How to Know if you have gotten the "Bean"

[spmoonie]

I cleaned my horse's sheath today, and Im not sure whether or not I got the bean out. I did pull out a round shaped piece of gunk, but Im not sure if it was the bean. Is the bean any one particular color?

[Laurierace]

Its always a light gray color.

[IsolaBella09]

Grayish and smells like hell. :D

[deltawave]

Can I just say that I love owning all mares? ;)

[spmoonie]

hmm... well this was sort of a light pink/yellow color.:confused:

[Laurierace]

Nope, that's not it. To locate the bean put your finger ON, not IN the urethra where the pee comes out. There are all sorts of pouches located up against the urethra, yet outside of it where you need to stick your finger to fish around for the bean. Sometimes its not there, sometimes its so huge you have to break it into pieces to get it out.

[spmoonie]

Nope, that's not it. To locate the bean put your finger ON, not IN the urethra where the pee comes out. There are all sorts of pouches located up against the urethra, yet outside of it where you need to stick your finger to fish around for the bean. Sometimes its not there, sometimes its so huge you have to break it into pieces to get it out.

Ok. I guess Im going back in tomorrow!:lol::lol: poor fellow:winkgrin:

[Laurierace]

Too bad you are so far from me, I am somewhat of a professional weenie washer and would be happy to walk you through it.

[spmoonie]

Too bad you are so far from me, I am somewhat of a professional weenie washer and would be happy to walk you through it.

Well, I could use some advice.... My gelding always sucks his "weenie" all the way back up into his sheath and wont let it down. This makes it hard to get it really clean and to find the bean because I have no idea where my hand is going.:lol: Any advice on getting him to let down?

[Laurierace]

No actually I prefer to clean them while its still up there. That way it stays in one place and I don't have to hold it still with my other hand. I like to keep my "free" hand on the tail. If you pull the tail towards you so they have to put their weight on that hind leg it makes them less able to kick. It does involve going up to the elbow sometimes but is definitely safer. If you locate the urethra and then feel all around it you can't miss, you don't need to be able to see it to find it.

[spmoonie]

No actually I prefer to clean them while its still up there. That way it stays in one place and I don't have to hold it still with my other hand. I like to keep my "free" hand on the tail. If you pull the tail towards you so they have to put their weight on that hind leg it makes them less able to kick. It does involve going up to the elbow sometimes but is definitely safer. If you locate the urethra and then feel all around it you can't miss, you don't need to be able to see it to find it.

alrighty, thanks!:D

[lolalola]

There may be more than one bean. My late QH loved having his sheath cleaned, and I used him for demos. There are little sacs around the urethra that get filled up with the nasty grey gunk, so just because you got one large piece out doesn't mean there aren't more. However, most horses aren't that cooperative and won't let you turn those little sacs inside out like old Junior did.

[Jleegriffith]

Exactly what Laurierace said. You will feel them but I use a scooping method with my finger and it does take getting your whole arm in there. Let's just say I did a horse this weekend that was so disgusting and had the biggest beans I have ever felt. The whole tip was hard and covered in beans so I had to squeeze to break them apart. These are just a few of the beans that were recovered. Poor guy had to be ouchy. He is a very starved horse I am rehabbing so I don't know why he had them this bad.
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2267807800058815717dZblSq

[Laurierace]

Aww man why didn't I ever think to take pictures?!? My record is well over golf ball size but it had to be broken into pieces. I guess I could have reassembled it for the photo shoot...

[ChocoMare]

Can I just say that I love owning all mares? ;)

After seeing the pictures posted above...AMEN!!!! :yes:

[Jleegriffith]

LR- It was my hubby's idea to take the pictures he was grossed out but then became fascinated by the size of it all. It was about the size of a golfball before I got it all out and I threw many peices on the group before the photo idea came along. I was shocked when I felt it and almost couldn't get it broken up enough to get it out of there but once I squeezed it then it did break up in pieces. Imagine how much better that horse feels now!

I have 8 geldings but most of them are not nice to clean and would require drugs.

