Ridecamp: [RC]

Jackie:
Boots vs. sneakers--no, (although the discussion has been quite civilized so 
far) but sheath cleaning, YES. Now there?s a subject you can get your teeth 
into--errr??.let me rephrase that.

Anyway, None of the boyz I?ve ever had here have minded it, they seem much 
more comfortable after the bean(s) is/are  removed, they don?t spray: their 
bellies, and I?ve always believed several of ?em trot better, too.

I agree with using KY to soften--better than oils, although a really 
disgusting horse may need oil and lots of soap and water to get it all 
cleaned out.

Yup, barehanded is the only way to go at it. Pull grass afterwards and use 
the chlorophyll to get some of the stink off. Then use baking soda and lemon 
juice and finish off with Skin-So-Soft. Then hand out the clothespins and 
nose plugs. Try to schedule this way ahead of dinnertime. J

For years I used to clean sheaths on the front lawn (not to waste water) 
wearing cut-offs and irrigation boots. I moved to the back yard after I 
figured out why the neighbors wouldn?t talk to me. During the two years we 
spent in Turkey, I was manager at the base stables, and those horses had 
some terrible gunk and fungus up there because they?d never been cleaned. 
Needless to say, I doubt the Abi (Turkish stablehand) is continuing the 
practice. Ozkan was mildly appalled, to say the least.

I use baby soap to lubricate my hand and rinse copiously with the garden 
hose. Yup folks, you heard that, cold water out of the hose. Doesn?t work 
for winter obviously, but most geldings don?t mind it at all during the warm 
weather. I do have one gelding that gets the shivers if I bathe him at the 
same time, but most don?t care. I?ve done lots of geldings in for training 
this way, as well as my own, and most stand still for it if you growl at 
them a bit. Some of them I?ve had go round in circles and threaten to kick, 
but they settle after four-five minutes of exterior hosing. Maybe it?s just 
my technique, but I?ve been able to do horses that the owners say need to be 
tranqued by the vet. (personally, I think it?s the owner?s squeamishness.)

A horse that hasn?t ever been done is tougher to work out the bean on, but 
the membrane seems to stretch out over time, and the job gets easier to do. 
The guys don?t seem to collect beans any more so after they?ve been 
stretched. I have horrible desert ?moon-dust? here in Idaho that the horses 
roll in during the summer months, so their ears and ?parts? get filthy. 
Mares, too, are more comfortable if they?re picked out and washed between 
the teats. Some of the fillies have been worse to do than the boys

Oh, on the issue of boots vs. sneakers? Definitely steel toed irrigation 
boots. And for a real fashion statement, don?t forget the cut-offs---fringed 
out.

Andrea


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