I'm trying to create a wiki entry for the on_hind_legs tag, which is used for four-legged characters balancing on their rear limbs, front ones in the air. I've tagged it to most of its current posts, perhaps even created it in the past but I can't really remember doing so.

Anyway, while I was busy typing my description and checking for any doubles I came across a tag I didn't know existed before: rearing. This one (with no wiki either) broadly overlaps with my tag since it also involves ferals standing on their hind legs, but so far it seems to have been almost exclusively used on horses (well, it IS equine behavior in real life).

Now, I don't know if that fact would be an obstruction to just changing all the on_hind_legs tags into rearing (since there are other species in there), but what is however an obstruction, is that rearing in the literal, real-life sense of the word is only a temporary action where the animal is inevitably going to land back on its feet. Yet on_hind_legs has also encompassed ferals leaning against objects to maintain their balance, while still clearly keeping most body weight on their rear legs.

Examples:
post #221307 post #514686

The rearing tag doesn't seem like it would allow for these to be included, since they're not literally rearing. However, they are standing on their hind legs. So it's like rearing implicates on_hind_legs, but not necessarily the other way around.

So now I'm wondering what to do with that wiki. I can't really just go around stating on_hind_legs to be the one everyone should use, not fairly, since there's another tag with a similar amount of posts describing a similar action. Yet that one's ultimately less versatile.

Would it be an idea to just alias the two? In that case, I'd say rearing should be the one that's aliased to on_hind_legs for reasons described above. But if it's a nicer idea to link the two while still keeping a tag specifically for the equine rearing action, an implication would be possible too. Whatever way, on_hind_legs should always serve as the base in my view.

So, what do you think?

Just based on definition I'd say that rearing is more of a behavior. That is, it is used for an animal to be in a different position than it's used to ("set upright"). It is usually used for horses, but I've seen it used for other species as well.

To me, on_hind_legs seems more aspecific. That is, it could probably apply more to semi-anthro poses like post #414337.

In practice though, I don't think this is enough difference to keep both. I'm torn on which though since on_hind_legs is slightly less specific to the species, but it probably also applies to a huge chunk of anthro poses. On the other hand, usage-wise rearing is a bit biased to equines.

If I had to pick one I'd probably still go with on_hind_legs.

Jugofthat said:
it's a nicer idea to link the two while still keeping a tag specifically for the equine rearing action, an implication would be possible too.

I like this way best. For member level users with tag search limits it would help to also have a single tag for rearing instead of having to search for both on_hind_legs and equine.

parasprite said:
I'm torn on which though since on_hind_legs is slightly less specific to the species, but it probably also applies to a huge chunk of anthro poses.

That's true, though in reality, I can hardly imagine someone ever accidentally confusing it with standing when tagging an anthro, who are on their hind legs by default. It just sounds too specific for that.

After all, nobody ever tags all_fours to a feral either.

I lean more toward aliasing rearing to on_hind_legs since both of these are fairly small tags, and implicating them might just be more clutter than its worth. But that being said I don't exactly have a problem with doing an implication either. Is there anyone out there who is really in love with the rearing tag, and would be sad to see it go? I doubt it.

+1 in favor of aliasing the two, but I'm not opposed to any alternative propositions either.

I went ahead and made a placeholder for this thread so it doesn't get forgotten about.

Alias: rearing -> on_hind_legs (approved)