[MistyBlue]

Those are pretty big pieces...ouch!
I have two geldings now...was always a mare person and now appreciate them even more. :winkgrin:
My newer guy is a real kicker when it comes to having his unmentionables mauled. So I use both the grabbing a handful of tail and pulling it towards me *and* hubby on the opposite side pushing his hip towards me to keep his close leg firmly planted on the ground. Hubby stares at the ceiling the entire time pretending I'm not molesting the horse. :lol:
Not sure how clean I've gotten him so far...no signs of a bean and the rest of hime stays pretty sparkly clean. But spring shots and teeth floating time I'll have him tranqed and do a more thorough inspection.
Petey, OTOH, just stands there looking shocked and disgusted at what I'm doing to him. After a few minutes he tries walking off with his hind legs spraddled...looks like a toddler with a full diaper and he seems to get really annoyed when I laugh at him. :D
My last gelding before these two would drop his head down between his front legs and stare upside down at what I was doing to his privates.
So far I haven't been blessed with one who enjoys it or doesn't seem to care.

[CanterQueen]

But spring shots and teeth floating time I'll have him tranqed and do a more thorough inspection.


I have the vets do a nice thorough cleaning twice a year (at shot time), but I also go after it everytime I see them drop. They're getting used to me just running up and grabbing their thingys. Good horsies.

[JetsBuddy]

No actually I prefer to clean them while its still up there. That way it stays in one place and I don't have to hold it still with my other hand. I like to keep my "free" hand on the tail. If you pull the tail towards you so they have to put their weight on that hind leg it makes them less able to kick. It does involve going up to the elbow sometimes but is definitely safer. If you locate the urethra and then feel all around it you can't miss, you don't need to be able to see it to find it.

I do it the same way and actually did a friend's 2 geldings plus 4 of my own last year. I was giving a lesson on how to do it to her 16 year old daughter who was completely grossed out. Only one had a big bean and I had to break it up to get it out. All were pretty well behaved including my minis who can kick like lightening and the feisty friend's pony who we twitched as a precaution and he was gentle as a lamb.

[LSM1212]

I have the vets do a nice thorough cleaning twice a year (at shot time), but I also go after it everytime I see them drop. They're getting used to me just running up and grabbing their thingys. Good horsies.

:lol: Now that was funny.... my guy only needs to be done once a year but has to be tranq'd as he's very sensitive about his manly parts.

But I've been working with him and he always drops when I do carrot stretches after our ride. So I take the opportunity and wipe him down w/ a damp rag just to get some of the gunk off, check for a bean, and get him more used to being messed with. So I also, will 'run up' and wipe him down. But he'll let me do this w/o a fuss. And in the warm weather, when I hose him down, I just stick the hose up there (on low pressure of course) to rinse him out. Keeps him cleaner for longer.

The look on my hubby's face when he first witnessed me doing that was priceless. :D

[pintopiaffe]

everyone saying it's greyish... My stallion never got beans until his life of celibacy (training before breeding!) and now gets them regularly... but they are quite white, maybe a tiny bit yellow.

Never grey.

And those saying you get them out out handed... I really can't imagine how. It takes some fancy parting of skin at the openings and pushing (gently)from behind the bean to get his out...

:confused:

[CanterQueen]

The look on my hubby's face when he first witnessed me doing that was priceless. :D

My hubby said I shouldn't do the run-and-grab thing when the grandkids are visiting. :D

[LSM1212]

My hubby said I shouldn't do the run-and-grab thing when the grandkids are visiting. :D

LOL... early education as far as I'm concerned. One of the younger barn girls caught me doing this. All she said was "Ewwwwwwwwww". ;)

[cnvh]

Thank you all for reminding me that I'm going to have to put on my big-girl panties and "do the deed" on my new gelding sometime soon... :(

[2DogsFarm]

These are just a few of the beans that were recovered. Poor guy had to be ouchy. He is a very starved horse I am rehabbing so I don't know why he had them this bad.
http://pets.webshots.com/photo/2267807800058815717dZblSq

<insert barfing icon here>
Only on this BB would someone post those pictures...
And only here would a reader (like me :o) open that link...
Can I say EeeeWwwwwwwww!!!!! ?

Jlee: why would diet have anything to do with formation of bean/smegma?
My understanding is dirt, shavings, etc are irritants that cause production of the excess Yuk.

