Ever wondered what walking on a horse's legs and hooves would feel like? Check out the work of Seattle artist Kim Graham, inventor of Digitigrade Leg Extensions, which--no joke--enable the wearer to walk and, if they dare, prance, more or less like a horse.

Envision an upright centaur (or, more accurately, a satyr). Not easy to picture? See the photos, or the YouTube video.  

(A quick giggle from the FAQs on Graham's site: "Level surfaces are easy. Sharp inclines are difficult and stairs are downright touchy. These can go out of doors for Renfairs and a day in the park. No, you cannot roller skate in them.")

Here's where I'd like some audience help--if we're interpreting these as equine legs, are these forelimbs, with the wearer's knee acting as, you know, the knee, shin as cannon bone, then their ankle serving as the fetlock at the top of a really long pastern?

Or are they hindlimbs, with the wearer's knees as upright stifles, while their foot fits into the upper part of what would be the horse's hock, sans pastern but with shock absorption provided in the coffin joint?

The way the extensions move in the vid made me think the former, but to look at the photo of the satyr linked above, I'm leaning toward the latter. What do you think?

(To be fair, keep in mind these are designed to be goatlike--hence the cloven hooves. I'm not up on my caprine distal limb anatomy to know how much their pastern length differs--goat folks, help us out.)

For something completely different, here's some horse-related humor from the National Spelling Bee.

Snaps to readers Bret and Christy for the Weird News Sightings!

Summer means popsicles and flyspray (not in combination), and the voice of Hal Douglas telling us things like "Watch out--they're coming," as we escape the heat in the cool darkness of a movie theater. And there's one summer action flick that's guaranteed to be a hit with this audience.

Check out the trailer for "My Little Pony: Reign of Buttercup Sprinkles."

Enjoy.

But perhaps the concept of diminutive equines on a rampage isn't so far-fetched.

El Heraldo, a local paper in Tolu, Colombia, reported that a 5-year-old girl recently lost an ear when she was attacked by a donkey.

The donkey, Florentino, allegedly attacked the girl as she was playing with friends, lifting her off the ground by her ear, then striking her with his hooves when the ear tore away.

The girl's mother says Florentino has twice attacked people previously, which his owner denies.

Read another post on donkey attacks.

But in other cases, it's the equids that are the unwitting accomplices.

A quarrel over use of the family donkey has landed two brothers in court after one allegedly threatened to kill the other, reports Botswana newspaper, Mmegi Online.

According to the report, Atlholang Kgama and his brother were fussing over who got to use one of the family donkeys when the accused began repeatedly telling his brother "Ke tla go hula ka thobolo (I will shoot you with a gun)," resulting in a single charge of threat to kill.

Kgama told the magistrate he does not own a gun, but public prosecutor Innocent Billy (yes, really) said the accused has access to one.

Kgama was denied bail. There's no word on whether the brother was allowed to use the donkey.

Do you ever watch "How It's Made"? The Science/Discovery channel show takes viewers behind the scenes at various factories and workshops to demonstrate the elaborate, often automated, processes raw material goes through to become crayons, buttons, aluminum foil, anatomical models, and more.

But automation isn't limited to the factory--it's also making inroads into horse training. At least that's what the folks at Kurtsystems are working on.

The car system

"Our company develops machinery with the objective of decreasing or replacing human intervention in the training of horses and camels, in order to decrease or eliminate errors, prevent carelessness and accidents often caused by man."

Basically, they have two systems. For the car system, a vehicle driven by the trainer wraps around behind the horse (or camel). The car moves along with the horse at a precisely regulated speed. The vehicle has the capability to set this based on target heart rate. Other features include real-time monitoring of oxygen intake and gait analysis. Safety belts are used to minimize risk of injury.

The other system utilizes an elevated rail system with a train of box cars (outfitted with similar monitoring technologies) that drop down around the horse. Up to 50 animals can be exercised simultaneously.

See some videos and hear what some vets have to say.  

What do you think? Safer, more consistent option? Or is this something best left to actual human hands?

When in the midst of the afternoon doldrums a little FAIL never ceases to cheer me up.

Behold, some custom selections (comments not guaranteed worksafe, proceed at own risk):

• Maybe he has a Napoleon complex 
• Nice try, newsroom intern  
• Recycling stock symbols at the sign shop?  
• It doesn't work that way  

Finally, SNAPS to the readers who suggested these topics! Nancy and Leah: you rock.

Is there something you'd like to see on the Weird Horse News blog? You can always comment below, or feel free to e-mail me.

Faced with a bevy of logistical challenges, the U.S. Marine Corps has gone old school in its efforts in Afghanistan.

In the extreme terrain, mules and donkeys are recognized as crucial components of military supply chains. But where do you find recruits skilled in mule packing? As it turns out, you make your own--Mule School is in session at the Marine Corps's Mountain Warfare Training Center, according to an article from ABC News.  

Mule School (actually called Animal Packing Course) students spend two weeks learning the finer points of mountain packing.

It's not a new idea--animal packing is a skill outlined in the Marine Corps' tactical guide, and, according to the article, was used extensively in the 1980s during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The course has been offered at the Warfare Training Center ever since, although it was only formalized last year.

Instructor-leader (and former bull rider) Sgt. Jerry Meese told ABC it's an important skill for troops to learn.

"If you start relying on modern technology too much," he said, "there will come a time when people will forget how to do this."

We Lexingtonians tend to have a soft spot for Big Ass Fans, a local company that makes, well, big-ass fans that keep air circulating in big-ass buildings around the world.

The group's generally cheeky tone is reflected in the logo hats and shirts often spotted around town, as well as the fab commentary sprinkled throughout their Web site. And then there's Fanny, their donkey mascot, immortalized gazing at her, umm ... badonkeydonk.

But an article in the Lexington Herald-Leader shows their earnest side as well--champions of donkey rescue.

Turns out they donate proceeds from their merchandizing efforts to Longhopes Donkey Shelter in Bennett, Colo.

It's a fair trade, according to Big Ass Fans President Carey Smith.

"They send us nice calendars of the donkeys every year, so it's a win-win."

Check out the righteous swag.  

While the saying "a good horse is never a bad color" is certainly true, it's especially nice when you can have both a good horse and a nicely-colored one in the same package.

And as it turns out, the earliest domesticators of horses felt the same way.

Researchers with the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin told Discovery.com that 5,500 years ago, all horses were drab brown, much like Przewalski's horses. It wasn't until humans got involved that colors were intentionally selected for in breeding.

Read more about genetic "cherry picking" for coat color.  

Did you hear about the school bus driver in Colorado who hit a horse, but continued on his route? The horse died at the scene, and another driver was injured when he struck the carcass, causing his car to flip.

An update says students on the bus used their cell phones to notify emergency responders of the crash.

Hallelujah, a horse rescue with a sense of humor!

We get lots of emails from groups hosting fundraisers for equine rescue--too many to keep up with as news items (though we do have an open-entry event calendar for these sorts of events). But I got a good one today.

The press release that landed in my inbox today tells me that Wildhorse Ranch Rescue in Gilbert, Az., will be hosting the "Royal Coming of Kings and Queens" on May 30, proceeds going to the rescue. Rock on.

Then I clicked on the photos.

The event is a drag show. And a big one at that--$1,000 grand prize. Celebrity host Pussy LeHoot. Musical entertainment by Dany Down Under & The Foxy Boxes.

Whether this is your cup of tea or not, you have to give them props for doing something different to bring equine issues to the attention of a new audience.

If it is your cup of tea and you're in Phoenix May 30, check it out.  

Who else is doing innovative or funny fundraisers for horse causes? Tell us about them in the comments below.