Nature Vs. Nurture

Looks like a horse, acts like a hound

Reminiscent of an age old fairy tale, this is the story of a pony who thinks he's a pup. Rory the foal was brought to the Essex Horse and Pony Sanctuary after his mother rejected him at just one day old. His fragile condition and size made it difficult to raise him around the other horses, so he spent his early days with a pack of Labrador retrievers.

Sanctuary manager Sue Allery reports, "Because he was so small he slept in the office on a duvet and the dogs and cats curled up with him." Consorting with the canines led Rory to harbor a few unusual habits—drinking milk out of a dog bowl and playing fetch frisbee. "He even started picking up twigs and sticks for us to throw," Allery comments.

This begs the question: Which is more influential, nature or nurture? If you have a group of mixed animals with strange habits, Signafur encourages you to share your stories here!

Photo thanks to the Metro