Sigh...and now I am looking forward (NOT!) to doing my TWH who showed evidence of needing attention this morning.
Oh well, at least he's cooperative - he was a breeding stallion until he was 8 so he knows the drill.
Thanks to the Powers That Be, my TB doesn't need much attnetion there, as he requires a hind leg held by an assistant so he can't launch me to the Moon.
That kind of help is truly hard to find.

[Jleegriffith]

2dogs- I am not sure if being dehydrated or starved had anything to do with it but I had never seen one with beans so bad. Sure one or two small beans but it was really awful how many hard beans he had basically forming a hard mass around the whole thing. It could just be he was never cleaned but he is a 10yr TB. so you would think somebody might have cleaned him along the way

[Bravestrom]

Your guys really need to talk to my guy. My gelding drops after every ride when I give him his massage - he loves to get his weenie cleaned and I take small beans out monthly.

Although I have to say that I never heard of this years ago.

I actually have a wet cloth handy after every ride and he gets a wash.

And don't think mares don't need to be cleaned too - they have gunk between theirs too.

[Leather]

I'm glad that I'm not the only person who has taken pictures of a bean! :lol:

Meet Beanzilla, from my 12 year old QH when I first got him. No idea if he'd ever been cleaned before.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j115/jovianrider/DSC00885.jpg

[WB Mom]

I am soooo lucky. My guy drops a lot and I can just flip it up and 'pull it apart' and look in to see if there is a bean. Since I bought him in 2006 he has had maybe 3 and the biggest one was the size of a small pea.

[mg]

I've been trying to find the "bean" in my two pony geldings, but I think I must be really dumb or something because after reading about it over and over, I still don't think I know what I'm looking for. All I've been able to get out from the area is some whitish/grayish gook..almost the consistency of a viscous lotion..but nothing hard. Is it possible they don't have a bean? Help?? :confused:

[Arado*TB]

They are mostly "bean" shaped. light to a darkish grey and smell horrible. Think little lima beans. My Appys however, usually is a yellow color as is the smegma that is in and around the sheath folds.

[Amwrider]

When he drops to pee, see if you can gently but firmly grab his weenie without him kicking you. He will try to pull it back up but gently keep it out. Hold the head of his penis in both hands and place a thumb on each side of the urethra (pink tuby center) gently push up and back away from the urethra. You will see some spongy-like membrane. That is where the beans hide. If the head of his penis was like the round face of a clock, you will most likely find the big bean and 12 o'clock and possible smaller beans at 10 and 2. With your thumbs still pushing the head of the penis away from the urethra, use your index fingers to press the back of the head. The beans should start to show and if small they can pop out enough to where you can pull them out. The larger beans do have to be carefully broken up.


Stick art weinie and beans.
____/___/__
___/___/_
_./oOo\____
_(__o__)___
__\___/_


If you are doing the deed one-handed, with your arm up to its elbow in the sheath, you would use your thumb to push back the head and the index finger behind the head to push it out.

[Amwrider]

Also, I have had one gelding's beans come out pink and tinged with blood. The beans were very gritty and I suppose had a high amount of our lovely Florida sand in them, probably from lots of rolling in the sand.

[MistyBlue]

Amrider...now there's a new way to use stick art! :D
Pretty impressive diagram for stick art!

[Amwrider]

Amrider...now there's a new way to use stick art! :D
Pretty impressive diagram for stick art!

I did one in stick art a couple of years ago that was better, I was just too lazy to look it up. :lol:

[Fantastic]

Stick art. Pun. Get it? :lol:

Yeah I know I'm a sick puppy. Speaking of sick puppies, by dog is certain that schmegma and beans are really puppy treats! :eek:

[Fantastic]

Are you sure that picture was really of beans, and not boulders? Those are the biggest beans I've ever seen! Definately the gelding equivilent of giving birth!

In fact, when you feel the lumps of the beans at the head on either side of the aretha, you can gently squeeze them towards the little hole to get them out (otherwise you have to stick your finger in the hole to encourage them to come out). Out pops the bean!

[MistyBlue]

In fact, when you feel the lumps of the beans at the head on either side of the aretha, you can gently squeeze them towards the little hole to get them out (otherwise you have to stick your finger in the hole to encourage them to come out). Out pops the bean!

If you grab either side of the Queen of Soul's head and gave a little squeeze...she's gonna get PISSED! :eek: :D :lol: :cool:

Okay...I *know* this was a typo and I will freely admit to making numerous typos myself...but this one just made me aspirate coffee!

