The sheath Copyright 1998 Patricia Harris, please email pat_berto@yahoo.com forpermission to reprint. |
1.) Check to make sure there are no prospective boyfriends, elderly neighbors, or Brownie troops with a line of sight to the proceedings. Though of course they're probably going to show up unexpectedly ANYWAY once you're in the middle of things. Prepare a good explanation.
2.) Trim your fingernails short. Assemble horse, hose, and your sense of humor (plus, ideally, Excalibur cleanser and perhaps thin rubber gloves).
3.) Use hose (or damp sponge) to get the sheath and its inhabitant wet. Uh, that is, do this in a *civilized* fashion with due warning to the horse; he is apt to take offense if an icy-cold hose blasts unexpectedly into his personal regions ;-)
4.) Now introduce your horse to Mr Hand.
What I find safest is to stand facing the horse's head, with my shoulder and
hip snugly against the horse's thigh and hip so that if he makes any suspicious
move such as raising his leg, I can feel it right away and am in any case pressed
so close that all he can do is shove, not really kick.
The horse should be held by an assistant or by your free hand, NOT tied fast
to a post or to crossties. He may shift around a good bit if he's not happy
with Mr Hand's antics, but don't be put off by that; as long as you are patient
and gradual, and stick close to his side, he'll get over it.
Remember that it would be most unladylike of you to simply make a direct grab
for your horse's Part. Give the horse a clue about what's on the program. Rest
your hand against his belly, and then slide it back til you are entering The
Home of the Actual Private Part. When you reach this first region of your destination,
lube him up good with Excalibur or whatever you're using. If the outer part
of his sheath is really grungy you will feel little clods and nubblies of smegma
peeling off as you grope around in there. Patiently and gently expedite their
removal.
5.) Thus far, you have probably only been in the outer part of the sheath. The Part Itself, you'll have noticed, is strangely absent. That's because it has retired shyly to its inner chambers. Roll up them thar sleeves and follow in after it ;-)
6.) As you and Mr Hand wend your way deeper
into the sheath, you will encounter what feels like a small portal that opens
up into a chamber beyond. Being attentive to your horse's reaction, invite yourself
in. You are now in the inner sanctum of The Actual Private Part. It's hiding
in there towards the back, trying to pretend it isn't there. Say hi and wave
to it. No, really, work your finger back and forth around the sides of it.
If the horse won't drop, this is your only shot at removing whatever dried smegma
is clinging to the surface of the Part itself. So, gently explore around it,
pulling out whatever crusty topsoil you find there. Use more water and more
Excalibur if necessary to loosen attached gunk.
7.) When Mr Hand and the Actual Private
Part have gotten to know each other pretty well, and the Part feels squeaky
clean all around, there remains only one task: checking for, and removing, the
bean.
The bean is a pale, kidney-shaped accumulation of smegma in a small pouch just
inside the urethra. Not all horses accumulate a bean, but IME the majority do,
even if they have no visible external smegma. So: the equine urethra is fairly
large diameter, and indeed will permit you to very gently insinuate one of your
slimmer fingers inside the urethral opening.
Do so, and explore upwards for what will feel like a lump or "pea" buried no
more than, I dunno, perhaps 3/4" in from the opening. If you do encounter a
bean, gently and sympathetically persuade it out with your finger.
This may require a little patience from BOTH Mr Hand AND the horse, but the
horse will be happier and healthier once it's accomplished.
In the rare event that the bean is too enormous for your finger to coax out,
you might try what I did (in desperation) last month on the orange horse: Wrap
thumb and index finger around the end of the Part and squeeze firmly to extrude
the bean. Much to my surprise it worked and orange horse did NOT kill me for
doing it and he does not seem to have suffered any permanant damage as a result
;-)
I have never in my life seen another bean that enormous, though.
8.) Now all that's left to do is make a graceful exit and rinse the area very thoroughly in apology for the liberties you've taken . A hose will be MUCH easier to use here than just a sponge and bucket, IME. Make sure to direct the water into the Part's inner retreat too, not merely the outer part of the sheath. This may require you to enfold the end of the hose in your hand and guide it up there personally.
9.) Ta-da, you are done! Say, "Good horsie" and feed him lots of carrots. Watch him make funny faces at the way your hands smell. Hmm. Well, perhaps there is ONE more step...
10.) The only thing I know of that is
at all effective in removing the lovely fragrance of smegma from your hands
(fingernails arms elbows and wherever else it's gotten) is Excalibur. Even then,
if you didn't use gloves you may find you've got an unusual personal perfume
for a while. So, word to the wise, do NOT clean your horse's sheath just before
an important job interview or first date ;-)
and of course, there is that one FINAL step...
11.) Figure out how to explain all this to your mother (or the kid from next door, or the meter reader, or whoever else you've just realized has been standing in the barn doorway speechlessly watching the entire process.)
Now, go thou forth and clean that Part :-)