Nature vs nurture...

katastrophykat

katastrophykat

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My three year old is a well built, well mannered type. He's a homebred- my one and only, and for the first year of his life, he was my only horse (well, with his mum before she was placed on loan then PTS but thats a totally different story.) so had loads of time spent establishing groundrules. He went on his holidays (!) as a yearling to spend 6 weeks with a real old fashioned horseman, as I wanted to make sure he wasn't a one person pony. When I draw a line with him he knows not to cross it though he does have his moments- don't they all!!

He is a lovely person to be around, and I have recently backed him and am riding him about once a week for 20 mins or so, establishing the basics out on the roads and tracks around us. He's happy walking through streams, going out in company (another 1-4 horses so far) and is always happiest in front of the crowd leading the way, though he will go behind if the lead horse is fast enough!

Tonight I joined three friends on their cobs out for a walk, so he happily led them along the track and up the road, past the gate that we go home through without a glance and through the village. Once through the village I thought that was far enough, so turned him around, walked past the other three without a thought and pootled off home. Opened and closed the gate, then back to his box via an assault course of tractors, demented chickens, loud pheasants and crazy cows rattling something in the barn. His halo was firmly shining tonight!!

On returning to the stable, another livery was finishing off her horses and heard me 'making much' of my youngster and asked what he had done. I told her and her reaction was 'aren't you lucky to have a quiet youngster' well...!! I don't consider it lucky at all- it was Blummin hard work! Over three years I've worked my butt off to make sure I made the right decisions for him, introducing him to change and feeding him out of plastic bags amongst many other things. His dam was a sharp TB x Connie all rounder/SJ and sire is currently up and coming and did his first 1* last year- he has a lovely temperament but is no slouch either!! My youngster is bred for me to compete with, has plenty of get up and go when he feels the need to use it but is well aware of his boundaries and what is classed as good behaviour, and I'm just a bit miffed that a lot of hard work is disregarded with that one comment!

So- whats more important to you- nature or nurture??!

Of course- the obligatory picture- this is him at the end of his last season- 2yo.

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And playing HC in a handy pony class... We were waiting for a championship!! ;)

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Aye I get a lot of that - "well you're lucky, you have J and he's a saint", "you're so lucky F is so well behaved under saddle", "how lucky Daemon's so chilled out"... Is it sounding like a massive coincidence yet? Or do you not think it might be because I don't let them behave like thugs? ;) The sensible, intelligent horse people I know aren't stupid enough to say things like that, but the ones who do end up on my black list of muppets and numpties :D
 
It is a bit of both. I see a lot of different youngsters on our yard as yard owner buys and sells them. They are all purchased as foals and brought up in the same way. I have one of them and he is an absolute poppet and have backed him myself and everyone comments on his good temperament. But there are those that although they are not mad they are just that bit sharper and quicker (not everyone wants a completely calm one!) and dare I say it cleverer. I would not have been able or been confident enough with a 'quicker' or more 'forward' one to do the whole process myself but have not hesitated to do all the 'firsts' with my baby. A small part of it is down to me obviously and the relationship we have had since he was a yearling so I do take some credit BUT his temperament has made a big difference.

Be careful aswell that you don't have him looking too well! He has got rather a lot of 'top' on him for a 2yr old IMO.
 
Think nature plays a role in some cases but in most its nurture, & think correct handling & training can correct most probs that could be nature. I'm lucky too to be blessed with 2 v well behaved horses who must have been born bombproof & obedient. Funny that I've had mine since she was 2 when a few friends remember how far from easy she was. At 23 its yet another stroke of luck she's a schoolmistress. Daughters pony we've had since a yearling, again, pure luck at rising 5 she's going well & good with farrier, to clip etc. Think sometimes basic stuff can be nature, but not met a baby yet that is born with the instinct to say, pick up its feet first time or hack out first time. People who make comments like the other liveries are just displaying their ignorance & jealousy!
 
Thought so!! :D

Burge- you are totally right, and I did get to September and looked at him and thought 'oh s***' and we revamped his routine/turnout/food then- he looks much better now. I am however fighting an ever ongoing battle with dairy grass at my livery yard.
 
Katastrophykat,

Glad I didn't offend you with my comment (phew). Dairy grass! OMG bet he just has to breathe it in LOL. I am extremely lucky at my yard in that the grazing is looked after purely with growing youngstock in mind so don't have a problem. My lad is a good doer so would probably have a right fattie on my hands on cow food ;-)

Burge

P.S. My lads first hack at just over 3yrs was over and alongside the M1 at points on the bridleway and took it all in his stride!
 
Nature can only get you so far. The rest, as you said, is bloody hard work.

My boy is an "emotional" one, scared of everything and there is no way in the world we would have been able to do anything that you did on your walk.

