Before he could walk, a Mongol boy became one with his horse. As he grew in the saddle, he learned to herd, hunt, and become a warrior. His environment would further harden him as he traversed a complex landscape of mountains, rolling plateaus, and desert and endured a climate of long, cold winters and short, hot summers. Besides the physical environment, he grew up in a system where individual combat took place to defend one's honor or aid his tribe in times of war. A Mongol warrior loved and respected his tribe and family, but also lived by the principle of might makes right.