Mech Horses Provide Woodsfield's Amish With Unprecedented Speed

WOODSFIELD -- Following complaints from drivers about their slow speed on local roadways, several Amish citizens of Monroe County have begun using mechanized horses to pull their buggies. The new robots will allow the buggies to reach speeds of up to 93 miles per hour, and accelerate to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

Sheriff Charles Black said the change is welcome, and will save the Monroe County Sheriff's office and the State Highway patrol nearly $250 in ammunition.

"Normally we shoot the Amish to put car drivers out of their misery," Black said. "Now we can put that money to much better use. Monroe Central's computers haven't updated Adobe Flash Player in six years, so we can allocate that money towards an IT specialist."

Jamal Yoder, a resident of Graysville, said that while the mech horses make travelling easier, he and his family have yet to learn how to adapt to their new free time.

"The trip to Riesbeck's used to take hours," Yoder said. "It only takes me ten minutes with my new steam horse. So we're thinking about travelling and seeing the grand cities of the world. We may even make it as far as Wheeling if we're lucky."

The horses are built by Can-Am, and feature a revolutionary GPS system that allows the horses to navigate Monroe County. The GPS system has come under fire from local residents due a minor design flaw.

"They play that song 'Turning Japanese' very loudly wherever they go," said Norris West of Sardis. "But Can-Am said that's the only way the horses will operate. I don't know how that works, but if it keeps the real horses off the road it works for me."

The horse speed is controlled by a volume knob on the dashboard of the buggy. The louder the song plays, the faster the horse runs.