# Sheath Cleaning?... what about wild horses?



## cowgirl4jesus94 (Jun 14, 2008)

So they say to clean the sheath every 6 months... but what about wild horses? Nobody cleans their sheath, and how many of them die from some sort of cancer because of it?
The only thing I can think of is that there are different chemicals and what not and feed that could cause a buildup? Not sure.. and does the actual sheath need to be cleaned or just the "bean"?


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## BaliDoll (Sep 21, 2009)

This is *SO* funny cause I just thought about this yesterday.... lol i'm interested to see what people say!


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## sherie (Feb 10, 2009)

*wild quess*

I think it may have to do with Stallion vs gelding


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

i think it stays a lot cleaner if they are 'using it'


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Wild horses don't get any treatment for anything, so they can and do die from disease, infection, etc.

Domesticated horses live a vastly different lifestyle than a wild horse. They are asked to work and get sweaty multiple times per week. They are confined to spaces much smaller than the areas wild horses roam. They get fed an artificial diet. They are kept on soft ground or dirt --- these are ALL perfect breeding grounds for smegma (junk) buildup in a horse's sheath. 
Anyways, wild horses can't get cleaned, and so can suffer for it. But they also live in different conditions, so likely have a different pattern for buildup as well. 



> i think it stays a lot cleaner if they are 'using it'


Yes and no... kinda. haha.


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## cowgirl4jesus94 (Jun 14, 2008)

So the entire thing should be cleaned every 6 months of just get rid of the 'bean'?


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Depends on the horse. Some horses are naturally clean, but should get a clean yearly, some need it every month or so.
As a general rule, 6 months is a good timeframe.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

This is a stupid question, I know.. but I havent ever owned a gelding, so thats why.. what is a bean?


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## BrokenWings (Jun 15, 2009)

The "bean" is a waxy buildup for gunk that settles in his penis. If left unchecked, it can cause alight discomfort or extreme pain. 
I clean my geldings every 6 months after a good workout. Use rubber gloves, LOTS of KY and warm water and get in there. it's gross but for their health, it needs to be done. if it grosses you out buy a nice natural sheath cleaner, spray it up in there and it will take care of itself (mostly, you'll still need to loosen stuff off for him!)
My vet told me horses in the wild "use it" so it helps flush them out a little, but it does not make them any less prone to diseases and such


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## CloudsMystique (Mar 3, 2009)

It depends on the horse. I have my vet check my gelding's sheath every time he does his teeth, and he's never had to have his cleaned.

Mares are also supposed to have their udders cleaned every six months or so, and my mare's are so dirty that I have to clean them at LEAST once a week.

Wild horses DO suffer from a lot of things that domestic horses don't have to worry about. But you really can't compare one to another... They're so different. Wild horses don't even have to have their feet trimmed or their teeth floated. They're just much hardier.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Feral horses die between 10 and 15 years old because nature is cruel, and only the young and strong survive.

Domesticated horses, with proper nutrition, medical care, and upkeep, can live up to 40-45 years.

A mustang, if taken off the range and domesticated, has as much chance as living a long healthy life as one born in a barn.

Trying to continually compare horses who have to find their own way in the world versus those who are taken care of by humans, is a futile effort.

The _only_ reason our domestic horses live so long is because of the care they receive from their human handlers. If they were thrown out into nature, their lives would be as brutal and short as their feral cousins.

Feral horses have smegma build up, too. They also have leg, feet, and back problems, as well as contract diseases. The only difference is that they don't live long enough to get old. Once a physical disability raises it's ugly head, the feral horse becomes food for a large predator.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Smegma buildup also has a lot to do with the ground that the horse is on. Here in Utah very few people clean thier horses sheaths. We have pretty hard ground and rarely does a "bean" form in a sheath. When I lived in the Sandhills of Nebraska I had to clean the sheath about every two weeks and would get a pretty good sized bean out of it.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> Feral horses die between 10 and 15 years old because nature is cruel, and only the young and strong survive.
> 
> Domesticated horses, with proper nutrition, medical care, and upkeep, can live up to 40-45 years.
> 
> ...


you have no idea how many times I have said the same thing to people. Barefoot trimming is fine but don't think that mustangs have perfect feet and are never lame. There is just nobody to see them when they limp.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Speed Racer said:


> Feral horses die between 10 and 15 years old because nature is cruel, and only the young and strong survive.
> 
> Domesticated horses, with proper nutrition, medical care, and upkeep, can live up to 40-45 years.
> 
> ...


This is what I was trying to say, but SR put it so much better.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> Feral horses die between 10 and 15 years old because nature is cruel, and only the young and strong survive.
> 
> Domesticated horses, with proper nutrition, medical care, and upkeep, can live up to 40-45 years.
> 
> ...


Well said SR!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Meh, I just get tired of people romanticizing the feral horses.

They're really no different than our domestic, barn born animals.

In fact, most of what people call 'mustangs' are runaways, culls, or abandoned horses from breeding programs, old Army remount units, and ranches.

