/pony/ - Pony

A platypus is an additional species, and not just a duck and a beaver at the same time.

Three races stuck together, I'm sure they also have earth pony skills.

>>1198305
Earth pony skills like what? Being generally good at everything?

>>1198303
i think there should really only be 2 alicorns - celestia and luna, like yin/yang. it doesn't make sense for there to me more than two -- and would possibly make even more sense for celestia and luna to stop being alicorns at some point in g4, making everypony equal

so, you kinda have a point

>>1198306
Being strong, growing stuff, those kinds of things.

>>1198306
The "magic" of Earth Ponies is their connection to the Earth itself.

It is as shown in Equestria's founding play, the pony kinds were once separate tribes that were uneasy with one another, but were still co-dependant. The pegasi provided good weather and the unicorns provided the sun needed for earth ponies to grow food.

This goes to show that nature itself in Equestria is completely broken without ponies managing it.

For example, most ponies are freaked out by the Everfree Forest for things like animals looking after themselves, plants growing wildly and weather happening naturally without intervention. All these things are alien to ponies because they have to control most of the nature in Equestria.

While agriculture and nature-management isn't an exclusive trait to Earth Ponies (such as Fluttershy's affinity with animals), the "magic" of Earth Ponies is they have a deeper affinity for the very earth of Equestria than any other pony kind. While unicorns may have magic to turn a seed into an apple tree, it is earth ponies like the Apple Family who understand the time and patience to allow the apple trees to grow  that unicorns would not understand if they did it the easy way with magic. Especially given we don't know the nutritional value of magic-grown food over natural grown food.

And while it may still be easy to disregard earth ponies and say unicorns and pegasi can still grow food naturally without magic, keep in mind Equestria's nature is messed up in comparison to ours. If all earth ponies were erased, the very earth of Equestria may not yield to the other pony types.

But that's not to say Equestria can't live without earth ponies, but the same can be said for unicorns and pegasi. Without pegasi, unicorns could attempt to manage the weather with magic. Without unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi may put their brains together to substitute their magic with science and technology.

Humans don't have magic, can't fly and move weather around and some speculate we're not made for this planet itself (such as the need to wear clothes or build elaborate shelters, unlike animals with natural furs or resistance to nature), yet humans survived this long.

>>1198309
deep

>>1198309
>>1198310
In short, Earth Ponies are the mediators between ponies and the very ground they live on.

This is why "Make Your Mark" completely misses the point with "dormant Earth Pony magic" being to grow things. If anything, it stereotypes Earth Ponies even more. If all Earth Ponies can just make fruit and plants appear, then why aren't all unicorns just as good at magic as Twilight? Or why can't all pegasi fly as good as Rainbow Dash?

The Earth Ponies of Maretime Bay have the power to create the Garden of Eden on Equestria. Instead, Hitch uses vines now and again, and I can't remember what Sunny uses her plant-magic for. Hitch and Sunny are not agricultural ponies, so this "Earth Pony magic" is barely a part of their identities.

>>1198309
>>1198311
Isn't that a huge stereotype already though? I mean, how many earth ponies actually do any of those things? It sounds like you're taking a scant few families as representative of the entire race.

>>1198312
It's not about whenever they do them or not, it's the fact that it is the natural skill to an Earth Pony, how they utilize this skill varies amongst them.

Take Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash for example. As pegasi they both have the natural skill of flight and cloud manipulation. However, Fluttershy chooses a life near the ground, caring for animals, while Rainbow Dash is both a weather mare and became a Wonderbolt that fully utilize her skills as a pegasus.

So being a pegasus grant standard gifts to both these ponies, just their way of life is how they utilize it, whenever more or less.

>>1198313
But you know very well that Fluttershy is a literal outlier among pegasi, one of a kind as far as the show is concerned.

Meanwhile the vast majority of earth ponies aren't anything like you said.

>>1198314
She's not the only outlier in all of Equestria. Not all Pegasi are in the weather business.
Not all unicorns are good at magic, or else Celestia's school would be the only Hogwarts in all of Equestria.

But pegasi can still fly and unicorns can still do magic. It's their "magic", their gift, their identities. Just, they may choose a way of life that may not correspond to it because it doesn't define them.

Earth Ponies have the affinity for the Earth, some even say Earth Ponies are naturally stronger or tougher because of it, but not all Earth Ponies take up agriculture or other earth-based jobs or hobbies, or end up with strong physiques.

>>1198315
But all unicorns ARE good at magic. Their magic, their gift, their identity. That's how unicorn magic works. Take it away from them, and they don't know what to do.

