Earlier this month we discussed a lawsuit stemming from a donkey attack in Florida. Now we have a report of an 8-year-old child attacked by a donkey in California.

"This child is lucky to be alive," Shasta County Animal Control supervisor Mayra Morris told Redding.com. "This wasn't a bite. This was a full-out attack."

According to the report, the boy entered the donkey's field while walking his dog. The donkey attacked the child, biting him repeatedly and causing extensive wounds on his legs, hands, stomach, and deep bites to his head.

Redding.com reported that the donkey and its owner have not been identified, but noted that the donkey will need to undergo a 14-day quarantine period to ensure it's not rabid.

They also noted that in 1988 a 6-year-old boy in the neighboring community of Cottonwood, Calif., was killed by a donkey when he and his brother took a shortcut through the animal's field.

Equine behaviorist Dr. Sue McDonnell recently tackled the issue of territorial long-ears for us. Read her thoughts on the matter.

Last year we reported on a service pony's recovery from a health crisis.

Well, Trixie the assistive guide pony--now fully recovered--is back in the news. Local TV station WFAA talked with Trixie's owner for a story on service animals that made it all the way to a national audience via ABC News. (There's a follow-up, too.)

Apparently the federal government is considering limiting the definition of service animals to dogs, as originally intended. That's pretty contentious. Those with service monkeys, ferrets, or ponies, say they rely on the animals to function in their daily lives. WFAA tells us that under the law, businesses must welcome all service animals or risk a discrimination lawsuit.

Readers of this blog are horse enthusiasts--but do even we want a pony walking the aisles of grocery stores? Where's the line?

Read about another type of guide horse and tell us--what do you think?

Forget the tarps and giant soccer balls. Mounted police in Wichita, Kan., have a new aid for desensitization training.

Wichita police arrested three people last weekend after some people participating in a bachelorette party celebration threw a 5-foot-long inflatable penis at a police horse.

There are a lot of things I could say here, but in the interest of remaining employed, we'll stick to the facts of the incident as reported on KansasCity.com.

Sunday night, officers patrolling in the Old Town neighborhood encountered a large group of young women celebrating a bachelorette party. The brother of one of the ladies was toting the, erm ... novelty item ... when he allegedly launched it at a mounted officer. Police spokesman Gordon Bassham said the dirigible struck the horse, causing it to spook.

Police arrested the man on suspicion of battery of a law enforcement officer (the horse). Two women were also brought in, one of whom supposedly grabbed an officer's arm, while the other struck a horse (according to report, it had stepped on her foot--hope they weren't peep toes).

As usual, the reader comments on this story are fantastic--including one from an eyewitness (excerpted):

"3) The inflatable member was AT LEAST 6 feet long. Maybe more. Refer to my Facebook pictures from the event.

"4) The inflatable member was stolen by someone totally unrelated to our celebration, thrown at a female officer who obviously suffered some embarrassment, who then made a quick (read:rash) decision to charge the likely culprits - us - on her high horse (no pun intended.) The intimidation of being pinned between the broad side of a Clydesdale and a brick wall prompted several of the celebrators to shield their faces and bodies, at which point the "assault" arrests were made.

"5) I have proof. I brought the (now flaccid) member home with me ;)"

I have to wonder what they're talking about in the holding cell.

While we know that horses don't have heart attacks (yes, really), I'm pretty sure my horse would die if pummeled by a 5 (perhaps 6)-foot-long inflatable anything.

Stories? Comments?

I used to cover news stories about horses being attacked by dogs rather often (like this and this and this). But then, sad as it is, they got old. One story was too much like another, and people pretty much stopped reading them. So I moved onto another topic.

But a news story today has made me rethink my policy on covering dog attack stories. Because this one has a different ending.

According to The Press-Enterprise, a dog in Riverside, Cali., was killed Sunday when the horse it was chasing was struck by an SUV and fell, crushing the dog.

To back it up: the horse was being ridden. The dog chased after and attacked the horse, which bucked its rider off. The horse then ran into traffic, where it was struck by an SUV. The horse fell, crushing the dog.

