# Just a little reminder: remember to clean your mares' udders!



## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I had never done that before until today. I had always just figured that since I had kinda felt around down there and didn't feel anything funny, therefore it didn't need to be cleaned. I always spray water up there and I figured that probably took care of whatever issue there might be, right?

NOT.

Today, I was giving Lacey a bath and I had noticed that she has been really rubbing her tail. So I decided to do a little exploratory feeling with soap. Well, I found some of the biggest chunks of yuck up there. It was basically like she had a freakin' ping-pong ball between her teats.

I also discovered that she has quite the colony of melanomas down there too. That's actually what the smegma (that's what it's called, right?) was collecting on. She has a marble sized one right in between her teats and quite a few smaller ones all around.

But yeah, now I know more about my mare than I did, and hopefully someone else can learn from that too. 

So, remember to clean the teats of your girls! They may be less obvious but they get dirty too! :lol:


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## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

LOL. I was giving Ice a bath today and decided to try and mess with him down there, he was better than I thought he'd be, but he still cocked his leg to try and knock my hand away. I put him back in his stall later and noticed he had low flow, so I guess he's gonna HAVE to let me do it next weekend. 

I think the only reason he didn't try to kill me was because I had just bathed him in liniment, and then rubbed his poll, so he was feeling pretty good.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

Thanks for the reminder! Actually, I needed it. My girl's utters swelled out of nowhere last august (and swelled back down) and I haven't even thought to clean them. So, were you able to get these "ping pongs" out? :'>


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I was able to get those "ping-pongs" out, thankfully! :lol: She was really good about it, I was really having to pull on them and feeling her up and she didn't even consider offering to kick. She kept both back feet firmly on the ground. You could kinda tell that she wasn't sure exactly what I was doing, but she was trusting me. 
It was gross though! Good thing the shampoo smells really good, I'm not sure I would have wanted to smell what those chunkies smelled like. Haha


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

I use sheath cleaner on the mares at the barn...some of that gunk can be up there for a while and i think of it as concentrated sweat and pee leakage! The sheath cleaner atleast cuts down on the smell...great reminder tho!


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

If you don't have sheath cleaner, in a pinch you can put a tablespoon of dawn dish soap, a tablespoon of tea tree oil and a quart of water together, shaken, and use that. It really works good! Just rinse with lots of clear water afterwards because sometimes tea tree oil can be irritating if left in contact with the skin.


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

Oh my goodness - how would I go about cleaning my mare? I can see it now - i'll be getting a big kick in the face, she's extremely sensative and will swish her tail and flatten her ears even if I brush towards the back of her tummy.. even on the part near the hind quarters where the hair goes in different directions. Shall I just invest in a grid iron helmet and shoulder pads and go for it? How exactly do you clean them? Do you just 'pull' them, like your milking a cow? Am I completely retarded? Lol!


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## squeak351 (May 20, 2010)

I check my mares udders at least every couple of days. I use baby wipes. The first time I cleaned them they were so full of muck and smelled so horrible. I am sure they hadn't been cleaned in many years. Yesterday I had to clean Bella's backside too because of the loose poo. She didn't mind at all which I am very grateful because I wouldn't have hated to take a kick for that. lol


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## squeak351 (May 20, 2010)

Sally, I wasn't sure about my mares when I first took over ownership, so I did normal grooming first. Then I tried fly spray on them and they didn't mind it. I had them stand at the cross ties with my daughter talking to them at their heads keeping them calm. They way she could tell me if they started to get panicky. I used a baby wipe, let them smell it, then I took it over their bodies. After that I went back let them smell it again, I barely touched their bellies,and very slowly went back toward the udders. Since it's cool, they started a bit but I went slow to let them get used to it. The gunk builds up inbetween the udders. You will be surprised what's up in there. I took baby wipes and would wipe it out much like cleaning a baby's bottom that is full of poo. I am fornunate that my girls are very sweet and would let me do about anything to them.


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## MaggiStar (Mar 19, 2010)

Is there any health issues if you dont clean them regularly? SOme of my ponies i just wouldnt even risk my life so they are never done is that bad?? Like i know not cleaning the sheath is unheakthy but are the udders??


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## G and K's Mom (Jan 11, 2008)

SallyRC123 said:


> Oh my goodness - how would I go about cleaning my mare? I can see it now - i'll be getting a big kick in the face,


Sometimes it's helpful to have a second person. They can assist by holding up a front hoof. It's hard for them to kick when they're standing on three legs. Hubby usually does this with our younger gelding, he's pretty sensitive about his private parts. Hubby grabs the front foot and go to town cleaning.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I do once/week April - Nov. I don't during winter though - too cold IMO. Also (we had discussions on that number of time) I do it with just my hand and towel and never noticed any bad smelt (although number of people state the hands are really disgusting after the procedure). Both my girls don't like it, but tolerate. I actually go even further now and also clean their hm-hm butts (under the tail) when I'm done with the tits. :lol:


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

G and K's Mom said:


> Sometimes it's helpful to have a second person. They can assist by holding up a front hoof.


What a fantastic suggestion GK! I never thought of that.. atleast it would give me time to get away if she were getting agitated. Hm.. will have to try this.


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Freyja was touchy in the very beginning about having her udder handled, but I would take a bucket of warm water and a smidge of dawn, and use a soaked dishtowel, and started out just kind of giving her a "massage" with the hot towel rather than really trying to get chunks off, worked my way up doing it weekly and she got to where she would just sigh and close her eyes. Since she bagged up really early it was probably very uncomfortable for her, and the hot towels felt good. Since she foaled she could care less, but I'll need to keep it up after she weans when she will likely be sensitive again.


