Parked out stance

[Laserbeam]

Hello All,
Really glad to have your site back and I am just learning how to navigate this.

My question pertains to my 15 year old quaterhorse gelding. He does have Navicular issues in the front feet and arthritic issues in his hocks. His hoof conformation is long toe/underrun heel although his farrier is addressing the long toe. He is shod on his front feet only with a new introduction of Luwex Rim pads to his shoeing package about 3 weeks ago.

What my horse does and he has done this long before the Luwex rim pads went on is he will stand parked out like a Saddlebred or rocking horse.

Anybody seen this? I was just wondering if this stance is related to the bone spavin in his hocks or is he unbalanced in the hind end from lack of shoe support.

All replies welcome and Thanks in advance

[calshoer]

Parking out (front feet forward) is usually an indication that the horse is trying to either ease tension and pain in some supportive structure down in the foot , and/or trying to realign a "broken back" coffin joint, or he is really really heel sore from run under heels and internal bruising in that area.

Most often, the long toed low heel foot (more often heels run forward and under) , has been suffering from a misaligned coffin joint and possibly a breakover point too far forward, resulting in strain and tension in the attachment of the deep flexor tendon and the impar ligament where they connect under the navicular bone.
The horse mechanically relieves the tension in those tendon and ligament structures and aligns the joint via his parked forward stance.
This stance usually indicates that a more careful evaluation and correction of breakover point , heel form, and coffin joint alignment is in order. Aset of Xrays set up specifically to assess hoof balance would be quite helpful for the farrier to map out the internal structures and get everything set right. And be SURE the farrier is addressing the heels by trimming them! Leaving them long is never the answer. There is always the availibility of good supportive full wedge pads if the coffin joint needs re-alignment after the heels are properly trimmed to relieve pressure and bruising underneath them. .
Patty

[Laserbeam]

Thank you very much Patty :) .

"Aset of Xrays set up specifically to assess hoof balance would be quite helpful for the farrier to map out the internal structures and get everything set right"..... Would front to back X-Rays be adequate or would I also need side to side views?

I would also like to clarify on the parking out stance. My horse stretches his back legs out more than his front, like he is about to pee but he doesn't. He is obviously uncomfortable somewhere and it looks more like his hind end.

I will see if I can post some pictures of feet and shoeing.