I teach at the local comm. coll. Government. i always tell my students, think how hard it is for us to come to agreement on a hot issue, imagine how it is for the supreme court. people bring such individual things to the table. but the important thing is what we learn from it. I think we forget how individual horses are, just like people. We would never dream of thinking all the children of the same parents are identical and should all be raised and trained alike. but we think that about horses! I think they may have some common characteristics but when you think they should all be treated the same its just not gonna work!
I have a wonderful sociological study going on in my pasture :) I have father and son, Gallant Boy and Jaspar. And then Fox, son of Gallant Boys full brother by the same sire and dam. Jaspar and his dad, Gallant Boy, oh man, its unreal. Its not even that they are alike, it is like they are the same horse cloned, only one is old. I can just see so clearly what is nature and what is nurture. As soon as jas gets done eating, he walks away, rolls, stretches, ahhhh, meanders over to the hay roll. Gallant Boy, identical. NONE of my other horses do that. NONE. I go to catch Jaspar, he has never been hard to catch. But as soon as he sees me coming, he turns and strides away a few steps, turns his back to me, but waits obediently. I always thought that had something to do with his roundpenning. but no. Gallant Boy is identical. I could video it and you guys would be amazed. The exact same posture, glance over the shoulder, everything. Not one of my other horses do that. But at feeding time, in anticipation, Fox starts working his mouth and makes almost grotesque contortions with his lips, teeth etc. He will even have white foam at the corners. he is my only horse that did that, and now I see GB does it too. But not jas. GB is very very fearful and will actually tremor in a fearful situation. Jaspar is a fear based horse, has had some phobias. Gallant Boy is said to have many crazy offspring and the ones I have seen that were "crazy" were actually terrified of their own shadow. As Jaspar was when I got him. I have my two McCurdys, Traveller and Stonewall. They are as different as night and day but for having similar color and the same beautiful soft eye. They are about the same intelligence-wise. But Traveller has always, since age 10 months, been like an old sensible man. Whereas Stonewall seems a perpetually immature goofball. But I think that is nurture since stonewall was over imprinted and over handled by humans and Traveller wasnt. But the thing that sets them apart is Traveller is very laid back, low energy, calm and complacent whereas Stonewall is a fired up hot hot wanna go go go horse.... anyway. just some thoughts. Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
