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Keeping horses can be an expensive, and with all that mucking out, too often dirty business.

Yet there are some jobs though you really are better off leaving to the professionals.

Those who are thinking about keeping male horses, be warned, and for those of you with a weak stomach look away now.

What you are about to hear is the true testimony of one of the country's leading horse genital cleaners.

As Essex Live reports, for those who have a gelding (a neutered male horse) the cleaning of the horse's private parts is often either overlooked or not done regularly enough.

But for one Chelmsford woman, cleaning horses' genitals has become an everyday task.

For three years, 27-year-old Mercedes Hoblin, from Boreham, Chelmsford, worked in the care industry but last October she decided to have a career change.

The mother, who is now also known as the 'Sheath Queen', explained: "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."

Mercedes first started extracting 'beans' from her own horses and others at her stables on and off between 2015 and 2017 - before expanding her network out.

What is a 'bean'?

The collection of smegma in the tip of the horse’s penis is commonly called a 'bean'.

A 'bean' is essentially a build up of dirt and grime that masses together and hardens.

The tube that the urine passes through is called the urethra and just above the urethra is a pocket of space called the urethral fossa and this is where the beans are found.

Beans can interfere with the horse’s ability to pass urine properly, which can lead to infections and kidney problems.

She said: "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."

Mercedes, who has three of her own horses stabled in Howe Green, has traveled as far away as Great Yarmouth and Herefordshire to treat horses.

She said: "If I do travel, I don't charge for petrol, I'll book a hotel and try to book as many people in the area as possible."

Mercedes charges just £25 per horse or £20 per horse for a group of four or more.

What to look out for?

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."

The process usually only takes around 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish.

What does it involve?

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.

"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.

But not all horses like it...

"But it all depends on the horse. 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. "

According to Mercedes certain breeds are less keen on the treatment. In her experience she claims that Welsh and Shetland ponies are the most difficult to deal with.

The treatment does not require any particular qualification however Mercedes is covered by groom insurance which covers sheath cleaning.

'Now I can just pop them out'

She said: "I have always been interested in horses and animals. I did an animal care course at Writtle College and have worked at a vets before.

"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.

'There is a lot of negativity around it'

Mercedes hasn't had any bad experiences in terms of people judging her on her career choice however she does say 'there is a lot of negativity around it'.

She added: "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."

Success stories...

Despite her unusual career choice, Mercedes has made a successful business for herself.

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 it 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."

Mercedes has even been approached by a museum in Battlesbridge interested in displaying her beans.

The Curiosities from the 5th corner is a shop that doubles up as a museum, displays many glorious macabre wonders sourced from all five corners of 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."

To find out more about the Sheath Queen visit her Facebook page.