He has improved from when I first got him (sad to say as he is still a highly strung nutter!) but decent training from day dot by the breeder (he was kept by his breeder until he was 10) would have gone a long way with him.

My next horse is going to be a young'n I can start myself. Many years of having horses that have been shortchanged on early training have taken it's toll on me.
 
Think it's a bit of both but YO and her OH are always saying how lovely mine are to handle, but compared to theirs, who are used to having the field gate opened for them to charge up to their stables, most would look saintly!

But mine know their boundaries.
 
littlelegs said:
Think nature plays a role in some cases but in most its nurture, & think correct handling & training can correct most probs that could be nature.
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Yep, agree 100%. My lad is a New Forest pony who was born and bred on the open forest and so hadn't been handled until he came in on the drift to be weaned from his mum. I can't claim to have been the one to have given him his early education but I've had him since he was 4 and been patient and fair (but firm) with him in bringing him on. I now have an amazingly calm and sensible pony who's more like a big soppy dog and just a lovely person to be around. On person I know who's worked her way through a succession of young horses (hitting them in the face and the like) tells me I'm "lucky" - I think I am lucky to have him but not for the reason that he came to me completely ready made like she's suggesting!
 
littlelegs said:
Think nature plays a role in some cases but in most its nurture, & think correct handling & training can correct most probs that could be nature. I'm lucky too to be blessed with 2 v well behaved horses who must have been born bombproof & obedient. Funny that I've had mine since she was 2 when a few friends remember how far from easy she was. At 23 its yet another stroke of luck she's a schoolmistress. Daughters pony we've had since a yearling, again, pure luck at rising 5 she's going well & good with farrier, to clip etc. Think sometimes basic stuff can be nature, but not met a baby yet that is born with the instinct to say, pick up its feet first time or hack out first time. People who make comments like the other liveries are just displaying their ignorance & jealousy!
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I totally agree with this.

I've got one horse that when I got her was bolshy and rude. Whether this was nature or nurture I have no idea, as she had been through a few homes by the time I got her - and last owner was scared of her. She became a horse that at 6 years old, led other horses past scary stuff and is still the horse that if a horse in front naps, she gets on with her job.

My baby is more interesting. She's sharp and incredibly spooky. New situation = her shaking. not sure if its in her nature to be like this and I've gradually introduced her to scary stuff, so she still snorts and has a little dance but is quickly getting used to it and again, will go a lot of places by herself. <now pondering as I expected, due to her nature of the past couple of years, that a new move would be stressful. I took her out of new field for first time today and other than snorting (at scary new jumps) or dancing past electric tape, she walked in to a new yard by herself with no other horses, walked over to a school with rubber (which she's never seen the likes of) and kept reasonably calm and ignored her neighing friend calling to her.

So many people have complemented me at different times on both my ponies - but to be honest, in my eyes they've made it easy. It could have gone wrong at any time with either of them.
I think this just turned into a ramble?

OP - your youngster sounds amazing and the way he reacts (or doesn't in this case) shows what hard work you've put into him.
 
OP, Congrats on such a beautiful well behaved boy.

I've raised a few babies now and there is a nature element at play too. My first 2 foals were near enough born broke. One by a Warmblood stallion one by a TB stallion, both out of a TB mare. They very rarely pushed boundries and when they did they learned easily from correction. These were never spooky type horses to begin with. Nothing out of that mare ever is. I'm more on nature on spookiness. Yes they can become better with hard work but nicer when it isn't there to begin with. Anyway by the time my 3rd foal came along I thought I was a pretty good baby raiser. Put it this way, Abba was given the nickname of Devil's Spawn at 3 days of age. She wasn't mean or spooky, just way too exuberant, into everything, and overly friendly. She did what you asked as well but she was so damn busy. At any rate I asked my husband to be the one who handled her the most because I was out of my depth and she would have ended up a giant nightmare . I won't bore you with the vet bills that come with an over exuberant youngster that thinks she can take on the world.

Anyway it was solid repetition over and over. But once she was under saddle she became like the other kids from my mare. Rock solid and do anything you ask.

So yes hard work making them into solid citizens but some are easier than others. But easier ones will turn into nightmares if their owners aren't consistent and let them get away bad behavoir. Sometimes I don't miss not having had foals for 2 years. It's kind of nice just having the solid citizens around.
 
That's what I'm looking forward to as well equilibrium- I can't wait to get going properly with him! I'm managing by doing lots of bits with my new WB and allowing myself a once a week 'gunner fix'! :D I'm babysitting a lovely foal for a friend so still get to play with foals but after this year I will be youngster-less... It's a little like empty nest syndrome!

Sorry- I digress! :)
 
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