These animals have been getting an influx of new blood pretty much every 30 to 50 years or so since the beginning of U.S. colonization. 

A pure strain of mustang really doesn't exist, but it makes for better press if people think that somehow these animals are 'more special' than our regular, domestic bred horses.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> Meh, I just get tired of people romanticizing the feral horses.
> 
> They're really no different than our domestic, barn born animals.
> 
> ...


 
Exactly, I wish the government would spend as much on my kids education as they do keeping a bunch of inbred junk horses alive.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> Exactly, I wish the government would spend as much on my kids education as they do keeping a bunch of inbred junk horses alive.


The problem is.... there are not a bunch of crazy loud people who will scream and toss a fit if your kids do not get their education the way they will if their beloved wild horsies are not treated like the royalty they imagine they must be.

:roll:

I totally miss why anyone thinks that a bunch of feral horses are any great symbol of anything.

But.......................


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Natural breeding keeps those parts in working order, and it's the same with mares. It's just like not having their hooves trimmed because the rough terrain keeps them worn down.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

I have no problem with keeping a few horses out on the range to be part of our heritage but htere are tens of thousands of "wild" horses in feedlots all over the country just waiting to die of old age. More than half of the total budget for the BLM is spent feeding these horses intead of managing land.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Kevin, keeping a few small herds as a symbol, sure. I have no problem with that.

Like you, what I do have a problem with, is that the BLM can't manage the _land_ anymore, because they're unundated with these feral horses. 

Plus, no matter _what_ plan the BLM comes up with, there's always some group of do-gooders screaming it's not enough, the BLM doesn't care about our 'national heritage', or they're only in it to get kickbacks from the 'greedy, rich, cattle ranchers'.

People who only react on knee-jerk emotions and not actual research and _facts_ are the ones who are the worst enemies of the feral horses, because they want what they want when they want it, and to hell with all that scientific data and stuff!


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

I agree Kevinshorses, i actually just did a speech over sustainability and used the blm feral horse/mustang crisis. it is actually 3/4 of the budget, yeah its ridiculous....


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

I had a paint gelding that I checked while the vet did his teeth.. the tip of his penis was rock hard (not normal) so I went to digging and it took two people to dig out his bean. It was the BIGGEST bean we had ever seen.. It was 1/2 the size of my palm. I set it down to grab my phone so I could get a picture and my dog ATE it... SOOOOOO NASTY!!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

starlinestables said:


> I had a paint gelding that I checked while the vet did his teeth.. the tip of his penis was rock hard (not normal) so I went to digging and it took two people to dig out his bean. It was the BIGGEST bean we had ever seen.. It was 1/2 the size of my palm. I set it down to grab my phone so I could get a picture and my dog ATE it... SOOOOOO NASTY!!


 
I have a prretty strong stomach but I gagged a little when I read this. I can assume your dog doesn't lick your face any more.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> I have a prretty strong stomach but I gagged a little when I read this. I can assume your dog doesn't lick your face any more.


She had the vet gagging! it was soooo gross.... and NO she doesn't come anywhere near my face. )

My poor horse peed 3 times before coming out of sedation. He was obviously relieved BIG time.


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## qtrhrsecrazy (Aug 2, 2009)

Speed Racer said:


> Feral horses die between 10 and 15 years old because nature is cruel, and only the young and strong survive.
> 
> Domesticated horses, with proper nutrition, medical care, and upkeep, can live up to 40-45 years.
> 
> ...


Couldn't agree more - very well said



> you have no idea how many times I have said the same thing to people. Barefoot trimming is fine but don't think that mustangs have perfect feet and are never lame. There is just nobody to see them when they limp.


Kevinshorses I agree here too!! I have nothing against barefoot trimming at all, however feral horses basically go where they choose and step how they choose at a pace that they choose. They're not asked to do what we ask domesticated horses to do. 

I understand wanting to simulate ferals hoof conformation but comparing what feral horses vs domesticated horses do is like comparing apples to oranges IMO

StarlineStables... EWWWWW! :lol:


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## LippyArt (Nov 27, 2020)

cowgirl4jesus94 said:


> So they say to clean the sheath every 6 months... but what about wild horses? Nobody cleans their sheath, and how many of them die from some sort of cancer because of it?
> The only thing I can think of is that there are different chemicals and what not and feed that could cause a buildup? Not sure.. and does the actual sheath need to be cleaned or just the "bean"?


According to this vet...
_In the wild, stallions would have opportunities to become aroused and potentially breed. This behavior likely would shed and expel most accumulations. (Commercial breeding stallions have their penises gently cleaned prior to live cover or artificial collection to prevent infections and keep the ejaculate schmutz-free). Removing their sex drive by castrating makes them much safer to be around, but doesn’t allow them to “self-clean”._
More info : OH, BEANS! by Ken Keckler DVM


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Due to the age of this thread, from 2009 if you have questions start a new thread or search for more recent threads covering this subject.
This thread is now* CLOSED*


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