Herds
Herds
Abridged and edited by Twilight Sparkle from Scant Passion's The Story of The Herd: Equestria's Social Composition and Structure as an Extension of Behaviours Engendered by Herd Dynamics.
It must be noted that the explanations and descriptions of herd behaviour within this chapter are restricted in scope and can't possibly encompass such a broad topic. In addition, due to the nature of the work, it may appear to contradict previous knowledge on the subject as an inevitable side-effect of the difficulty of separating idiom and worldview from data in sociological works. This is an overview selected to give a feel of the subject to an outsider. - TS
The Herd is often described as the most basic social unit in Equestria’s society, forming both the foundation of our family life and of our cultural imperative to protect and nurture the male minority. In some contemporary literature, notably Wamme Schlenker’s Den Zeitgeist und die Pony Ort innerhalb[1], this latter role has been held up as an example of regressive and outdated societal attitudes toward the male. However, other works have praised the Herd as the prototype of Equestria’s open, consensus-based society[2], with some going as far as to claim that Equestria as it exists today would be impossible without the close-knit cooperative model that the Herd as an ideal promotes.
In her somewhat controversial work on the structure of Equine society[3], Gilded Lilly compares the form of the herd to Equestria as a whole, with particular emphasis on the role of the stallion as analogous to the monarch - now diarch - with the mares of the herd taking roles with a loose and somewhat fluid correlation to social strata within Equestria. Lilly admits the comparison is only superficial and ignores some fairly fundamental details, but it is interesting to observe that Equestria's entire social model does appear to revolve around the twin imperatives of adoration for, and protection of, the monarch[4].
Herding is perhaps the single defining trait of Equestria. Whilst other societies express similar social units, it is only in Ponies that the trait is so integral to the collective wellbeing. This is due to the unique gender disparity expressed by E. nobilis, which required an equally unique solution. Even closely related species, such as the Zebra or Mareabian Horse, though tending toward Equestria-style herding behaviours, do not express the same gender disparity.
The causes of this disparity are still under debate[5], but the outcomes are clear. Ponies form herds as naturally as birds form flocks. For as long as ponies have existed as a species this behaviour has defined our society at every level, from the rearing of foals to the establishment of law and the foundation of our civil infrastructure. Thus, study of the structure, composition and behaviour of herds is necessary to understand how our society evolved, how it deals with contemporary challenges, and how it may progress in the future.
Structure of the Herd
At first glance the herd structure appears to be in three parts, formed from the Stallion, the Lead Mare and the Rump Herd. This Tripartite Model has formed the basis of study of the herd for the last two centuries and has influenced everything from social policy to international relations. The Tripartite Model was so universally accepted that, at one point, it was proposed to form the basis of an official definition of the Herd that would have outlawed all forms of relationship that did not fit the ideal it defined.
Recently, newer and more nuanced models of the Herd structure have been put forward, with the most widely accepted being the Greta Kinstrong model.
The Tripartite Herd
Social theorists proposed the Tripartite Model in the 1050s[6] and it remained the authoritative model of herd behaviour and structure until very recently. The Tripartite Model proposed a hierarchy that approximated to the Stallion/monarch, the Lead Mare/aristocrat and the Rump Herd/citizenry, though it was not described in such colourful terms at the time. Comparison was also sometimes made between the three tribes, with the Earth Pony performing the role of the Stallion, the Unicorn assuming the role of Lead Mare and the Pegasus taking the role of Rump Herd, playing to their perceived primary traits. This interpretation eventually fell out of favour, however, as it was perceived to hold too many negative connotations.[7]
Each role within the Tripartite Herd is strictly defined and delineated.
At the centre is the Stallion, around whom the herd forms a protective barrier. There may be many stated reasons for this, however they tend to be variations of protection of a precious resource or individual. In the case of a typical herd, the stallion is protected because stallions are both necessary for breeding purposes, and rare; in order to maximise the chances of species continuity, a stallion must be able to mate with as many mares as possible.
Beyond the Stallion, there is the Lead Mare. In a prototypical Tripartite Herd the Lead Mare will make the majority of the decisions about the "direction" of the herd; delegating tasks, arranging breeding rights, and in extreme cases collaborating with the Stallion over the continued membership of other mares in the herd. In early Pony society this leadership role would generally extend to the management of a farming commune, typically a property owned by the Lead Mare and worked by the Stallion and the other mares of the herd. In modern society the role of the Lead Mare had become much more abstract and difficult to account within the model.
Finally, after the Lead Mare, we find the Rump Herd, which the Tripartite Model treats as a homogenous group of mares who live under the direction of the Lead and typically do little more than provide companionship, extra labour and protection.
Though it was accepted for so long, the Tripartite model has a number of shortcomings that render it inadequate for fully describing the Herd structure[8], not least its inability to cope with the introduction of a second Stallion to a herd. Such a Stallion would generally be treated as part of the Rump, or merged with the first Stallion to be treated as a single figure without any separate role. The Tripartite model also assumes that the majority of a herd is undifferentiated and malleable, with little purpose beyond following the orders of the Lead Mare.
The Kinstrong Herd
In 1196, Greta Kinstrong put forward a new model of Herd Structure[9], rejecting the strict hierarchy of the Tripartite Herd and replacing it with a looser, more fluid and consensual arrangement. Delving back into pre-historic and non-sapient herding behaviour, Kinstrong, a Griffin Social Historian, proposed that the Equestrian herd included a number of previously unconsidered roles that were completely unaccounted for by the Tripartite Model. Kinstrong also addressed two particularly troublesome issues with the Tripartite Model; that it was never able to explain why the most common herd composition is six mares and two stallions; and that it functions most efficiently with a herd of one stallion and five mares, a combination that is very rare in reality and which usually only appears as a short-term transitional state.
The Kinstrong Model proposes seven roles in the herd: the Stallion, the Facilitator, the Companion, the Lead Mare, the Organiser, the Guardian, and the Scout. The model further describes a system of growth delegation, in which all the roles except, for obvious reasons, the Stallion will initially be held by the Lead Mare, but will subsequently be delegated to the Stallion or other incoming members as the herd grows.
It must be borne in mind that these roles are descriptive rather than prescriptive - for example, "Lead Mare" as a title and social position fell out of general favour many years ago, but it is useful as a description of the role taken by a Stallion's first or closest mare within the herd.
