Do the ponies of Equestria still have their 'horse' instincts?

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,854]

For example when they are nervous, distressed etc, would they still sniff each others scent,  and would they still give each other 'rubdowns' etc?

[Champion RD92 8,658]

ummm I'm not really sure. I can't recall them ever really acting like horses

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

I'm not sure about that.

 

I know that the ponies have the mannerisms of horse, such as bucking or neighing, but you hardly see them performing horse behaviors. You don't even see them grazing like horses, instead they serve up prepared food.

 

Perhaps they once behaved like that, but now they've become more civilized, sort of like how humans moved on from a hunter gatherer society since now we can run farms and grow crops instead of roaming the land and gathering resources.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,854]

I'm not sure about that.

 

I know that the ponies have the mannerisms of horse, such as bucking or neighing, but you hardly see them performing horse behaviors. You don't even see them grazing like horses, instead they serve up prepared food.

 

Perhaps they once behaved like that, but now they've become more civilized, sort of like how humans moved on from a hunter gatherer society since now we can run farms and grow crops instead of roaming the land and gathering resources.

But I'm thinking it's more ingrained than that. Almost like how we pick our noses or scratch our butts without realising it!

[silvadel 1,393]

We have seen Pinkie Pie roll...  Generally though we have seen some horse mannerisms but they tend to be subtle. 

 

 

A lot of the everyday pony stuff we saw was from when Twilight was stalking Pinkie Pie.  We do NOT see off time, general boring everyday stuff all that much.  If we did, we would see more pony stuff most likely.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

But I'm thinking it's more ingrained than that. Almost like how we pick our noses or scratch our butts without realising it!

 

Maybe, but as silvadel said, we haven't seen much horse mannerisms on the show at all. Yeah, there's been a few things, like the bucking I mentioned, but they seem to have lost their instincts completely.

 

They actually act more like humans than actual ponies at this point. Sure, they walk like ponies, look like ponies, and perform a few things in a pony-like fashion since they don't have hands and walk on four hooves, but they don't seem to act like horses or ponies all that much.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,874]

 would they still give each other 'rubdowns' etc?

I don't know what that means, but I like the way it sounds

 

Anyway, yeahh, they're equines, but they're closer to humans than actual horses in terms of behavior, so I'd have my doubts.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

I'm sure somewhere deep down inside they still contain their base equine instincts and behaviors. But I feel like due to their current position as an advanced society, they no longer have a need for base instincts such as those.

 

 

Or they just never had them at all because they are magical horses who can shoot laser beams from their horns.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,854]

I don't know what that means, but I like the way it sounds

 

Anyway, yeahh, they're equines, but they're closer to humans than actual horses in terms of behavior, so I'd have my doubts.

You wouldn't! Horses give 'massages' to each other using their teeth. In fact they do it to each other all the time! It's one of the reasons why equine massage is now quite big business.

Maybe, but as silvadel said, we haven't seen much horse mannerisms on the show at all. Yeah, there's been a few things, like the bucking I mentioned, but they seem to have lost their instincts completely.

 

They actually act more like humans than actual ponies at this point. Sure, they walk like ponies, look like ponies, and perform a few things in a pony-like fashion since they don't have hands and walk on four hooves, but they don't seem to act like horses or ponies all that much.

It's just in the fanfic I told you about, the author made the mane six act more 'horsey' and I was going to do the same!

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

It's just in the fanfic I told you about, the author made the mane six act more 'horsey' and I was going to do the same!

 

Yeah, I found the fanfic and I'm going to read it after I get back from the Doctor's office. I'll come back to this topic possibly afterwards and give my new thoughts about it.

[Jeric 46,880]

Yep, this thread went went there.

 

They have displayed some equine behavior like snorting and a full buck (RD in Return of Harmony part 2).

 

The example brought up earlier about scratching and picking is not Kingdom exclusive. It's the same instinct canines have when they scratch. If they had a better appendenge for nose picking, they would do that too.

 

This is a weird topic

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

If they had a better appendenge for nose picking, they would do that too.

 

Why do you think Twilight keeps Spike around?

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Yep, this thread went went there.

They have displayed some equine behavior like snorting and a full buck (RD in Return of Harmony part 2).

The example brought up earlier about scratching and picking is not Kingdom exclusive. It's the same instinct canines have when they scratch. If they had a better appendenge for nose picking, they would do that too.

This is a weird topic

I wonder how many Unicorns there are that just use magical manipulation to do every basic physical function there is.

[Espurr 449]

We've seen them flick their ears like Twilight in Lesson Zero. But she was crazy then and I don't think horses know about being crazy.

[Jeric 46,880]

I wonder how many Unicorns there are that just use magical manipulation to do every basic physical function there is.

And there's probably one that has a nose picking Cutie Mark.

 

I retract my earlier comment. I think I can get behind this topic.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

And there's probably one that has a nose picking Cutie Mark.

I retract my earlier comment. I think I can get behind this topic.

Somewhere out there, there is a pony who's cutie mark is in magical butt scratching.

 

 

And with the FiM ponies being this weird human/pony hybrid, I wonder what their natural mannerisms are like.

[Rarity Paige Belle 1,854]

Somewhere out there, there is a pony who's cutie mark is in magical butt scratching.

And with the FiM ponies being this weird human/pony hybrid, I wonder what their natural mannerisms are like.

My theory is that Megan basically gave the ponies everything to help them to evolve. So she was the one to establish monogamous relationships etc.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

My theory is that Megan basically gave the ponies everything to help them to evolve. So she was the one to establish monogamous relationships etc.

But there are some fairly biological human traits in the ponies...so how much did megan "give"?.........

 

 

 

oh lordy....