Because there's no point in anthropomorphizing horses unless they act something like horses.
Welcome to the Coalition! Here, we believe that pony fan fiction writers should draw on the real world of horse anatomy, horse behavior, and horsemanship to build the imaginary world of Equestria. We're looking for stories involving careful research into or first-hand knowledge of horses, and we're looking for ideas and world-building that translate real horse culture into the magical world of ponies.
Why?
Because it's fun! And because the best stories of anthropomorphic animals have always used real animal behavior in imaginative ways to create characters' personalities and societies.
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Indeed. Monkeys and apes even in nature eat highly nutritious foods like berries, nuts and meat.
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The ponies must’ve also evolved the rest of their digestive systems to handle eating discreet meals rather than a mostly-continuous flow of food. If you feed IRL equines their daily nutritional needs in three distinct meals, it causes problems.
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With the food I would think ponies are able to graze but it would be a waste of time. Grass is mostly fiber and water which have no calories or nutrients. Ponies are civilized so they can make processed food that has far, far more nutrients per gram.
A few months ago, I wrote an extensive bibliography on equine behavior books over on Reddit. You all may be interested in looking up some of those books as reference.
I completely agree some of the best stories I've read often tie in real-world horse behavior/terminology/biology. But I should also note that I am fairly easy to please when it comes to reading.
I think I have a few stories that should qualify.
With several years of experience of horses and riding them, I hope I can bring some more fun to the group.
In the end, I guess it is up to you to say what you think, though.
Not quite like this.