The Stallion, once again, is the focus of the herd and protection of the Stallion is much of the reason the herd exists. Now, though, his role is recognised to often include the Facilitator.
The Lead Mare again takes on the delegator and leader role within the herd, however she has to cooperate with the Facilitator in order to achieve anything of value.
The Facilitator, meanwhile, serves as the backing for the decisions of the Lead Mare. In a small herd this role is typically taken by the Stallion, who will facilitate the Lead Mare's activities by providing support for her decisions and taking actions to ease their acceptance amongst the rest of the herd. This will usually take the form of mediatory activities such as placating conflict or generating consensus amongst the herd through group communication and, if necessary, message-passing, or providing special (often sexual) attention to mares who might be reluctant to go along with the emerging consensus. In larger Herds the role might fall to another mare, though most commonly it will remain with a Stallion.
The Companion is, as might be expected, the closest companion of the Stallion, often taking up a large portion of the Stallion's social time on a one-to-one basis. This role, again, is typically filled by the lead mare, however in a larger herd this role can fall to a second Stallion, who will, in many cases, provide the first Stallion's primary non-sexual companionship, although lack of sexuality is by no means a requirement of this role; or it can fall to a group, usually consisting of a second stallion and one or two mares.
The Organiser will tend to handle the detail of the Lead Mare's decisions. Delegation of this role is often subconscious, and a member of the herd will usually fall into the role by dint of organisational skill rather than choice. The close relationship between Organiser and Facilitator often sees these two roles combined in smaller herds.
The Guardian is perhaps the least obvious role. All of a herd's mares will be protective of the Stallion to a greater or lesser degree - it is one of their primary biological and cultural imperatives. However the Guardian will often take a leadership role in this particular arena. She will often be amongst the less aggressive mares of the herd, spending as much time arranging for the protection and safety of the other mares as for the Stallion and acting as a break on aggression in stressful or hostile situations. The Guardian as a role only begins to emerge properly when there are more than two mares in a herd. Prior to that the smaller size of the herd will mitigate against overt aggressive behaviour unless absolutely necessary.
The Scout, finally, is the mare who most often seeks out new opportunities for the herd, whether that be new members, new sources of food or, in the contemporary milieu, new occupations, pastimes and acquaintances, and would also seek out potential dangers. In early Pony society, the Scout would often be the first point of contact between herds, negotiating rights of passage or trade. She would continue in this negotiation role long after the herds had come to know one another better, often looking for opportunity to "join" herds through mutual courtship if the Lead Mare indicated such a preference, or for ways to ease the potential courtship of a herds offspring.
As might be gleaned from the brief descriptions, most of these roles can be "doubled up", with one pony taking on two or more at the same time, or with several ponies performing the same role in concert. The roles themselves are generally fluid too; any member of the herd can Scout, for instance, though usually only the more extrovert members will take the role, and likewise any member could conceivably be the Companion, though timing and personality will dictate that the role will change ownership but rarely.
Unlike the Tripartite Model, a Kinstrong Herd displays a much closer correlation with the reality of herd life, particularly the cooperative nature of intra-herd interactions.
The first significance of this model is that it predicts the most common herd combinations of one stallion and three to four mares, or two stallions and seven mares, and can also accommodate the "monogamous herd" by assuming it as the initial condition of the plurality of herd formations.
A further significance of the Kinstrong model, and another advantage it has over the Tripartite Model, along with its other competitors, is that it successfully anticipates the emergence of so-called Stallion-free herds that consist exclusively of mares, one or two of whom take on elements of the traditional Stallion role. Such mare-exclusive herds have been known to crop up in areas where there is a particularly acute shortage of stallions[10], though most "compensatory relationships" are usually between a pair or a trio of mares, lacking most of the structure of a typical herd.
Composition of the Herd
Herd composition is sometimes perceived as secondary to structure and tends to be viewed in light of that, but it can have significant influence on the herd's internal dynamics independent of any structural considerations. The combinations of tribe, personality, gender - and occasionally species - are so broad that modelling every potential combination would be time consuming and ultimately futile. However some superficial aspects of composition can be addressed with relative ease, beginning with Aegidienberger's analysis of inter-tribal herding behaviours[11].
Contemporary herds tend to be mixed, though they also tend to maintain a majority of a particular tribe, particularly in areas that display high tribal homogenity. Aegidienberger speculates that this is simply the result of "like seeking like":
... studies confirm the idea that ponies will tend to seek out familiar and safe, rather than unique, different and potentially dangerous partnerships. Interspecies relationships are consequently rare ... [in contrast], intertribal relationships are common today, yet many ponies still display an innate preference for a familiar shape, be it a horn, or wings, or lack of both, and consequently seek partnerships within their own tribe in preference to others. Aegidienberger - Tribe and Culture (Hocksford, 1190, p76)
The idealised herd as envisioned by Sandalwood in The Divine Combination[12], was of two mares of each tribe sharing responsibility for two unidentified stallions, each pair representing the two popularly ascribed identifying traits, or Muses[13], of each tribe so that they could function together as a unified whole. This vision of tribal unity within the herd is held, again, as the exemplar of greater Equestrian society and considered to be the ideal toward which all ponies should strive. The obvious allusions to Herd-as-society within The Divine Combination, as in Gilded Lilly's academic work, illuminate the concept of Equestria as a whole playing the role of Herd to the Diarch's Stallion.
Of course all such allusions are incomplete at best as the Princesses, whilst they embody both the masculine and feminine natures as protected object and protector of the realm[14], perform far different roles to the Stallion of a herd. Neither does the allusion reverse particularly well. Whilst a Stallion might be treated with adoration verging on worship within the herd, the lack of economic and political power of Stallions for much of history meant they had very little respect outside that context. This stands in stark contrast to the absolute power of the Diarch in all things, even if that power often appears to be somewhat theoretical.
Such idealisations of the herd serve to illustrate the aspiration for a romanticised "perfection of society", but they are seldom matched by real life. As already briefly explored, herds tend toward homogeneity, particularly among unicorns. Society at large, inspired by the Romantic Herd and the desire for a harmonious existence, perceives exclusive or monotribal herds as a sign of uncooperative behaviour akin to the monogamist, though with less of the social stigma. Monogamy is seen as selfish, whilst monotribal herding is seen as merely bad taste pursuit of ideals of tribal purity that are now widely perceived as outdated. Both are tolerated in different ways.
