# My Gelding Keeps rubbing his butt raw . . .



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

When was the last time you cleaned his sheath?


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## blazeintn (Oct 24, 2011)

I think last fall, after we got them but I will clean it today after work. Thanks and am open to any and all suggestions.


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## SaddleOnline (Oct 20, 2011)

A couple of suggestions: 

1) I second cleaning his sheath as well. 

2) What are you washing him in/spraying on him? Some shampoos, fly sprays etc can cause the weirdest skin allergies and problems. 

3) Try to distract him if you think there is a chance this is a boredom vice. Put toys in his stall, make sure he has plenty of hay at all times, etc. 

4) Install something less abrasive for him to scratch on - we took the head off a push broom at one of my old barns and put it up at butt-height for a gelding who just wouldn't quit scratching his rear on his high dollar (fancy barn) stall door. Its a lot harder to rub yourself raw on something with soft bristles - if you can get him to use it (the horse we tried it with liked it) 

5) Have his skin scraped and checked for bacterial infection or a fungi - this should not be a very expensive veterinary test and it needs to be done if it has not been done already. 

6) Put some type of over-the-counter anti-itch cream on his rear-end. It may help, and at this point, what can it hurt?


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## blazeintn (Oct 24, 2011)

I am definitely going to clean his sheath this evening. I have used Dawn soap, I have used antibacterial shampoos from our vet, I have tried a topical benadryl gel. As far as at home, he is strictly pasture kept, so no stall issue at home, but he rubs on the fence posts and trees. It was only while we were on vacation and took our horses to the mountains, that it resurfaced and seemed to get worse since he was in a stall and had access to the stall walls to itch and scratch. I will clean his sheath and see if our vet will do a skin scraping. Thank you for the suggestions. He's a great horse for me and I hate I can't solve his problem.


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