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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

MaggiStar said:


> Is there any health issues if you dont clean them regularly? SOme of my ponies i just wouldnt even risk my life so they are never done is that bad?? Like i know not cleaning the sheath is unheakthy but are the udders??


From my experience it could be a bit unhealthy. My cousin's mare ended up with mastitis and the vet said it was due to udder neglect and that she needed to check them at least once a week to make sure they were clean.

Mastitis is a really bad infection in the udder that can make the horse extremely sick.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Both my girls LOVE having their teats rubbed. So every time I groom them, I rub the gunk out. No water or soap or anything. They think they've died and gone to heaven. =]

Gracie didn't care for it much at first. She didn't like her belly touched at all. So after she was thoroughly worn out from the cross-tie battle, I rubbed her belly until she quit making an ugly face, then her belly button, then around her teats. Then I started picking out the nastiness, she decided she REALLY liked it, so now when I rub her belly button, she's already got her lip going, lol.


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## sullylvr (Aug 13, 2009)

alright quick tip for the kickers. recently i had to clean the sheath of a gelding who did not preticularily like it. needless to say i got a tiny kick. but still i needed to do it. so get a friend to hold his/her front hoof (just like theyre about to hoof pick it) while you clean, so they have no choice but to keep 3 feet on the ground  hehe tricky.


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

Strangely enough yesterday I spend about an hour wandering around the pasture and working on the girls,lol. Most of them really like it and stick their nose out, cock their head, and wiggle their lips,lol. The ones that don't though, I find the good ol "advance and retreat" method to work very well.


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## SallyRC123 (Aug 22, 2008)

Hm.. So I asked an instructor at my Barn about cleaning udders.. and how I would get a good kick in the face from Candy, and she said

HAHAHAAHAHAHA I can see you explaining yourself to the paramedics. Leave the poor thing alone, its mother natures problem, not yours!

Does anyone agree? I never even thought about cleaning my mares udders untill this forum post..


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## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

In the summer I clean Caleighs regularly about once a week. If she gets really sweaty from a work out she gets a booby rub down during her hose off too. She loves it, wiggles her lips, her tummy gurgles, and she starts to fall asleep. In the winter I use sensitive skin baby wipes with no scents or coloring. 

Sampson though we're going to have to sedate for sheath cleaning. His previous owner warned Kevin and me about that the day we met with her. She said a large dose of ace and rampin if that's available or whatever the vet wants to give and she said he's still a kicker until he's basically passed out on the ground. That'll be interesting come vet day.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

SallyRC123 said:


> Hm.. So I asked an instructor at my Barn about cleaning udders.. and how I would get a good kick in the face from Candy, and she said
> 
> HAHAHAAHAHAHA I can see you explaining yourself to the paramedics. Leave the poor thing alone,* its mother natures problem, not yours!*


I'd also recommend her not to trim hoofs, give shots (especially rabies and tetanus) and float teeth. It's a mother nature problem, you know....

We do all of that to keep our horses healthy and live the longer life unlike those wild horses.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

Yeah. and don't apply ointment to cuts, fly spray, bathe, and heck.... you might as well leave feeding and watering up to mother nature, too! lol :lol:


kitten_Val said:


> I'd also recommend her not to trim hoofs, give shots (especially rabies and tetanus) and float teeth. It's a mother nature problem, you know....
> 
> We do all of that to keep our horses healthy and live the longer life unlike those wild horses.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

That's cause Clydesdales are awesome. lol


drafts4ever said:


> In the summer I clean Caleighs regularly about once a week. If she gets really sweaty from a work out she gets a booby rub down during her hose off too. She loves it, wiggles her lips, her tummy gurgles, and she starts to fall asleep.


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## ButterfliEterna (May 2, 2010)

SallyRC123 said:


> Hm.. So I asked an instructor at my Barn about cleaning udders.. and how I would get a good kick in the face from Candy, and she said
> 
> HAHAHAAHAHAHA I can see you explaining yourself to the paramedics. Leave the poor thing alone, its mother natures problem, not yours!


My, she's mighty considerate, eh?

I unno... if all of this is M.N's problem, then why ride horses at all? Why bother to do anything with them? It's cause we want to, and because we give a **** [about them].

I would have thought that instructor might've offered to hold a foot or something to assist you.. But, my BM is like that too. "She's _just_ a horse." No worries. Do what you can; pick and choose what you can/can't use. 

BTW! Thanks to the OP, I'm going to work on cleaning that today now! LOL!


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

My gelding has the cleanest sheath ever - I've never had to clean it in 3 years.

My mare, on the other hand, has the dirtiest udders ever - I have to clean them once a week.


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## Shawneen (Apr 22, 2009)

Mares usually like their udders cleaned. Especially in the summer when they get sweaty and sticky, it itches for goodness sake!

I used Excalibur for both the mares and geldings, it has cooling menthol in it and they seem to like it. 

Even if your gelding doesn't seem to be dirty you should still do it to get the "bean" out. I won't get into details about that, just Google it - also some youtube videos about it. Also it's good to get them used to it for when they absolutely need it done.

But yeah, the mares dig it a lot - even my super b*tchy mare loves it. They are just like, "ahhhhhh, thanks!"


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Yep, I clean my mare's at least once every couple weeks. And she L-O-V-E LOVES it LOL!!! It's hilarious (and sick haha!) She will bend her head into her chest and wiggle her nose around, and she will actually pick up her back leg (looks like a dog when it hikes its leg!)...it is SO FUNNY to watch!!!


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Flame is another mare who loves it. First time I did it she almost fell over, it was hilarious!


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