In contrast to the relative homogeneity of tribal affiliation within herds, the mixture of personality is broad, as befits the various roles that members of the herd must fulfil, and complementary or cooperative. Complementary personality types are absolutely necessary for the smooth functioning of a herd, just as they are for any other cooperative venture[15], and it is in personality that the close relationship between composition and structure is often identified. Some have even attempted to extend the relationship to include alleged tribe- and gender-exclusive personality traits, with limited and usually contradictory results.
Certain roles require certain combinations of personality traits. Examples already mentioned in the Kinstrong Model include the Scout, who would tend to be an extrovert, and the Guardian, who often displays a tendency toward non-aggression despite the apparently aggressive role she must play. Not every mare is suited to such roles. Neither would every mare be willing or able to fulfil the role of a Lead Mare, to consider another example, and there are inevitably times when the first mare to start a herd with a Stallion is "demoted" to a different role once a more socially dominant mare enters the herd.
Although, as mentioned, the term itself has fallen out of favour, the social position of Lead Mare still exists and still plays a role in the herd dynamic. Usually the first mare to court a Stallion, or the more dominant of a group that courts him, will become his lead and assume effective leadership of the herd in short order. Generally the more outgoing and socially dominant or impulsive ponies that will tend to seek out a single Stallion in order to form a herd, whilst more introverted or shy ponies may be attracted to existing herds, or might be invited to join a herd by one of its more extrovert and outwardly-oriented members.[16]
Herd Bonding and Interactions
Once within the herd, a mare's position and influence within the group enters a state of near-constant flux; a mare must manage her influence over other members of the herd and maintain good relationships with all of them in order to avoid falling out of favour, either with her peers or with the stallion. In general this process is open and mutual, assuming good will on all sides. Mares rarely wish to introduce strife into the herd dynamic, as that would risk the safety of their Stallion and endanger their new status.
Though Kinstrong demolished the perception of strict hierarchy, a soft hierarchy is still acknowledged within the herd, based on influence over and closeness to the Stallion, and closeness to other members. Such closeness is expressed and reinforced most obviously through physical means; as the reader may already be aware, ponies are a physically close species and it should be no surprise that we express even relatively remote companionship through close physical proximity and activity.
Within the context of the herd these physical reinforcements extend from mutual grooming all the way to sexual interaction between members of the herd. Indeed, in a larger herd setting it is not uncommon for some members of the herd to progress from grooming to sexual intimacy without reference from their herdmates, who may continue with whatever tasks they were engaged in or choose to join in[17] as the mood takes them, in what has been described as an almost languorously casual attitude toward group activity[18].
An outsider may be surprised by this, especially if they view from the perspective of a species that considers sexuality to be something more "personal" or private than even the intimate familiarity of a herd. Dragons in particular appear to view any sort of sexual behaviour as something to be kept hidden and treated as secret, though there is obviously limited data available to confirm this.
The counter of this intimacy is physical aggression. As a tactile and physical species, ponies are naturally quick to resort to superficial physical confrontation during interpersonal conflict, though rarely to the point of injury[19]. Such physical confrontation will often, paradoxically, form part of the process of reinforcing interpersonal bonds, becoming a means of "clearing the air" or reducing frustration in a stressful environment, especially if the prior conflict was particularly heated.
Confrontation and violence only become an issue in cases where a mare feels they are genuinely threatened. Such cases are usually fomented by feelings of isolation and exclusion from the herd, and are an indication that the herd dynamic has broken down.
Often the exclusion will be a cooperative venture between the positional lead mare and the stallion, who would have to give at least tacit approval for such overtly negative treatment of a member of the herd before it could take place. In most cases the stallion might refuse to intervene in a low-level conflict, or he might take the side of one mare over the other, prompting a more direct confrontation between the isolated individual and the rest of the herd.
Such exclusion is a threat trigger to a mare, a holdover from the days when shunning from the herd meant absolute social isolation, and usually results in a violent but futile display as the excluded mare attempts to physically assault an abstract metaphysical concept. Once any possibility of communicative resolution has been exhausted, the excluded mare might attempt to resolve the dispute by subduing the aggressor, or might attempt to displace the lead mare and thus resolve the issue by assuming leadership of the herd. Occasionally, if she feels the threat is large enough, she might assault the stallion in a kind of suicidal all-or-nothing attempt to remove the threat by removing the reason for the threat to exist. Herds rarely reach this point, however, as the interpersonal strain required to trigger such behaviour would have torn the herd apart long ago.[20]
A shunned mare could theoretically court and join a new herd but such courting in light of isolation from an existing herd would have carried a heavy stigma in early pony society - shunned mares were assumed to have betrayed their stallion and their herdmates and were seen as a potential threat to the harmony of any herd they might join.
The practice of exclusion and collective shunning of excluded mares diminished amongst pegasi and unicorns fairly early due to the high mortality rate it was inducing, but persisted amongst the earth ponies until several centuries after the Unificiation. This is in part due to the fact that shunning amongst earth ponies was more of an inconvenience than anything else; most earth ponies can survive quite easily on their own where unicorns or pegasi might starve to death for lack of knowledge and ability, and the relatively isolated valleys that were the Earth Pony realm offered much more opportunity to find herds that were unaware of a shunned mare's status, or that simply didn't care. In addition, shunned earth pony mares that were unwilling or unable to join a new herd often formed small communes and settlements, the largest and most famous of which later became the cities of Baltimare and Fillydelphia[21].
Such expulsion, as hinted, requires the tacit approval of the Stallion. Within the herd the Stallion carries a great deal of social influence - whilst he would generally submit to the will of the herd in most things, he would be able to use the protective instinct of the mares to his advantage in a wide variety of circumstances, occasionally in collusion with the herd leader or, sometimes, in effective collusion with the entire herd, who may justify otherwise unacceptable treatment of a herdmate by the proclaimed desire to protect their Stallion from a perceived threat.
