Stilts

Picture: 'Orasa' on deviantArt

I thought I'd try to make a pair of digitigrade stilts. This was less than successful, and I eventually gave up and pursued an alternative hoof design.

Taking my inspiration from the many pictures, videos, and tutorials that I found on the internet, I was aiming at something akin to Orasa's design, although less steep. For a start, I do not wish to have to walk with a stick, and the higher and steeper the stilts, the more difficult they'd be to balance, let alone move, in.

Critical to the design is the use of bungees to take some of the load off the leg muscles. The leg braces provide valuable sideways support.

So I set off with some wood, bits of metal channel, brackets, screws, pipe offcuts, Velcro straps, and an old pair of trainers.

I cut the timber and assembled it with glue and screws, I attached the shoe, the bracers, the bungees, and then set off on a few very unsteady steps, scaring the crap out of a local cat that was snoozing in my back yard. After making some adjustments for comfort, this is where I ended up.

My Mk I digitigrade stilt

Hoof attempt

Next I started on the hooves, modelling the shape from wire mesh and coating that with a thin layer of car body repair putty. It would have to be thin because of the weight.

Several things went wrong. First, the putty went hard too fast and I couldn't get a smooth surface. But critically, the stilts were impractically heavy. I could hardly move.

Yes, the bungees worked well, but the ankle hinges were too feeble and bent sideways with almost no provocation. Aside from the weight, I also thought that the hooves looked way too large, and I also found myself standing unreasonably tall. Moreover, there was nowhere for the lowest leg joint. The cannon bone would appear to run straight into the hoof.

At this point I abandoned this version of goat feet, and went back to the drawing board.