b'or clippers to keep the coronet band hairowners to save the chore for trimmed is worth the effort and timetheir veterinarian. saved in daily grooming. In addition toThe veterinarian can sedate keeping this area tidy, she removes thehim for the procedure, she long hair, or feathers, from the pas- says. Many horse owners have tern area regularly to reduce the risk oftheir horses teeth done once pastern dermatitis (aka scratches), whicha year. When they are sedated trapped dirt and moisture can cause.for that procedure, it can be a I use No. 10 blades and go with thegood time to clean the sheath, grain of the hair, she says. You donttoo.want a clip that is too close. Its moreIf all of this is making you tapering than shaving. queasy, a once-a-year clean-And, of course, picking hooves is a dai- ing with the vet is more than ly must-do, says Lenher. When you pickadequate, Lenher says. feet, you are running your hand downMares nether regions are far the leg and catch cuts, scratches, andless complicated to clean than stuff on the legs, she says. You cover ageldings or stallions. Hosing multitude of areas by picking the feet. Itthe teats and perineal area lets me know if the feet smell, if there iswhen you rinse or bathe your any swelling on the legs, etc. There is a lotmare is a good starting place. covered just picking the feet every day. As far as soaping and clean-ing these areas, you can do so The Nether Regions as long as youre gentle and Cleaning a male horses sheath (theyour mare is congenial to it. pocket of skin that protects the penis)Just be sure you rinse the area ISABELLE ARNONelicits mixed responses. Cleaning sheathsthoroughly after.makes me want to gag, Corcoran says.Some mares are very sensi-Some people, however, become obsessedtive in this area and will kick, with the idea of needing to keep the areajust like the boys, LenherWhen trimming a horses tail to your desired length, place an clean. Lenher has observed some horsesays, noting that feisty maresarm under it and run your hand down to the point of trim to owners cleaning their geldings sheathsmight even need sedation. Soavoid a crooked cut. every week. go slow to see what your horse That is too often, she says. Once atolerates.stallions alike, a different hygiene proto-month at the very most. But three to fourThese areas need to be hosed off orcol applies, so work with a veterinarian to times a year is fine. cleaned three to four times a year ordetermine the best frequency for them.The most important reason to clean amore, depending on the individual. ButOther easily overlooked areas on your sheath is to check for a bean, which is arecognize that you can go overboard withhorses body include his elbows, under his collection of smegma, or accumulationsmares, too.jowls, and the midline of the abdomen. of dirt and secretions, in the space atWith breeding horses, mares andKeep an eye out for dirt or scruff here due the tip of the urethra called the urethralto dirt accumulation or insect sensitivity. fossa. A bean can cause pain and even infection. Billowing TailsSome horses end up with debris andRegardless of whether you ride com-smegma coating the inner sides of theirpetitively or recreationally, a horses tail hind legs, which is often what drivesneeds attention.horse owners to overclean sheaths.Nothing makes me sadder than horses Lenhers horse falls into this category;with tree branches and debris in their while she describes the messy legs astails and manes, Lenher says. Even if disgusting, she doesnt clean his sheathyou dont ride, they still need TLC.regularly. Instead, she cleans his legs.Tail care is largely based on personal For horse owners who do clean sheathspreference. Lenher once rode with a routinely, she recommends using a mildtrainer that forbade clients to brush out soap such as liquid Ivory dish soap. Com- tails. mercial sheath cleaners are available andWe had to hand-pick the tails so they designed to cut through the greasy dis- didnt break and stayed full, she says.charge. However, she has observed thatThis approach is especially beneficial PAULA DA SILVAthese can cause irritation in some horses,for horses with thin tails and manes. De-especially with zealous use.tanglers and hand-picking keep it clean, Not all horses are amenable to thistangle-free, and full. Some tails are even task, either, and might kick in protest. ForMale horses need their sheaths cleaned a fewprone to dreadlocks. Frequent brush-these sensitive horses, Lenher encouragestimes a year to remove dirt and secretions. ings keep unruly locks from becoming March 2018 THE HORSE TheHorse.com 39'