Conversely, if a herd wishes to expel a mare against the wishes of the Stallion, there may be reached an impasse. The natural instinct of mares is to protect their Stallion, but it is not an absolute; limits can be reached. If the Stallion metaphorically places himself between the herd and its goal of expulsion, he risks the herd abandoning him and effectively expelling him along with the target of their ire. The risk is very remote, however; a herd tends to fall into a much more passive and consensual frame of mind when the Stallion makes such a move and it is likely they will try and reach an accommodation, but such compromise is not always possible. In such cases a relatively amicable split often occurs; the rump of the herd sets out to find a new Stallion and the Stallion forms a new herd with his chosen mare, along any other members of the herd who choose to remain in the new arrangement. Occasionally, sadly, the splits are less amicable and can even end in violence as conflicting instincts overwhelm any rational solution. Such violence is thankfully rare.[22]
Taboo and Socially Discouraged Herding
We have briefly discussed the social acceptability of monogamist and homogenous herding, both of which are broadly tolerated, if not actually supported or encouraged. They are the most common of the so-called "taboo" herding practices, and generally considered the least harmful by society as a whole. Other practices tend to attract more ire, with more visceral outcomes. However, once studied in any depth it becomes clear that the toleration or disapproval of such discouraged herding practice can often appear arbitrary and inconsistent, due to the differing attitudes amongst ponies toward what exactly constitutes "good" herding behaviour.
For instance, whilst monogamy is considered to be the less desirable behaviour, in some communities it is homogeneity that is more openly discouraged. In those communities it is perceived that homogenous herding, whilst superficially less "bad", can't progress to anything perceived as more "good", except in ways that would almost require the herd be broken apart. At the same time, it can become more "bad" - that is socially undesirable - through the addition of more members of the same tribe. Monogamy, meanwhile, is at least theoretically rendered more "good" through addition to the monogamous herd, even if those additions are homogenous.
That said, the attitude toward monogamy is nearly universal, whilst disapproval of homogeneity varies radically, with the most disapproval coming from the more cosmopolitan urban centres or communities that have long been mixed. Even within those communities such attitudes are not consistent, varying as time and fashion change.
Sibling herds - that is, herds in which two or more members are related by blood - are considerably less tolerated, though opinion on the matter tends to vary by location and tribe. Rejection of the practice tends to focus particularly on the possibility of incestuous behaviour within the herd. Given the way sexuality is used to reinforce intraherd bonds, the perception of sibling herding is such that incest is almost inevitable and that siblings within a herd must, at some level, desire an incestuous relationship.
Though the rejection of such herding is universal, the exact definition of what constitutes a sibling herd varies remarkably from tribe to tribe and place to place. Flying in the face of all stereotype, the herding of sisters to a single Stallion is the ultimate taboo in most Earth Pony communities, for reasons similar to those outlined. However, the herding of several unrelated mares to two brothers is often held in high esteem amongst those same communities, allegedly because the "water source" affects how a "crop" might grow, and good "source" - the Stallion and his brother - needs to be maintained and kept safe[23]. Likely also was the desire to ally related guild-clans and prevent blood-relatives from becoming direct competitors.
Amongst unicorns almost the direct the reverse was often the case. In the pre-classical era, sister pairs were often herded with the same Stallion, with the elder often taking the Stallion in marriage whilst the younger would serve as a sort of contingency in case the elder was unable to conceive. Again the idea was to maintain the continuity of family lines and prevent prolonged legal wrangling over inheritance. Subsequent additions to the herd would tend to be from families wishing the ally their fortunes to the siblings' family, often introducing a sibling pair of their own if they were able. Though such herd composition has long become verboten amongst the majority, there are some amongst the nobility that still practice it (and much more besides), and it can still be identified as a source of the unicorn rejection of earth pony norms and vice-versa, with each party believing the other to be "inbred" due to their differing herding practice.
Pre-classical pegasi, with their looser, more collectivised family structure[24], had fewer strictures on sibling herding as it was often difficult to determine blood relationships at the best of times. Nevertheless, when it was known that mares were related, they would seek out herds or Stallions as far away from one another as possible in order to minimise the risk of accidental incest. Such behaviour still takes place today, with mares often travelling to new cities to find a Stallion and start a herd when they reach their majority[25].
Even more universally condemned is the joining of a mother and daughters to the same herd. Such unions have occurred in the past, but only in cases where a herd was already established with more than one stallion; it was assumed that the mother and daughter would retain their separation by each taking a separate stallion, but the stigma of intra-herd bonding would remain, along with the inference of less than savoury sexuality on the part of father, mother or daughter.
Likewise, the introduction of a colt back into his own herd as a second Stallion, whilst common in the ancient past, is no longer acceptable. Unlike other cases it would be relatively easy for a colt to maintain a separation from his birth mother and it is not unusual for Stallions within a herd to maintain entirely platonic relationships. Instead the objection falls on the so-called familiarity issue; a colt mating with the mares who raised him could be interpreted as incestuous even if there was no blood relationship, simply because of the psychological and emotional attachments between them. So-called Return Studding is the only example outlined to have been explicitly deemed illegal in Equestrian law[26].
Such unorthodox practices invariably introduce division into a herd along or across family lines, creating emotional strains that can result in the herd breaking apart., which is held up as another, secondary reason why such unions should be avoided.
Finally there is the subject of Interspecies Herding. Perceptions vary depending on species as well as community. Within the more rural earth pony communities it is not uncommon for herds to include donkeys, despite the social stigma that their offspring might potentially suffer outside that community. Donkeys do not suffer the same gender imbalance issue as ponies, neither do they usually engage in herding, preferring sexually monogamous relationships on the whole, and are perceived as "unusual" as a result; if a Donkey joins a herd its offspring may face some discrimination, but only in areas where Donkeys themselves are not common.[27]
Zebra and Mareabian Horses have been known to join pony herds, though only with extreme rarity in the latter case; the connotation of The Horse as a feral, wild beast with disturbing features and a violent temperament still mitigates against the widespread acceptance of Mareabians amongst ponies, for all that they more closely resemble the Princesses than any other creature.
The herding of other, non-equine species is so rare that very little data exists. Whilst some ponies will seek out such relationships[28], and whilst such relationships may even be successful over the long term[29], the general social consensus weighs against them, and it is likely that any pony seeking a long-term relationship with a non-equine will face prejudice and judgement for much of her life.
Foals and Inheritance
The raising of foals in a herd environment is one of the most frequently discussed elements of a herding society, with numerous models, experimental forms and endless debate over how foals should be raised, the importance of mother vs herdmothers or aunts, how relationship between foals of different mares should be handled and so on.
