I have to change her diaper...

Me: Oh Jeeze Louise...look at Mica, she is gimping on her hind leg!

Hubby: Go check it out.

I came back in and made the report after cleaning her feet and checking her legs.

She had a fairly deep crack in the heel area of her frog. She was trying to walk on her toe with that foot.

I felt the frog and the heel area...and noted that it was a bit warm and slightly swollen.

I copied these images from the internet and texted the farrier that comes out to our place. He good at what he does. I know he is one of the guys that the local vets call in for problems they need help with. IF I knew half of what this guy has forgotten I'd be a genius with horse anatomy.

He is also a traveling farrier. He did text back saying he was trying to get his son out to our place to look at her. His son has been working with his dad for over 10 years and now does his own work along with a full time job and he creates some incredible blacksmith work. 

I got a call later from Dan and we had a long conversation while he asked several questions. 

"Mica is the one with the string halt issue in her back legs right? So getting her to stand and soak her foot is not going to work." 

Stringhalt sample...Mica never did this while under saddle. String halt is considered an idiopathic condition and shows up at a walk. It is called equine reflex hypertonia. It is not painful, it is just there. Obviously there is more to it than just this, however as she ages it is more pronounced.

Mica, 25 yrs old, is retired after a long career of heeling, roping, and gymkhana along with trail riding. She can sit and spin like a top. However, her days of that work are long behind her and she enjoys eating and pooping. More about Mica here in Meet Mica.

So Dan asked me if I had sugar and betadine and access to a diaper. He instructed me to clean her foot and flush out the crack then pack it with a sugardine mix. Wrap the hoof in the diaper for cushion and vet wrap it to keep it dry.

He'd call as soon as he got home to see how she was doing.

I called Olive and she trotted down with two diapers and we proceeded to treat Mica. 

In 24 hours after making a 'boot' out of a diaper and using sugardine, she was walking nearly normal. After 48 hours, the heat was gone out of her heal bulb.

Mica's diaper boot:

I didn't have Vet wrap so we made a duct tape hoof boot to keep her frog dry.

She is totally happy with it.

Yesterday she had no heat in her pastern or heel bulb. I hope we licked whatever was bothering her. 

Today I need to change her diaper and retape her for another two days.

I noticed she pushed around the other mules at feeding time so she is feeling more herself.

Dan will be out to check her out, so we know if we are dealing with an infection, and abscess, or bruise.

For now? Color me happy. 

The diaper and duct tape are great ways to make a medicine boot that won't fall off.