Another sheath cleaning question

[Ridinwyoming]

I’m very fortunate to have two geldings that don’t mind me looking for beans.

One I’ve only owned for a year, he is 16, yesterday was the first time I went up as far as I could to check for beans. He is usally very clean. But yesterday he was very itchy and stretching out while I was feeling around. I’ve only got one other gelding to compare to but I found a good sized round firm lump behind his penis. My other gelding I don’t find any lumps just smooth as far as my hand can go.

Is this normal? I plan on having the vet out to check but thought in the meantime I’d like to hear COTH feedback.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

Do you mean smegma around the penis but inside the sheath? When you write, “behind the penis,” I think you mean smegma.

Smegma is found around the penis and up into the sheath. It’s the crusty, waxy material, usually black.

Beans are found in the tip of the penis, just above and slightly around the urethra in a pouch called the urethral fossa. Just making sure you are checking for beans in the urethral fossa; this is arguably a bigger deal and can really interfere with urination.

Cleaning the smegma involves the outside of the penis, up and inside the sheath but around the penis.

[Ridinwyoming]

Sorry about that I should have been more clear. I was checking for both beans and smegma. It was while I was cleaning out smegma in the sheath that I found the lump.

[right_horse_at_the_right_time]

[QUOTE=Ridinwyoming;8221260]
Sorry about that I should have been more clear. I was checking for both beans and smegma. It was while I was cleaning out smegma in the sheath that I found the lump.[/QUOTE]

So the round lump is part of the penis or in the pelvis and not a lump of smegma? Got it.

Either way, I agree about the vet. They can have harmless cyst or something less harmless.

[riopony]

My gray horse has a melanoma up in there-- possibly something like that?