Nurture vs. Nature
I was leafing through my horse magazines in search of a topic to blog about when my husband suggested I air my opinion about how horses used to be sturdy and self-sufficient, but with domestication have become "big wimps." How ridiculous! At least, that's what I thought at first, but after further consideration I decided there may be something to that.
We all know that the refined modern Throroughbred is far removed from the ancient mini-draft type horses with donkey manes that are their predecessors. What of the refined and delicate looking Arabians still to be found thriving in the deserts of the Middle East?
I know that my own paints come descended from tough and hardy stock. They can keep themselves fat on less than half what a similar-sized Thoroughbred eats, and can hold their own againest marauding coyotes or dogs and with their shaggy coats, barely notice when they're standing in the snowstorm.
However, this is when they are in the big pasture, far from the comforts of home and my anxious eyes. After they are in the home corrals only a day or two they forget the skills and weapons they were born with. The first gust of wind sends them into the barn (although I admit for some reason they like to stand out in the rain if it isn't windy). They pick through mounds of hay to eat only the choicest bits -- and a strange dog sends them snorting and cavorting like idiots. They'll happily stand for hours to be brushed, curried, and pampered.
So, perhaps it is true that 1000s of years of nurturing by people has wiped out, or at least subsdued, some of Mother Nature's safeguards for the survival of the horse. Having said that, I know that horses have deeply ingrained instincts and no matter how tame, those instincts aren't going anywhere. So I guess it's the happy blend of nature and nurturing that gives horses the spirit we love.
I love to talk about horses and I know something about them, but ask me about stock option trading and... hmmmm. Follow the link to learn about how to find, compare, analyze, and make money on option investments.
We all know that the refined modern Throroughbred is far removed from the ancient mini-draft type horses with donkey manes that are their predecessors. What of the refined and delicate looking Arabians still to be found thriving in the deserts of the Middle East?
I know that my own paints come descended from tough and hardy stock. They can keep themselves fat on less than half what a similar-sized Thoroughbred eats, and can hold their own againest marauding coyotes or dogs and with their shaggy coats, barely notice when they're standing in the snowstorm.
However, this is when they are in the big pasture, far from the comforts of home and my anxious eyes. After they are in the home corrals only a day or two they forget the skills and weapons they were born with. The first gust of wind sends them into the barn (although I admit for some reason they like to stand out in the rain if it isn't windy). They pick through mounds of hay to eat only the choicest bits -- and a strange dog sends them snorting and cavorting like idiots. They'll happily stand for hours to be brushed, curried, and pampered.
So, perhaps it is true that 1000s of years of nurturing by people has wiped out, or at least subsdued, some of Mother Nature's safeguards for the survival of the horse. Having said that, I know that horses have deeply ingrained instincts and no matter how tame, those instincts aren't going anywhere. So I guess it's the happy blend of nature and nurturing that gives horses the spirit we love.
I love to talk about horses and I know something about them, but ask me about stock option trading and... hmmmm. Follow the link to learn about how to find, compare, analyze, and make money on option investments.
posted by Alicia T @ 5:21 PM
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