If earth ponies share some affinity for the earth, I think most wouldn't even notice if it were to disappear. They're too busy building, teaching, running businesses and leading towns.

>>1198316
Can you really imagine Snips and Snails getting into Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns?

I don't even recall them doing basic levitation spell the first half of the series. But I do recall they're still capable of magic nevertheless.

Some unicorns are just better at magic than others.
Some pegasi are just better at flying than others.
But unicorns can still do magic and pegasi can still fly.

That's what I'm getting at.

Some earth ponies are more earthy than other earth ponies. But earth ponies still earth.

>>1198317
snips and snails clearly have learning disabilities, they need to go to the school for "gifted" unicorns.

>>1198318
Well... yeah.

But my point remains. Not all earth ponies take up earth-related jobs or hobbies just as not all pegasi take up sky-related jobs or hobbies. But pegasi still fly a bit to get around, and unicorns usually learn basic magic to pick stuff up at least.

>>1198317
You're still conflating outliers with the norm. ALL unicorns have magic they're good at. Nearly ALL pegasi can fly and handle weather. Meanwhile a small fraction of earth ponies can 'earth', as you say.

>>1198320
>You're still conflating outliers with the norm.
That's because it's still common abilities amongst them.

IRL, I'm a fatass. But I am still able-bodied. That doesn't mean I qualify as an athlete.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash can both fly, it's their natural gift as pegasi. Rainbow Dash is a better flyer than Fluttershy and Fluttershy has no interest in pursuing a career as a weather pony. The only time she bothered to be a better flyer was so not to let herself or Rainbow Dash down that episode with the water spout.

>ALL unicorns have magic they're good at.
SOME unicorns are good at certain types or fields of magic, often corresponding to their cutie mark. But only a few unicorns are good at magic in general. It's why Celestia has a school for unicorns who show admirable skill in magic over other unicorns. All unicorns can use magic, but being "good" with magic is regarded exceptional.

>Meanwhile a small fraction of earth ponies can 'earth', as you say.
No, other way round. I think the majority of earth ponies in Equestria have earth-based jobs or interest. Such as farming, which is crucial for Equestrian society. I'm saying, just because ALL earth ponies have an affinity for the earth, doesn't mean all of them will take up earth-based interest, especially given some are more attuned to nature or the ground than others.

>>1198321
>SOME unicorns are good at certain types or fields of magic, often corresponding to their cutie mark.
It's literally all of them.

>I think the majority of earth ponies in Equestria have earth-based jobs or interest.
That's both wrong AND racist.

>>1198322
>That's both wrong AND racist.
So you know how many earth ponies are in agriculture in all of Equestria? Because even during the show's run, we have only seen so much of Equestria.
And again, I acknowledge not all agricultural ponies are earth ponies, just as Fluttershy has more of an affinity with animals which is a nature thing, often associated with earth ponies.

But what is confirmed in the show itself is that in the past earth ponies were regarded for their agricultural skills.
in modern day Equestria, ponies are no longer defined by what type of pony they are to dictate their interests in hobbies or careers, but Equestria still rely on pegasi specifically in managing the weather. And while Celestia and Luna are in charge of day and night, unicorns mostly govern the magical aspects of Equestrian society.

>>1198323
So what you're saying is, you see hundreds of earth ponies doing all sorts of non-earth related jobs in every town and city of Equestria, but because a few farming families of earth ponies exist you just assume that an invisible majority of earth ponies are doing that. Because that's what their race is for.

>>1198324
>So what you're saying is, you see hundreds of earth ponies doing all sorts of non-earth related jobs in every town and city of Equestria, but because a few farming families of earth ponies exist you just assume that an invisible majority of earth ponies are doing that.
The few farming families we do see in the show had mostly been earth pony families.
The Apple Family
The Pie Family
The Hooffields and McColts
The Nut family at Sweet Acorn Orchard
Almost everypony in Appaloosa.

So the show makes it a safe assumption that earth ponies take up the majority of agricultural roles in Equestria. I'm not saying all agricultural roles in Equestria are entirely by earth ponies.

I wouldn't say the exception is "hundreds", I imagine roughly a third to a half the pony population of each of the three types have interest that doesn't correspond to their stereotypical roles.

>Because that's what their race is for.
The show itself made it clear that Equestria society is still reliant on the majority of the three pony kinds in crucial roles for Equestria to function, all because of their physical attributes.

Pegasi have wings that allow them to fly and can physically touch clouds, so they're the ones who manage the weather.

