So. I have a question.
I was writing a note to a friend, and I wqas saying how cool it would be if you could be a winged centaur, cause you'd have eight limbs and still be a mammal. Thenm I thought it just be cool to be a centaur. I mean, horse, human all in one! But then I thought about how much of a pain it would be birthing a centaur. Cenatuars are shaped like an "L". So then I came up with the idea that there really were centaurs, but they died out cause all the babies got stuck. But then One of my friends disagreed with me.
It might be possible for it to happen if the centaur could position its upper torso parrellel to the ground, but I don't see that happening. They would have ribcages and stuff. What do you think?

Wo thats complicated!!!
Maybe they are born as just a horse with an undeveloped human part, and the human part grows later?
I'm not sure, it's and interesting question though!

Maybe they were built differently so that it's easier for them to birth.

Now that is deep philosophical thinking! I think it's possible for a centaur to be born that way. Think of horses, just a bit bigger. it would be awesome to be a centaur. You get to trot around.

_________________
...

Sig Set courtesy of Nurr!
Proud mum of Gilthoniel! And proud grandmum of Nerissa!

Yeah, but a horse has a nneck, where as a centaur has a btorso with rib cage ant organs. Would the centaur be able to get it's torso parrallel to the ground?

I actually have thought of this prior to seeing your post, so here's my conclusion:

Well, thinking about regular horses, I got to think that four long, bony legs and hard hooves would be.. ouch. Then that huge ole head! YEOW! So maybe the human is easier? I mean, human ribcages can be squished a bit before cracking.

In any event the centaur baby is folded up in reallyweird ways. I mean, horses are. And goodness knows how flexible cartilge like infant bones are when they're first born, so I think it would be possible.. incredibly painful and well, freaky, but possible.

_________________

Well, horses have very weak bones when they're first born, their legs are folded up underneath their stomach, and a centaur still has the adomen and loins of a horse, so the legs would be folded underneath that.

And don't forget how human babies curl when they're born...
So surely the centaur baby would curl back on itself. Centaurs must have movement from the waist, like we do..., so they would be able to bend forward...like touching their toes or something..., so they'd be easier to birth...

At least...that's my theory. ^_^

_________________
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" - Oscar Wilde

I still wonder though how far down thier torsoes can bend.

That's a thought Nauriel... how far do they bend? I wonder if there are contortionist centaurs, like, they can bend backwards and have their head lay flat on their body, or someting weird. A double jointed centaur... that would be... different.

_________________

Wouldn't it just give birth like a regular horse? With the human part attached, of course. Or maybe the human part would develop within the human womb, and the horse part would develop in the horse womb, and then they would somehow attach during the birth or something.

_________________

ew, this is slightly disturbing to think about. humph, maybe it's just a fantasy character and we shouldn't ponder this.

_________________
<center> all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us


Thank you for five-plus wonderful years of obsession, friendship and fun

Maybe they could bend the human torso so that it's kinda straight with the rest of the body. Like the horse legs are folded underneath the horse body, then the human torso is able to bend till it's kinda level with the horse body

Exactly! ^__^
That was what I meant in a way...

But, of course...birthing is an odd process with any animals, and don't forget that horses are born quite large, so perhaps centaurs would be smaller...and the equivalent size of a newly born horse and....

...this has turned into rambling, somewhat. XD;

_________________
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" - Oscar Wilde

*funny thought* HEHE! Maybe the horse part is born, then the human part, and then the two are screwed together like a cap on a bottle.

I think I'm getting a little caried away with this.

_________________

Just thinking..
Since it'd be a winged centaur...wouldn't that be doubly as awkward?
Ah, you threw a spanner in the works now!

_________________
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination" - Oscar Wilde

Nah, the wings wrap around the centaur, making it all so much easier! It'd look something like a cocoon when first born.

_________________