Hello everyone. It’s been probably 12 years since I last posted here. 2 years ago I acquired my very first mare (have only had geldings previously) and I’m wondering what tips and tricks you have to clean hardened tar like discharge off legs. Before it got really bad I was able to get some off gently with a bot knife but it’s so crusted now I don’t think that would be even remotely effective.
A bath and then good daily grooming, use baby wipes if necessary, to keep it up.
3 Likes
The product Excalibur is made for justthis kind of mess and it does work. Don’t forget to clean between her udders too. For that I just use a wet washcloth. Who knew?
3 Likes
My mare looooves her boobies and backside cleaned. I don’t mind doing it but god she makes it weird.
17 Likes
My mare as well…the shimmy…the lip wriggles…the leg lifting for easier access. Ick!
4 Likes
One of mine loves it. The other one used to, now, not so much.
I usually scrape it off with my fingernails (it kinda peels off like sunburned skin), then thoroughly wash hands.
1 Like
“MINE TOO! SO WEIRD!”
I almost liked it better the first few years I had her when the only acceptable touching was with a stream of water. I could blast her with the hose and that was fine, but getting a hand up there was risking my life. Until she decided it was all good. Then it got weird. lol
2 Likes
Yep. I just reach up there and get it off, then clean my hands/fingernails. The tip of the teats has some special crusty stuff that you have to sorta wrap your hand around the whole thing and slide down to get off. The backside gets a baby wipe.
This conversation got weird. I’m done. Mares are weird.
4 Likes
I use a warm hose regularly in summer. Plain water, sometimes a little Johnson baby wash.
I would much rather clean my mare’s udder and outer lady bits than do another sheath cleaning on a gelding! Not sure which is worse honestly, a gelding that drops and enjoys it too much or one that is shy and sucks everything way up there so you have to go arm deep! 
23 Likes
Cleaning mare is NBD unless she cow kicks but I’ve never done a sheath cleaning and was kind of horrified to find out about them. It was not something we ever did back in the 1970s.
1 Like
Totally! I’ll clean my mare’s udder 10x over rather than try to retrieve “the bean.” My younger one is one that has to make it weird, lifting her leg and really getting into it. Coincidentally, she tends to be an itchy horse, and gets more gunk buildup than my other girl. Sheath cleaner works well to really get the gunk. When I’m bathing I’ll put that on first and let it soak while attending to the rest of the bath, then go back with a washcloth and clean/rinse.
2 Likes
It’s called smagma
I use warm wash clothes to get it of
one of our mares hate it, the rest don’t really care, But I have a new one and I do not trust her yet to try 
Mine too. I always do a really good booty wash when I do her tail and she very happily stand for it…cold water and all. I just recently did her udder. I usually use a baby wipe but last time I did it, they were frozen 
.
Susan
I’ll use baby lotion or udder balm to help soften the smega (not smagma) and it makes it much easier to remove. I worry that just peeling it off will make the skin underneath it raw and tender. And then I’ll use a soft cloth to remove the excess lotion and any remaining dirt. My mare makes it weird too, enjoys it far too much!
It’s smegma.
7 Likes
I should have added that a bath is not an option right now. There is no way I could pick through it with my fingers….I tried today. It’s like tar. I have to soften it with something first I think. Good Lord it goes past her hock on the one leg. Thank goodness she doesn’t make it weird. Lol!
Good idea!
Oh great! I’ll look into that. Thanks!
Warm water to soften, and a soap like Excalibur, or PF Wonder Wash. What you can’t get off with that, I would use some vaseline or Bag Balm on, and give it a day or two. 100% mares are so much better to deal with than geldings. No sucking it back in, no sedation, no b*oners… ick
My mare loves to be scratched or cleaned back there. She will lift her leg to let me get at her teats. She makes it so awkward sometimes lolol
PS this same thing works on super hard chestnuts or ergots that you can’t trim with nippers.
