Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternative names: Horse Leg
Category: Horse
The Myth
Uma-ashi is a strange supernatural phenomenon from the folklore of Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. Rather than appearing as an entire horse, only an enormous horse’s leg manifests.
According to one legend, a horse’s leg hangs down at night from the branch of a tree growing out of an old wall. Anyone unfortunate enough to walk beneath it is kicked by the phantom limb.
Another tradition from Harukoga in Kurume City tells of a gigantic horse’s leg, about ten feet long, descending from a large hackberry tree at midnight. Local people attributed this eerie apparition to the magical powers of a tanuki (raccoon dog).
Sources
TYZ. (n.d.). 馬足 (Uma-ashi). In 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655024.html