Comparison with other cultures leaves great room for this debate. Griffins, for instance, operate tightly defined family units in which a single mating pair raise their offspring to the age of majority and then ritually eject them from the household, whilst dragons appear to raise their young in collective nurseries, with little apparent interaction between younglings and parents after they are weaned. Occasionally, it seems dragons abandon their young before they're even hatched, for reasons that have yet to be determined.
In comparison, whilst they have been criticised[30], Equestria's foal-raising arrangements appear to be very benign and open, and generally beneficial.
Most of us have memories of those formative years of our lives, spent amongst the warm press of loving parents and close relatives. Close proximity and security are a large part of rearing foals, and that early introduction to tactile interaction and familial protection sets a pony on a particular path that, to a large degree, defines her entire life.
This start in life is something that we generally take for granted and rarely even think about, unless faced with a concept outside of that influence. To most ponies and even monogamists, to an extent, the idea of raising foals alone is disturbing concept. Those ponies that choose to do so face the difficulty of finding carers for their foals when they are inevitably unable to perform the role themselves, whilst a typical herd usually has at least one member available for caregiving at any given moment, and is usually able to cope even if some of its members are reluctant or disinclined to be caregivers.
Occasionally a pony and foal may be ejected from a herd, or a mare may become pregnant outside of the usual herd structure. While it is unremarkable in contemporary society, in times past it was often the case that a mare who fell pregnant without a herd would either have to find a way to enter a herd, or find some form of support external to the herd system. The aforementioned mare-exclusive herds and communities sufficed for many earth ponies, whilst amongst the pegasi it was relatively easy for mares to find support in the more open and fluid forms of herding that were the norm.
Amongst the unicorns, single mothers tended to be shunned and treated with disdain as it was assumed they must have been ejected from a herd for unstated reasons. Nevertheless, though a mare might lose much of her initial social status and influence she could, if she chose, successfully integrate into a less influential herd and increase its status with her presence in exchange for their support and acceptance. The fact that she would often bring not insignificant inherited wealth to her new family also eased the transition.
In fact, the issue of inheritance is an occasionally overlooked factor explaining both the existence of such shunning, and its eventual abolition.
The latter outcome has easily identifiable motivators: inheritance is matrilineal amongst ponies, with a very few exceptions[31]. The precedent was, and is, particularly strong amongst the nobility, where a system of officially observed courtship commonly referred to as "marriage" is used to create indisputable lines of succession, in addition to providing a means to maintain links of alliance between the great houses.
Inheritance as a motivation for ejection from a herd is less obvious until one considers the collective and consensus-based nature of herds, and the power a Stallion has over that consensus. It is not uncommon for the first filly born to a herd to be considered the default inheritor in many cases, often based on the age of the mares and their apparent influence over the herd as a whole. Sometimes, however, a disagreement might arise over inheritance, particularly if the Stallion is an only child and thus inherits estate.
The issue can be complicated still further if a marriage has occurred with the herd - a filly born prior to the marriage often has significant legal weight to claim at least partial inheritance, even when the marriage agreement claims exclusivity to the wife's offspring. A pre-existing filly and her dam risked ejection from the herd as part of this marriage process, though such outcomes were usually quite rare.
More common was the ejection of a mare who might lay claim to the inheritance of another for her own filly, regardless of her personal wealth. Even in cases where some sort of sharing agreement is put forward, there are times when the strain of argument over inheritance leads to the ejection of a mare simply to prevent the entire herd from disintegrating.
Inheritance is thus one of the most complex and legally conflicting areas of Equestrian law, especially in contemporary society, in which views of precedence and linearity are in prolonged transition. The issue of inheritance is still the most commonly cited factor in herd splits and often the most challenging aspect of maintaining harmony within a herd.
Concluding Remarks
Herds are the unconsidered definition of life as a pony. We are born into them, live in them, work in them and usually die within their loving hold. They are the guarantee that we are never truly isolate creatures, yet they provide the philosophical matrix in which we might individuate, the foundation of collective existence that allows the isolate creature to exist.
Herds, then, appear to be a contradiction, for they subsume the individual to the group, yet without that group the individual could not exist. They protect us, but in doing so they propel us to new and greater experiences, providing the support and nurture that an individual needs if they are to become more than the sum of their parts. And, indeed, the herd itself becomes greater than its whole.
Without the herd, we are nothing. Within it, we are everything we could ever wish to be.
End Notes:
[1] Schlenker argues that the Stallion as sexual object occupies a position lower than the "cooler" in what he terms the Choice/Worth Hierarchy; as a sapient being who is required to sexually service mares, the Stallion is denied the choice of consent and identity, in the process becoming the passive victim of the mare's oppressive desire; whilst the cooler, as non-sapient, non-sentient entity, has no will and thus is not required to suppress its identity in order to feign consent under duress.
[2] Fuhr d'Plot, The Consensual Herd: Equestria's Society as a Superset of Herding Behaviour (Oddjob Stable, 1178)
[3] Gilded Lilly, The Equestrian Model: The Princess as Stallion (Victor Plebia, 1163)
[4] Tarry, The Guardians of Society (Roundworld Books, 1209)
[5] Despite the references in Chapter 10, the study which identified Snugglepuff-Alondro syndrome as the cause of the Pony gender imbalance was severely flawed and utilised incorrect statistical methods. Current research indicates that the identified cause - the triploid foetus - was part of a longer process of “correction” to apparently non-viable foetuses that appears to repair missing or damaged genetic material through a process of transgenic cloning from the closest viable source, usually the mother. The effect is not environmental: ponies appear to express the same symptoms wherever and whenever they conceive. It is also indiscriminate and, once active, has a high probability of replacing the male sex chromosome with the female equivalent after apparently interpreting the male chromosome as damaged in some way. Why this would be so has yet to be determined.
The effect has been provisionally named Berry-Baltimare’s Post-meiotic Nucleic Restructural Transgenesis, based on studies by Professor Tinkling Berry and Doctor Buddy ‘Cuddles’ Baltimare of St Furrowfoal’s University Hospital.
