreeable to a cleaning is using Vaseline to loosen up the crud. I add a liberal amount of Vaseline up into the sheath, covering all areas. Let it stay there for an hour or so (I usually leave it overnight) then wash as usual. They don't act like it's uncomfortable at all. |
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Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Nateracer - 2017-05-04 9:33 AM IRunOnFaith - 2017-05-04 9:24 AM Maybe this question has already been asked, and not to steal the thread but when you haul one to the vet for a cleaning do you usually do it with normal maintenence? Such as teeth, feet, or coggins? How many times a year do you have this done?
I am thinking this is my gelding's problem when riding... I don't remember the last time I had him cleaned...
The other gelding is what I consider normal. I check him when I do the other one, but usually only end up actually getting serious about cleaning every 6 months or so. He doesn't get beans hardly at all. If only they were all so easy!
Thanks so much Nateracer! Gives me a place to start.  |
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