A spokesman for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said the horse sustained only bruises and scratches. The report doesn't give any information on either the rider or the driver of the SUV.

The spokesman and a police sergeant said the dog appeared to be a stray.

Weird, huh?

What's your take? (Be sure to read the comments on the P-E article.)

For more info and recommendations, here's a super article on managing horse and dog interaction.

A pony in the UK has prompted several emergency calls from passers-by who believe the diminutive equine is stuck in the mud in her Southampton pasture. According to the BBC, her owner is now considering erecting signs advising passers-by.

But Mayflower's not stuck--she's just short. An animal rescue specialist quoted in the story describes her build, with a New Forest body and Shetland legs, as "sausage-dog horse." (See a photo.) Seen from the road, she stands about half the height of her pony companions, which has prompted concerns and calls. According to the Metro, firefighters have gone to "rescue" the pony four times in the past week.

A Florida woman is suing after being attacked by donkeys while trail riding, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

According to the article, Patricia Curtice went on a trail ride on her first date with former jockey Angel Valdez. As they rode through the woods, all was going swimmingly until the fateful "hee-haw."

Two donkeys attacked Curtice's horse (actually, the report calls it a "donkey/horse brawl"). She came off and was stepped on repeatedly. Her horse bolted, chased by the donkeys, but she was able to ride part of the way back with Valdez.

Seven broken ribs, bruises to her lungs and spine, and bruises in the shape of donkey hooves. Curtice, who's uninsured, now has $80,000 in hospital bills.

Backstory is, the donkeys belong to local automobile dealer and philanthropist Frank Morsani. Their function is to protect his other livestock from coyotes. On the day of the attack/brawl, he says someone had cut the fence, allowing the donkeys and 40 cattle to escape.

Now he's being sued.

"I don't know why I have any responsibility," Morsani told the paper. "I wasn't riding the horse.

"I'm sorry what happened to them ... but somebody let our cows out," Morsani said.

On the upside, Curtice and Valdez are now engaged.

She puts it: "I told him, 'We're together. Because I'm not going on a second date.'"

What do you think? Who is responsible when loose livestock cause injury?

I don't know about where you live, but south of the Sweet Tea Line, spring is in the air. Birds are chirping. Hair is flying. Mares are sassy.

But spring is important for another reason.

That's right, it's almost time for Mule Day! Held in Columbia, Tenn., since 1840, more than 200,000 attend the event that celebrates all things mule.

But Mule Day is far more than just mules--there's a log loading competition, gospel music, knife and coin show, and even a liar's contest. It's also far more than a day--in fact, it runs March 30 to April 5 this year.

This reason why this blipped on my radar today is that I stumbled onto several stories indicated that this year's Mule Queen has been crowned: the title of Monarch of Mules went to 21-year-old Rachael Ethridge, who was competing in the pageant for the sixth time (rock on, girl!).

This got me thinking about some other hometown pageant titles--Strawberry Queen, Apple Butter Queen, Bean Queen. I personally know not one, but two Catfish Queens. Does anyone know of any other equine-related royalty? I think it'd be pretty fun to be the Pony Princess, Marquess of Minis, or Donkey Duchess!

If you're anywhere in the vicinity of Columbia March 30 through April 5, get thee to Mule Day! And bring us a full report!

Suburban horsekeeping is nothing new--all it takes is a drive down the Interstate or along the back lanes of a subdivision to find a pasture nestled between homes. But a couple in a suburb of Boston have stirred some complaints for moving Fancy, a 5-year-old Paint mare, from a boarding stable to a stall in the garage.

The Daily News Transcript tells us owner Amanda Labarge moved the mare into her fiancé's mother's garage when they could no longer pay for board.

The mare is currently stalled in the garage, with her caretakers feeding her and taking her out for daily walks, weather permitting. They plan to compost manure and set up a paddock in the backyard, and have filed an application for a livestock permit with the Board of Health.

While some neighbors are calling the situation abusive, an investigator with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited the premises and declared Fancy to be well cared-for.

Read the full story. What do you think?