[6] Detail of the Tripartite Herd (Canterlot University Press, 1062)
[7] Superior Conjunction, Stallion, Mare, Herd: The Tribes as components of the Equestria's Unity and the role they shall play within the Great Plan (Reed River, 1120)
[8] Kinstrong, Sands, Legger et al, Failures of the Tripartite Model and Potential Improvements (Social Theorist, 1189, issue 4, p32)
[9] Greta Kinstrong et al - The Septet Herd: A model of Equestrian Herd Behaviour (Den Sozialhistoriker, 1196, issue 477)
[10] Rider Gentle, The Paradise of the Stallion-free Herd: Journeys through the Equestrian Hinterlands (Victor Plebia, 1199)
[11] Aegidienberger, Tribe and Culture (Hocksford, 1190)
[12] Part of a series of Paeans to the Pony Species, also including such works as To Ride Beneath Their Wings, the prose tale The Pony Upon Whom All Great Achievement Fell, And The Life And Times Thereof, and the epic poem The Cycle of The Three Sisters, published over the course of several years toward the end of Sandalwood's life, starting in 1016 with Confessions of an Equine Nature.
[13] The idealised traits of each tribe were compared to the six Muses - not to be confused with the Muses of the ancient Roaman tradition - often associated with the Elements of Harmony, though they are not particularly closely related. The Muses, by tribe, are: Pegasus - Duty and Chivalry; Unicorn - Benevolence and Wisdom; Earth Pony - Diligence and Craft.
[14] Holly Oak, The Embodiment of the Pony: The Masculine and Feminine aspects of Sun and Moon, (Hocksford University Press, 1215)
[15] A typical example is found in the PRINCESS2 project management methodology, which posits that the management of personality is at least as important as the management of ability in successful project completion, and proposes a number of solutions, including the "Winning Pit" team-building exercise, in which members of the group are pitted against one another in competitive sparring until one is left standing, after which she is ritually pelted with flour. What this has to do with personality management is never explained.
[16] Ddiweddeb fy Cariad, The Invitation, the Inclusion, the Love Illusion (Reed River, 1066)
[17] Or complain about the noise - TS
[18] Glint Eastwither, Oversexed, Overfamiliar and All Over My Tomato Patch (Canterlot Times Books, 1192)
[19][20] Left Hook, Slap! Intraherd Violence in Contemporary Society and Possible Solutions (Victor Plebia, 1192)
[21] Baltimare in particular is famous for its early history as an earth-pony city that was almost exclusively female for over a hundred years after its foundation. The city is most famous for the invention of the cooler, as well as the rather less popular "icepacker".
[22] Statistics demonstrate that the number of murders blamed on "insurmountable differences in a herd" has averaged between one and two every twenty years for much of the Unification period. No statistics are available prior to 220CE - Data supplied by the Home Office Department of Species Statistics
[23] Apple Stalk, Maintaining the Water Supply for a Well-kept Garden so that it may Produce in Quantity to the Glory of Celestia (Tract printed in 402)
It is unclear whether this was a tract on reproduction or an actual gardening manual. I have assumed it must be the former, as even I know there is no conceivable way a potato could be used like that - TS
[24] Sunset Aura, Herd and Family in the Pegasi City State (Oddjob Stable, 1168)
[25] Herd and Family in the Pegasi City State (page 96)
[26] See The Crown vs Sixrow, Olli, Herta, Elrose, Abee, Brier, Laycee and Golden Promise (1026) 9 PBD 177, where a herd was successfully prosecuted for bringing their eldest colt back as a stallion, "denying his choice" and "denying other mares his use".
[27] Best exemplified by the fictional account The Adventures of Hinnyburro Jennet, which documented the adventures of the titular character as she travelled from the fictional border town of Potters Mountain to Manehattan and back. (Ares Twine, The Adventures of Hinnyburro Jennet (Pangolin Reprint, 1197))
[28] Aegidienberger, Across the Divide - Everything you wanted to know about interspecies romance but were afraid to ask (Canterlot University and Times Books, 1193)
[29] Ignoring the obvious example, the aforementioned Greta Kinstrong has maintained a relationship with two of her colleagues (Professors Double Blind and Merry Cox-Apple) for nearly eleven years, though it was kept hidden for much of that time.
[30] The criticisms are too numerous to mention, except by reference to their particular focus. In Foalish Behaviour, and similar works, the complaint is that tactile behaviour encourages early sexuality in "innocent" foals that leads to a promiscuous and disease-ridden society, whilst in works such as Intimacy in Separation, the argument is that society lacks the ability to understand true intimacy because of a lack of "separateness" and intolerance of isolation.
[31] Most notable is the Duchy of Canterlot, which has been held by the male line of Blueblood for much of the Unification Period, following the transfer of the capital in 232CE
Stats
Page generated in 0.027 seconds
Total duration
883 users online
457,273 hits today, 2,314,256 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Amazing as always.
*crashes through a wall*
New chapter! Must read!
Holy crap that's a huge amount of words.
Still amazing as usual though!
P.S. I blame you and school for the creation of my story.
And tha' was ah fine new years present
"Den Zeitgeist und die Pony Ort innerhalb"
dafuq ist that (im german btw :D )
I wonder what a Stallion think like all I see here is from the POV of mare just like to know
Wow, human courting practices would be so weird to these ponies.
So what type of herd is Lero's?
1872997
It began as tripartite, with Rainbow Dash taking the role of Lead Mare (even though she doesn't like being addressed as such). With the inclusion of Lyra, it becomes something undefined, though the entire relationship is inherently unusual, so I doubt anypony has given it much thought.
That's a lot of footnotes.
1873062
Even as a tripartite Lero did not really fulfill the Stallion role because of his "mare" like behavior.
Someone send this to the Creators of the Show. Now. Seriously. DO EEEET!
1873105
His behavior was normal for a human. Yeah, the ponies thought he was just one of the girls, but that's societal perception.
What do you do for a living? sociology? This is too well done.
Dat footnote
I can't believe how well you're managing this series. If I didn't know better, I'd guess you had managed to get hold of some hitherto unknown alien species sociological literature. Heck, it makes as much sense as most studies I've read on Human behaviour.
I can never imagine Equestria as truly monogamous after reading this series. Well done!
Wow. Nice piece of world building and one less hour I'm going to sleep tonight.
You've turned world-building into an art form. It's beautiful.
