I'm always asking my clients if they get their horses' teeth checked and floated on a regular basis, so naturally I have to heed my own nagging and get the vet out periodically to have our dear Obi's fangs looked after. That in itself isn't a big deal.
It's the other thing that customarily goes with the teeth: The cleaning of the lowly sheath. Personally, I wouldn't consider the project without sedation. It doesn't hurt, either, that Obi too is under the influence of drugs. Anyway.
There's a ton of advice as to how often a sheath needs to be cleaned, and there is even a contingent that says the more often you undergo this task, the faster the gunk rebuilds due to the disturbance in the bacteria that dwell within. I have little inclination to do a bacterial count on my horse's private parts, but common sense says a twice-a-year cleaning will suffice for most geldings. Which means, of course, that if you're getting your horse's teeth done annually, you either summon the vet to sedate your horse the next time you need to clean the sheath, try over-the-counter calming agents such as those containing valerian root, or you enter the agreement with the horse fully aware of what you are doing. And the latter poses the extreme likelihood that at the very least, your horse will like you less when it's all said and done. One of my favorite horse people once told me that horses and humans do not necessarily share the same range of emotions, but that horses almost certainly have the ability to be disgusted -- and that we as humans offer them plenty of opportunity.
On the more extreme end of the argument on non-sedated sheath cleaning, your horse might just kill you. Obi has a way of lifting and pointing a back toe at anyone who has ever had anything resembling a neural synapse on the topic, and even if you last thought about sheath cleaning, say, 15 years ago and never said a word about it, he will still know this on a gut level and point a toe at you. It's got a lot of similarities to the tensions that built up after the Bay of Pigs Invasion, believe me.
Inherent to the sheath-cleaning procedure is the gunk-removal product. And while we're on it, I would like to know who came up with the word "smegma." It is a fitting word, but adding significantly to the cringe factor.
In the quest for a smegma-free world, some people use a commercial product such as Excaliber, others use Ivory liquid. In either case, my advice is to use the smallest amount you need to get the job done, as you have to consider the effort it takes to thoroughly rinse off your handiwork. The last thing you want is to have your horse all gooped up with product and for your quality time to run short. I also have had some success doing a preemptive strike with baby oil (I hear Excalibur has a similar composition with the addition of tea tree oil), then coming back a couple days later to finish the task with warm water and a sponge.
And some people just get the whole process done with a garden hose and no product whatsoever, but these are the Chosen Ones. If you're reading this, you're not them.
Most people employ rubber gloves for this task (thin are better than thick, long better than short), but I also like the idea of using an old sock around one's hand (best on top of a glove) to better loosen the gunk. You will want to discard the sock after this, or perhaps sell it to the State Department.
Then there's the all-important bean, which is pretty much the Holy Grail of sheath cleaning. If you're not sure how to find it, you're best to Google the topic for photos and have some semblance of knowledge before going in. If you're still not sure, ask your vet to do it or call in a favor to a friend who knows what he/she is doing, then be sure to compensate that person with some high-quality drinks. The bean is potentially the biggest obstacle to your horse's well-being here (like, he might not be able to pee normally), so make sure someone is getting the job done on a regular basis.
One more thing. Don't do sheath cleaning in very cold weather unless you've got a heated wash bay (meaning that both the water and air are warm). I know of a gelding who suffered frostbite because of a poorly timed cleanup.
That said, it's probably time to suit up and dive in.
Obi & me