# Cleaning teats...the most effective way?



## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

No help with the melanoma part but have you tried a sheath cleaner like excalibur? It does a good job on gunky mare udders too.
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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I use warm water and sponge to start with. I just use my finger to take the pieces of gunk off (if needed). My qh keeps her private parts quite clean, my paint's is just OMG! Yes, takes time to clean. 

P.S> I did try to soak and leave, baby oil, and whatever else, but never worked for me.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I clean between them every day on my Lacy with just a wash rag and warm water.

I don't know that they ever stay clean very long.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

I like an old sock on my hand for the actual washing.


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

a baby scrubby, it's like the nylon ones for people only softer. and baby shampoo.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

That is also a favorite site for biting insects which causes itching. When she's dry, slather, and I mean lots of petroleum jelly all around up there. The bugs don't like it and it lasts about 3 days.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Interesting idea Saddlebag! What do you do after the three days, can you just put more on? Or do you have to wash the area, then put more on?


I tried the wash rag+shampoo and it worked much better than I had anticipated. Dunno why I never thought of that! haha
After I did it though, I forgot to do a fingernail check to make sure everything was clean but she seems more comfortable down there (no new tail rubbing) so yay for that!


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Good deal then  glad she isn't as itchy. And the flies don't seem to like the smell for some reason. Weird huh? lol


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## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

One of my mares freaks out when you try to clean between the teats. She will squeal a little and move away if you just try to touch them. It is the only place on her body that she is touchy about. Any ideas?


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

DressageDreamer said:


> One of my mares freaks out when you try to clean between the teats. She will squeal a little and move away if you just try to touch them. It is the only place on her body that she is touchy about. Any ideas?


Is she touchy about her teats in general or just between them? Is she totally ok with being touched in her flank area? 
If it's just between them, has she been explained by a vet in that area for possible ouchies down there? 

When I first got Lacey and was unsure about how she was going to react to teat touching, I would use a long lunge whip so I could stand at her head and rub the end of the whip around her side and under to her teats. 
If she had been touchy, I would have just desensitized her to the whip touching her teats with me at her head, then I would have slowly worked my way down to her flank area (still using the whip as an arm extension), then once she was 100% with that, introduce my hand down there.


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## IslandWave (Nov 25, 2009)

Baby oil has worked well for me in the past, but most of the time I just use my bare hand and running water. My mare needs to be cleaned once a week, but thankfully she has also grown to enjoy it. Makes me laugh when she stretches all the way out!


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## jody111 (May 14, 2008)

DressageDreamer said:


> One of my mares freaks out when you try to clean between the teats. She will squeal a little and move away if you just try to touch them. It is the only place on her body that she is touchy about. Any ideas?


One of my mares the same - wont let you touch them (And shes not at all sensitive)... the other loves it - I guess its like humans what bugs some of us others love....


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Most of the time when they don't like to be touched there, they haven't been desensitized to getting touched there. Like Wallaby said, use something, a whip or cue stick, as an extension to reach there so you stay safe. If they kick or move away, just keep holding it there until they stand still and relax. Geldings are the same way about being touch down there. 

When I clean our mares, I just reach down there and work loose whatever is there. One of our mares rarely is dirty. Of our other two, one is always nasty and the other is not too bad. I try to check them once a month. Which I probably should do soon thinking about it.
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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

My mare loves to get a bath there. A wet soapy washcloth works for me. Then I pick the gunk out. Then rinse. It puts her to sleep!


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## itachan01 (May 22, 2012)

Try Skin So Soft by Avon, it will keep the bugs off of them and all the gunk! Put a little bit on a rag or sponge and just clean all the stuff off it owrks really well on my horse! She doesn't have Melanomas though so I'm not too sure about them!


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## Terre (Oct 23, 2011)

My mare use to get very sore and dirty. I would put Corona on her and it loosed everthing up and kept the flys off. At frist she did not like it when I frist stated doing this, but after the frist time she seem to look forward to me doing this. It became part of her grooming.


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## its lbs not miles (Sep 1, 2011)

Both of mine have enough to clean about every 10 days. I use nothing but my fingers. Takes me longer if I use water or cleaners. I've found that I can peel or rub it off in larger or smaller bits until it's all clean and smooth. In the beginning they didn't like being touched, but only takes a couple days of praise, reward and going slow before they stand still and enjoy it. They certainly enjoy not itching from it.
I can use my finger tips to peel off the bits that are a 1/4" or more in size. The smaller bits I can gently rub off with my fingers. In a few minutes they're teets and all the area inbetween are clean and as smooth as a babies backside.


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

I have found K-Y Jelly to work very well for loosing up the smegma between the teats. The build up of gunk (smegma) is the same gunk that stallions and geldings get in their sheaths. 

My mare loves the attention she gets when being cleaned. She often falls asleep when I doing it.


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## Tnavas (Nov 29, 2011)

Try applying some baby oil the day before her bath to help soften the gunk.

Baby soap and warm water work really well, use an old face cloth to work the soap up into a lather and then work it well into the area. Rinse off then re soap. This time leave until the end of the bath then re wash a couple of times until all the gunk had gone.

Pat dry and apply a little baby oil to the skin to protect it. I've also used Vaseline Intensive Care hand cream before to help soften the gunk and then to put on after to help protect the skin.


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