[SarahandSam]

LOL on the Aretha!

I've always just done a little at a time on my gelding. He's tolerant of it for a while. After a while he just lifts one hind foot in the air, and that's warning number one. If I ignore that he starts gently waving his hoof, and that's warning number two. I prefer not to get to warning number three. I appreciate that he's tolerant enough to go for a while and polite enough to let me know when he's hit his limit. d;

Monday though he's got floating so I'm asking for a little bit extra so I can do his sheath real good right afterward... whee. Dunno if I'll photograph the bean... might be a good item for Facebook...

[Risk-Averse Rider]

gasping for breath here in Arizona

stick art

photos (with a quarter for sizing)

Just. Too. Wonderful.

[mg]

When he drops to pee, see if you can gently but firmly grab his weenie without him kicking you. He will try to pull it back up but gently keep it out. Hold the head of his penis in both hands and place a thumb on each side of the urethra (pink tuby center) gently push up and back away from the urethra. You will see some spongy-like membrane. That is where the beans hide. If the head of his penis was like the round face of a clock, you will most likely find the big bean and 12 o'clock and possible smaller beans at 10 and 2. With your thumbs still pushing the head of the penis away from the urethra, use your index fingers to press the back of the head. The beans should start to show and if small they can pop out enough to where you can pull them out. The larger beans do have to be carefully broken up.

If you are doing the deed one-handed, with your arm up to its elbow in the sheath, you would use your thumb to push back the head and the index finger behind the head to push it out.

ahhhh, thank you! The gunk I was getting was coming from a location above the urethra (the place where this websites cites as retrieving a bean from http://jeffreyrkelly.com/sheath_cleaning.htm), not the urethra itself.

One pony is usually quite shy (the other's been on lease for the past 5 or so years so I haven't done him in a long time), but today he FINALLY dropped willingly for me and I was able to go at it a little better. I'll definitely search for the bean next time he's this cooperative! Then again, he may have just needed to pee since afterward he flooded the aisle like he hadn't peed in a week :( I don't recall ever seeing the modest pony pee in the past two years, so I was quite impressed at his show!

Thanks again :)

[Foxtrot's]

I've been a mare owner for so long, sigh.

Any tips for starting out my little colt - 11 months old - while he's young.

BTW I shall never eat lima beans again - trust COTH posters to looooove this kind of post.

[Amwrider]

Drat, I noticed our Morgan gelding has been rubbing his tail dock so I was thinking he probably needs to be cleaned. I have him in the washrack and lo-and-behold he dropped. I went over and popped out a monster bean. It was white and about an inch long by half an inch wide.

I put it on the corner of the mounting block because I wanted to get a quarter and take a reference photo for my COTH sickos...er, buddies, I meant buddies!

I got busy and forgot. I am sure by morning the neighbor's dog will have found it or someone will have mounted a horse and is wearing it on the bottom of their boot.

[asb_own_me]

This thread was so much more than I had hoped it would be!

My name is asb_own_me, and I have never cleaned a sheath. Atlas will be supremely mortified the day I decide to do so...he doesn't appreciate his privates so much as looked at, let alone anything else!

[SarahandSam]

Sheath cleaning observation today... my gelding didn't have a bean. Hunted around very carefully, including visual scans from two inches away and secondhand confirmation from barn owner. (Very scary.) Just a little bit of debris. However, way up near the base of the penis, in all the folds, were huge wads of gunk. Got almost all of it before he woke up enough to translate his indignation into vaguely waving a hind foot in my direction... then figured that with teeth floating, shots, a lameness exam and now having multiple people poking around his genitalia, he'd had enough for the day. d;

Is it normal for a horse to be clean where the 'bean' would be, but get downright filthy up higher?

He does like to go play in the scummy pond...

[BornToRide]

It's in your hand , slightly gray and round in shape :D You will have to look/dig (carefully with soft hands. If you are nice and gentle about it, horsey will generally happily cooperate) for it - it generally sits in a pocket in front of the urethra and typically does not come out by itself :)



Is it normal for a horse to be clean where the 'bean' would be, but get downright filthy up higher?

...Sure - I do not always find a bean, while the sheath can still have a lot of smegma.