Holy CRAP that was long. 'Twas good and informative! But VERY VERY long.
This is like, sociology porn. I love it
All through Xenophilia, I keep wondering what the Equestirans would think observing Mustang herds on our world.
When the herd is on the move, the Stallion often takes Rear Guard position to protect the younger and weaker members from attack, and to keep them moving if they fall behind. This is the most dangerous place to be in for any herd member, especially the expendable stallion. Replacing stallions for losses in this duty may be more frequent than I imagine...
The phenominon of Bachelor herds, made up of stallions too young, old, or weak to win a place in a herd of mares would really blow their minds.
Footnote 15 sounds like it came from an Equestrian version of Dilbert's 'Pointy Haired Boss'.
And I'm forced to wonder...
a.) Is the obvious example as obvious as I think it is?
b.) Just what species were those colleagues, with such ponylike names (moreso in Double Blind's case)?
And also, that note on caregiving for lone or monogamist parents had me thinking of the early portion of Baby Cakes in an interesting light. What if the Cakes' requests for a temporary caretaker was so unanimously turned down because of a deep-seeded and likely unconscious reaction to being so propositioned by a pair of monogamists? "Oh, well, serves them right, the way they live. It was bound to happen." I love how canon things so often fit into this universe, though I imagine that was your intention entirely.
Ok, read through:
And it waas great, then had to go out with friend and get hammered. Way too drunk to work my way through this complex and intelectually engaging chapter. Really upset that I can't finish this now but your in depth and comprehensive social analisis deserve the utmost of attention and focus and I refuse to disgrace them by trying to read them in my current state!
TL:DR
This is awesome and I'm super exited to get sober enough to understand this awesome chapter... tomarrow. "Woo hoo, you rock!" as Fluttershy would say.
"Hey a Xeno's Guide update!"
[DELETE]
*reading*
Finish chapter
*look at fanfic of a fic side story in progress for the Honey family
That was a tremendous amount of world building, and had insights into herd dynamics that I never considered. While I didn't actually conflict with any of the fascinating new fannon you've created here, you just gave me a bunch of new dynamics to consider and play with. Time to start re-imagining!
Is it just me, or did the section on incestuous herding manage to skip the only option that is potentially biologically damaging, IE, a brother and a sister in the same herd, with the brother as Stallion? It covered generational, sister*2, and brother*2, but not sister*brother, which is the only one with a really solid genealogical reason to be shunned. Either that or I somehow missed it.
This is nice. This is awesome. Amazing WB and insights.
Archonix, hope you don't mind if I borrow some elements of this on my end if need be. I'll give ya credit of course.
mah brain....
you hurts it.
1872804 Me and school?
1872835 Eeeyup.
1872983 I wouldn't call it primitive, personally. Just alien, like you say,. Very, very alien.
1872916 My own personal blend of ignorance, nonsense and google.
It's not really meant to make sense, and I'm very sorry for abusing your language so.
1873139 Newp, I'm an electrician. I just read a lot.
1873398 Success!
1874075 They'd think it very strange, to say the least. Also, it wouldn't surprise me if something a lot like bachelor herds figure heavily in some of their more raunchy fantasy or science fiction. A male-only society that's just begging to be tamed by the noble, non-nonsense mare? Ooohhhohh
1874168 Ah! Typos, the bane of my life! I was sure I'd fixed some of those. Must have dreamed it.
Given it was edited a bit by Twilight, the obvious example should be quite obvious, yes.
And yes, those are pony names. Interspecies relationships between known species aren't unknown, though a griffin would be a little unusual. Part of the reason for hiding their relationship was that it was with her colleagues, which raises all sorts of ethical questions over any research they might have performed together.
To be honest... yes.
Though at that point I was writing in a sort of semi-conscious daze so I probably didn't think about it at the time.
1874359 Hurry uu~p
1874361 Eeeeeenteresting... I'm sure we're all looking forward to the outcome.
1874618 Ah-heh, that's... that's really weird. I guess I'll just say it's a social blindspot, something that's so perverse they couldn't even conceive of it happening.
1874630 And AnonAuthor, don't forget him! I never would have thought this up alone.
1874701 Oh I would love to see anything you come up with, absolutely. Go right ahead!
This was tough to read, at parts, but well worth the effort.
Everybody else has already said all that I was going to say about the story, so I'll just talk about a couple of your footnotes.
This sounds like an interesting book to read. I wonder if it has pictures...
I know I'm going to regret asking this, but how exactly do you visualize this 'icepacker' as looking?
Very clever naming, and I'm not talking about the book. Switch a letter, switch a culture, substitute a similar word and BAM! Pony name.
Please tell me that this is a 'Platinum Crown' reference.
Nice work. It's dry as hell, but I always come away feeling a little bit more educated.
1875223
Who?
Nicely written. Almost too well written.
1875223 Wait, that wasn't supposed to be a compliment!
This is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!!
1875231 Oh please! The 'Icepacker' is clearly an insulated box that you fill(pack) with ice then put drinks in to keep them cool!
OBVIOUSLY!
I would not be surprised if some number of sociologists attempted to combine this with the Princess-as-stallion theory to 'explain' Nightmare Moon. (Notably, whenever such a study is published into the Royal Archives and personal copies presented to the Princesses, requisitions for bathroom tissue from both the Night and Day Towers are observed to decline significantly for a short period.)
1875574
1875493
1875231 Platinum Crown reference? Mmmmmaybe.
Would you believe I have a lot of trouble coming up with pony names? I try jokes and using other languages (I sure hope someone gets some of them sooner or later) so when I do come up with good ones, I treasure them. I spent an hour telling the wife about that particular one after I came up with it.
She's a very patient woman.
I'm not going to detail what an icepacker is and leave that entirely up to your fertile imaginations.
1876174 Or I could say it's that. Yes.
Oh you want to know a funny thing? I'm not used to the word "cooler" as a name for a fridge, so the moment I heard the word I'd figured out what it was. Perverse, non? Cultural differences are so weird sometimes.
1876176 Oh that's perfect.
1876190 WHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHYYYYYYYY?!?!?!
1876190 Cooler as a name for a refrigerator? Never heard of that myself, only coolers I have heard of are wine coolers and the little boxes full of ice for picnics and the beach.
EDIT :
OH! Almost forgot, I've also heard of Cooler being a name for hostile Aliens!
