The sheath is the blind ending sac that contains the penis.
There is no requirement to clean this unless it becomes dirty.
How do I know if the sheath needs cleaning?
To check if the sheath is dirty, you just place a gloved hand up into the sheath on the belly side of the penis and look for a moist paste on your hand when you bring your glove out.
If this is present, then the sheath needs a clean.
Be careful, some horses do not like this being performed.
Cleaning the sheath:
Use purpose made sheath cleaners only, and some warm water with cotton wool to remove the excess material.
Don’t forget the penis:
What’s most important is that a penis health check is performed at the same time: This would include checking for a bean, examining the entire penis skin to ensure there is no early signs of cancer. A pink penis would be particularly at risk.
Often to do this entire genitalia area health check, your horse would need sedating to relax the cremaster muscle that is responsible for keeping the penis up into the sheath.
We recommend during your yearly dental check that we perform this procedure for you; this is a free of charge service if performed during your annual dental.
The picture shows a wart like growth on the inside of the sheath. This should be monitored carefully as this could potentially be a cancerous change.