FB: Is There a Doctor In The Horse? (Patreon)

it's ya girl twilight spizzle back in the hizzle

I already said before that absolutely no licensed MLP characters will make their way into Fuzzbutts, but this felt like a fun lil what-if. Also, it's an apology for not posting any pony art for the entirety of November. I imagine that's what most of you follow me for, and I'm so very sorry everyone. :( Whenever I think about the pandoraverse and MLP I feel....sad? And tapped out. I'm not sure if this is run-of-the-mill depression or art block or what, but I think it would ease my stress levels to take a brief, official hiatus from MLP art. I will be taking a hiatus for one week, after which I will open up pony requests and see where to proceed from there. Again, I sincerely apologize to everyone here. I'm hoping December will be a more productive month for me. Throughout the hiatus, I will continue to put out non-MLP works.

So.....let's talk about totally-not-canon Fuzzified Twilight Sparkle. Or, for our purposes, Dr. Helena Dawntrotter.

I had no idea how to handle horses in Fuzzbutts.....specifically, their hands. Animals like deer, cattle, and pigs have cloven hooves that are relatively easy to translate into an approximation of a human hand. But horses only have one "toe" per foot, that big ass unwieldy hoof. How does an anthro horse grab a fork or hold a phone? It felt kinda cheap to break their anatomy to give them more dexterous hands....so after fiddling around with multiple hand designs, I settled on them having regular old hoof-hands. No separate fingers, no thumb.

Horses don't really mind. Having been born with unwieldy hooves, they undergo years of learning how to use them. As they don't know what it's like to have fingers, they don't feel they're missing out on much. Yet while most horses are remarkably precise with their hoof-hands, they're still largely unable to perform actions that require gripping or careful manipulation. A horse can hold a guitar, but cannot strum the strings. What's a pony to do? Have no fear, professor of ungulate assistive engineering Dr Dawntrotter is here!

Prosthetics for horses have been in use for centuries, but none are so precise and fine-tuned as Dawntrotter's creations. Utilizing a blend of careful programming and surface electrodes placed on the forearm, Dawntrotter's prosthetics transform electric muscle impulses into movement. Horses (as well as amputees) can use her inventions to play the guitar, write calligraphy, use chopsticks, and all manner of activities reuiring fine motor control. Although Dawntrotter has been tireless in making her prosthetics accessible and affordable, she remains a controversial figure among her kind.....some of which feel horses do not need to cave to the fingered world to fit in. Perhaps it is the world that should change to accommodate them.

In the meantime, Dawntrotter says check out her newest model! Just lookit them fingies wiggle!

(If you were wondering about the horn, Dawn is just a big ol' fantasy nerd. She's a big fan of the ancient scholarly sisters Celeste and Selena, who were said to wear special crystal 'divining horns' to improve focus and memory. Celeste and Selena remain important figures in horse culture to this very day, having been elevated to minor deities. In art and literature, they are commonly depicted hauling the sun and moon across the sky.)