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A woman dubbed the 'Sheath Queen' has revealed what it's like to clean horses' genitals for a living - and it's a messy task that would make many stomachs churn.

Mercedes Hoblin was in her third year in the care industry when she decided to make a dramatic career change in October last year.

The 27-year-old mum, from Boreham, Essex, extracts 'beans' - or build-ups of smegma - from the tips of horses' penises for £25 per animal.

It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it - and Mercedes, who has has owned horses for years, told Essex Live she has "never really minded" cleaning their nether regions to keep them healthy.

It's a task that is often overlooked or not done regularly enough by owners of a gelding, a neutered male horse.

Mercedes got her start by extracting 'beans' - hardened masses of dirt and grime - from her own horses and others at her stables between 2015 and 2017.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

She then made it her business, charging £25 per horse or £20 per horse for a group of at least four.

She said: "It was quite a job change, none of my friends and family are horsey but I have owned horses for years and I never really minded cleaning that area of them."

She added: "My friend said it is a niche in the market and that I should do it full time so I started a Facebook page and now it is my full-time job.

"I started doing it on my own horses and other horse owners at my yard asked me to do it on theirs and it just stemmed from there really. Now I can just pop them out.

"I did some research about vets finding these beans but it wasn't until I did it myself that I couldn't believe the size of them. They can be gigantic."

She said: "Most of my friends thought it was a bit of a joke at first, they are a bit grossed out by it all but they cannot believe how [my business] has taken off.

"Everyone I have been to say they are shocked at what I can find.

"I have been to clients that overly clean the area and it causes problems. I want people to be more aware of the problems these beans can cause because it can be dangerous for your horse if left untreated."

She said a shop/museum called Curiosities from the 5th Corner, in Battlesbridge, has approached her and expressed an interest in displaying some of the biggest 'beans' she has collected.

The shop doubles as a museum and shows off macabre wonders from around the world.

Mercedes said: "The museum got in touch with my via my Facebook page and asked if I kept my beans. I usually chuck them away but he asked if I could keep some so he could put them in a display jar. He is still working out how to preserve them."

Mercedes, who owns three horses, wears plastic gloves when she removes 'beans' from the urethral fossa, which is just above the urethra, the tube which urine passes through.

If they aren't removed, they could block or impede the flow of urine, which could lead to infections and kidney problems.

Mercedes travels around Essex and as far away as Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Herefordshire

She said: "People call me for all sorts or reasons. Sometimes it will be because their horse is misbehaving, other times it may be because their horse cannot wee properly.

"I have even had horse owners come to me because they think their horse might have colic.

"Lots of flies around the area in summer can also indicate a problem.

"People don't want to pay for a vet to come out because they are so expensive so they often call me instead and eight out of ten times the horse will have a bean.

"When I first started I thought if I can do about four a week it would be good but now I do around four or five a day."

It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to clean a horse's genitals.

Mercedes said: "First I use a gel and a spray to clean the area. It does depend on what type of dirt it is. Some horses are cleaner than others, it all depends on how the horses are kept, like if they live outside they will be dirtier than those kept in.

"I always wear gloves when I do it, and I just use a sponge and hot water. The first level is the shaft pocket, I then use my hands to go further up to the horse's penis.

"I just feel around it and if there is a big bean I can feel it straight away.

"They are like rocks which can cause lots of problems for horses. They can be more than three inches long; if they're that big I have to try and break them down with my hands because it can be quite painful and uncomfortable for the horses.

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"I simply pull back the skin and pop the bean out, sometimes I have to force them out and sometimes it can take up to ten times to work.

"Sometimes the horses enjoy it so much that their bottom lip starts to wobble.

The job has its dangers, as some horses don't like being cleaned.

Mercedes said: "A few weeks ago I had one kick me, he was swishing his tail and lifting his leg. Even though his owner was there holding his leg up, he still managed to kick me.

"The next day I had a huge purple mark on my leg. I have become quite good at missing the kicks now though, I can always tell which horses will be trouble. "

Certain breeds are less keen on the treatment, she said, finding that the most difficult ones so far have been Welsh and Shetland ponies.

Mercedes doesn't require any particular qualification to do the job, but she is covered by groom insurance.

The animal enthusiast has also taken an animal care course at Writtle University College in Chelmsford and worked at a vets before.

She said she had encountered negativity around her job, adding: "Lots of people don't think you should touch that area, and a lot of people say that this wouldn't happen in the wild but my argument to that would be they would be stallions, they wouldn't be gelded."

But she's turned it into a successful business and she continues to add new clients.

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