Sheath and Udder Cleaning

While never a favorite activity, sheath and udder cleaning are important chores for your horse’s health.

Why Do I Need to Clean My Horse’s Sheath/Udders?

The skin of your horse’s penis excretes a waxy substance called smegma that combines with dirt, dust, bedding, and dead skin cells and can create hard lumps/beans.

If a bean forms at the opening to the urethra, it can make it painful or uncomfortable or your horse may just not be able to urinate.

Typically, you’ll want to clean your horse’s sheath every 3-6 months, depending on the horse.

If you notice a bad smell, your horse struggling to urinate, or urine dribbling on your horse’s legs, he needs his sheath cleaned.

Mares will also sometimes accumulate a smegma buildup around their udders.

While not as bad as a sheath, you should also regularly clean your mare’s udders.

Sheath and Udder Cleaning

While most horses will tolerate a gentle cleaning, some very sensitive horses may kick out while you’re trying to clean their sheath or udders.

If your vet is going to come out and tranquilze your horse to float their teeth, plan to clean his sheath immediately afterwards so you can take advantage of the tranquilizers.

Not only will your horse be less likely to kick you, the drugs may encourage your horse to “let down”, which makes cleaning much easier.