Unicorns have horns which they can do magic, so they're the ones who provide useful spells and enchantments.

Earth Ponies lack wings or horns, but they have an understanding and affinity of the earth itself, so they provide harvest and materials.


Even if you regard it stereotypical, or even racist, that's just how Equestria is structured. But Equestria is progressive enough to allow for ponies to freely choose their interest in life (as far as cutie marks allow) that's not always bound by their pony-type. Fluttershy is a pegasus, but she chose an earthy-cottage life, taking care of animals.
But given, say, Cloudsdale govern the weather all across Equestria, that means a large chunk of pegasus population are expected into managing the weather. and even then, it's not like being a weather pony would be their sole job. Rainbow Dash was a weather pony of Ponyville, but she still pursuit her dreams of becoming a Wonderbolt.

>>1198325
>I imagine roughly a third to a half the pony population of each of the three types have interest that doesn't correspond to their stereotypical roles.
There's your whole problem. You 'imagine' your stats instead of making real observations.

The funny thing is we're kinda circling around the fallacious idea that both of these things can't be true at the same time.
Most farmers are earth ponies.
Most earth ponies AREN'T farmers.

>>1198326
My "observations" comes from what's provided from the show. Such as the farming families I listed out that just so happen to all be earth ponies. I'm not denying there are pegasi or unicorns that took up agricultural interest, but we haven't seen them (Not an absence of evidence thing). But given the mane six come across earth pony farmers often (or part of farming families, such as Applejack and Pinkie), it's a certain assumption to say earth ponies may take up the majority of agriculture in Equestria.

My "imagined" stats is that we clearly see not every single earth pony we see in the show is a farmer, baker, digger or the likes. The reason why I "imagine" a sizeable chunk of those ponies in agriculture, weather or arcane, is because these legs of Equestria society will crumble if not enough ponies are doing that role for all Equestria's population.

I don't recall saying "Most earth ponies AREN'T farmers". I did say "Most farmers are earth ponies", which likely stems from tradition and social norms of Equestria.

Anyway, that is my answer to your original question. An earth pony's skill or magic is its affiliation with the earth.
Some earth ponies are more attuned with this than others, but it is still as natural to them as for a unicorn to do magic or a pegasus to fly.

>>1198327
Right, I'm pointing out that most earth ponies AREN'T farmers, because that's what we actually see in the show, and yet you simply imagine that this isn't the case for seemingly no reason.

You know what would really help with this conundrum? If any alicorn were shown to have some earth affinity.

>>1198328
My reason is we've only seen a few major places in all of Equestria, never every acre of it. We've only seen a few farms in Equestria and these farms are managed by Earth Ponies.
If you think it's still not enough farms to affirm on average farms in Equestria owned by earth ponies, then sure. But it is still all we have to go off by.

But at the same time, I think I do see where you're getting at on account of seeing earth ponies around Ponyville, Canterlot and Manehatten, in which case we see lots of types of background ponies, and we don't know for sure what their occupations are as regular ponies.

I still lean towards most earth ponies are agricultural for my two reasons:
1. The show often visit farms and all of them occupied by Earth Ponies. I'm not saying these are all the farms in Equestria, but earth ponies being reoccurring for these farms tell me it's somewhat of a norm in Equestria.
2. That nature, natural order or whatever you call it is messed up in Equestria, and that the whole reason why ponies come in types of three is because they were made/evolved/spawned to maintain the natural order themselves. Earth ponies for the earth, pegasi for the skies, unicorns for the rest of it. When ponies began to civilize into tribes, it was a caste system to maintain and provide for one another. When Equestria was founded and progressed over time, ponies had more freedom and opportunity for careers outside "what they were made for", but Equestria is still reliant on the caste system because nature is still messed up without them.

But given the both of us only have so much to go on, for a cartoon about ponies, it is a bit of a conundrum.

Some have associated strength with earth ponies as well. I'm sort of... uncertain about that myself. Bulk Biceps clearly physically strong for a male pegasus, but is he stronger than Big Mac? And just as I said that not every earth pony pursuit agricultural or earthy-interests in their lives, some may choose academic or lifestyles without heavy lifting or so, so some earth ponies maybe physically weaker than other earth ponies. But if an earth pony and a unicorn have the same diet and lifestyle, would the earth pony still be stronger than the unicorn? I dunno.

But, Princess Celestia is a tall-pony, I can't recall her feats of strength though.

Anyways, good debate. i best get ready for bed.

earthpony = druid
pegasus = archer
unicorn = mage