1876233 Round here they call that a cool box.
1876190
I hope you know I was joking. If not... then something is definitely wrong with how I'm typing it. Should I just put trollestia everytime I joke?
1876320 Don't worry, I knew. Guess I picked the wrong smiley.
1876324
Anyways, I'm off to sleep. Looking forward to the next update.
Damn. Why can I read a seemingly dry (though admittedly interesting) textbook entry on fictional social dynamics, but not the dry (but still interesting) textbook entries I need to graduate?
Also: Rider Gentle? On a book about all female relations?
Props sir. 
On one hand, I increasingly can't see the Xenophilia 'verse as having more than a passing connection with MLP:FiM.
On the other hand, the world you're developing, and detailing, and explaining (with footnotes!) is extremely interesting, with a perfect mix of alien and familiar.
So please continue! I'm eager to see what strange yet plausible ideas you come up with next.
That was very...informative. Though, as your story description says, a bit dry. I confess I got bored with this chapter and didn't finish it. That is not to say that I never will, just not today.
1872997
1873062
That was actually what I was trying to think about all through that section. Lero's definitely the Stallion, even with his strange behavior (at the very least, the mares have put him there with his recorded ability to defuse arguments), and like the descriptions said, he's also taken Facilitator. Rainbow Dash is Lead Mare (despite her protests, and as a very good example of the term falling out of use) and Companion. Twilight is of course Organizer, and Lyra's Guardian—nopony else could be able to beat them at those roles (Rainbow's too outwardly aggressive). That leaves Scout, which I'm tempted to give to Rainbow Dash, but only because most of what we've seen has been from when she was either the only mare or the most outgoing. I think I'll be watching Further Tales to see if anyone over there develops to better fit it.
Of course, all of that is about the level of saying that Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty. The herd's still small and new enough that there's plenty of overlap.
And ours would probably be just as alien to them as theirs are to ours. One of the best things that stuff like this allows you to do is get into a completely different mentality and view what we take for granted with new eyes. Wonderfully unsettling.
Finally, @archonix: this story (even beyond the others in this universe) is making it remarkably difficult to keep a similar view of Equestria. I'm not sure whether to be annoyed or thankful, so I'll just stick with saying that I love all four—the canon, the universe, the Guide, and how danged effective the last is.
The life and times of a winning pony? xD
To which other fics do the other two reference?
1878196
I think that Lero fills the Stallion role in this herd is because his herd-mates are all overpowered super ponies. Kind of hard to be the human alpha male when your wife can throw houses with her mind easily, another breaks the color barrier at will, and the other is a philosophizing secret guard with a degree in kick-tail.
Though if Lero was in a different herd with normal mares, he would be smart enough to realize that he living in an alien society with different rules and would try to fit in as much as possible. But the moment danger comes around, he would be trying to protect them. Someone breaks in the middle of the night, he would want to confront the danger (with a baseball bat) creating conflict with his herd. With these super mares, the conflict would still be there, but to a lesser degree because in a situation that they would actually be in danger he would not be able to help anyway (ex. Discord).
Actually, would this herd be the strongest in history? If not, who? Also Twilight has not said anything about herd dynamics when an alicorn is involved. Do they have unique customs or are they similar in behavior to unicorn society? There is only 3 (as far as we know) so it is a moot point.
"Fuhr d'Plot"? Really? Have you no shame? No shame whatsoever?
On the other hand, "Oversexed, Overfamiliar and All Over My Tomato Patch" may be the best title in the history of ever.
Now, about the chapter. Certainly a fascinating analysis of a social quantum largely alien to us ape descendants, especially the tribal permutations. A bit wordy at times, but this is Twilight writing. The whole "watering the seed" metaphor is an especially notable contrast from the contemporary counterpart, nicely underscoring the effects gender disparity has had on pony society.
In brief, xenosociology at its finest, as applied to a Saturday morning cartoon. Hooray for thinking too much!
1878357
And that's by Equestrian standards as well. I'm pretty sure it said somewhere in one of the wrestling scenes that even if Rainbow Dash hadn't been as athletic, she could still have been stronger than Lero. He might even try to migrate further toward the Guardian if his heard didn't so obviously outclass him. There's no question that any of the three are stronger, but Roseluck? Berry Punch? Why am I naming earth ponies? He might not see the difference as clearly. So, yeah, he would grab the bat and be right down with them, but even so he's not going to have much—if any—of an advantage. His mares have a point. Try telling that to the instincts and cultural conditioning, though.
It might depend on how you define "strongest". Sheer power? They're certainly up there. Breadth of types of strength? They're definitely on that list as well. Ability to rule? Probably not. But if we restrict it to more physical strength, we're likely looking at Starswirl and Commander Hurricane's herds, and others from the era. Though just involving one powerful pony or alicorn wouldn't automatically make the herd one of the more powerful; it depends on how they use that power within and involving the others. On that topic, I have a feeling that Twilight hasn't said anything because the Princesses haven't gotten as involved. (It's kind of hard to keep an egalitarian—or even tripartite—group when the Lead Mare (or one of the others?) is running the entire country on the side. Besides, their herd is Equestria, if we follow Gilded Lilly's theory.) I wouldn't say it's a moot point, though. Cadence and Shining Armor might not have a herd yet, but they of all ponies won't be staying monogamous. It might be interesting to watch that develop from an outside perspective, though I'm not sure a work on interspecies herds would focus too heavily on that (paleontological evidence aside).
Ah, the pinnacle of Moff's Law. TVTropes warning! Over-analyzing (if that's possible) the scholarly-styled work looking at the sociology behind a fic written partially as a mental experiment in an alternate interpretation of a show for young girls. It's a lovely chain.
1875223
Looking over that, the social blindspot theory is rather interesting. I wonder how much of that is social, though, and how much is instinctual. I've read that growing up close to someone around a certain age tends to result in some biological switch preventing sexual attraction to help avoid incest, and it might be that ponies have something similar but stronger—indirect intercourse seems to be enough of a taboo that direct might be almost literally unthinkable. Either way, there's the possibility of rather interesting questions if Lero read Twilight's work and decided to bring it up. Luckily our culture would be that much more...familiar by that point.
Bad walls of text! You're supposed to stay managed, not become some neglected hedge! Sorry everyone.