What are earth ponies good for?

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

They're good at working hard and being able to provide for the community (the Apple family are perfect examples of this). They are also capable of throwing parties (remember Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich are Earth Ponies).

Edited February 2, 2015 by CC_Maud_Pie

[AlbaTross 1,581]

The Chrystal Ponies aren't useless.  Celestia herself said the following.  "If the empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected across all of equestria.  If hatred and fear take hold........".  Celestia never said what would happen but it was strongly impied that it couldn't be anything good.  Bassically, from what I can tell the Chrystal Heart effects all of Equestria and because the Chrystal Ponies directly connected to the chrystal heart, the state of equestria is dependent on their colective state of mind.  if the chrystal ponies are happy, everythings fine and dandy in Equestria.  if the earth ponies are miserable, everything goes to $#!%.

I see. So not only are they pretty, but everyone should try to make them as comfortable as possible. That actually doesn't make me think any better of them, but I guess having the ability to wreck Equestria with a simple mood change gives them a great deal of power. Here's hoping nopony in the Crystal Empire is a psychologist capable of modifying one's mental state.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

I see. So not only are they pretty, but everyone should try to make them as comfortable as possible. That actually doesn't make me think any better of them, but I guess having the ability to wreck Equestria with a simple mood change gives them a great deal of power. Here's hoping nopony in the Crystal Empire is a psychologist capable of modifying one's mental state.

But wait, isn't it the Crystal Heart that keeps them all happy?

Something isn't making sense...

[AlbaTross 1,581]

But wait, isn't it the Crystal Heart that keeps them all happy?

Something isn't making sense...

Good point. I guess that means they don't have any agency over their psychological state, which is probably a good thing if they can singlehandedly throw off the balance of Equestria.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Good point. I guess that means they don't have any agency over their psychological state, which is probably a good thing if they can singlehandedly throw off the balance of Equestria.

I'm still really curious as to whether going dark and dull was specifically because of Sombre's curse, or if that's just what always happens to depressed Crystal Ponies.

[Cwanky 17,455]

I see. So not only are they pretty, but everyone should try to make them as comfortable as possible. That actually doesn't make me think any better of them, but I guess having the ability to wreck Equestria with a simple mood change gives them a great deal of power. Here's hoping nopony in the Crystal Empire is a psychologist capable of modifying one's mental state.

Considering that the Crystal Empire and its inhabitants went missing for over 1000 years and its inhabitants had to endure much emotional and psychological trauma, I'd lay off them for awhile. Not to mention their society and technology is likely ages behind the rest of Equestria and the world. Give them time.

[Gary S. 102]

Good question.This  pretty much nails it: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/206387/sowhat-about-us

 

But i side with them, i'm low class either in rl.

Edited January 28, 2015 by Gary S.

[knuckles 150]

They are good at manual labour,farming,cooking and any hard work,cause they have great strength

 

They also have a special connection to the nature,and because of that they have a role in the founding of equestria

[Soaring Symphony 372]

I'm still really curious as to whether going dark and dull was specifically because of Sombre's curse, or if that's just what always happens to depressed Crystal Ponies.

I think it's just part of what makes a Chrystal Pony a Chrystal Pony.  It's kind of like how Pinkie Pie's mane deflates when she gets depressed.  

Edited February 1, 2015 by The thoughtful brony

[Bird Mom 900]

Earth ponies tend the lands due to their deep connection to the Earth.

[Dark Horse 12,799]

Earth Ponies are underrated. They're just the badass normals of the group. They don't need no fancy magic or flying skills to get things done, they just rely on good old fashioned strength and stamina, and in the end, isn't that what the core of being a pony is all about?

[VinylWubs 1,249]

theyre good at harvesting the crops like spike said at the play in canterlot so that's one the other one would be with their strength they work much harder that the other tribes can cause of the lack of wings and horns so yea that's all I have to say

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Four people have said that they work harder than the other races.

And that's super racist :okiedokielokie:

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

Well, Earth ponies are the ponies of productivity. Unicorns have horns and pegasi have wings. Sure, the wings sure have a purpose, they bring the ponies a possible way to get up high places, but unicorns have magic horns, and the magic makes hard tasks really cheap. The Earth ponies can make anything happen without magic, because they can actually do stuff. Anypony with no horn or wings aren't really lazy, and they can still use magic because Equestria is a magical world. Unicrons and Alicorns just turn it into something really easy and that's not really much effort. However don't see this as hate towards Unicorns, I'd be a Unicorn because I'm lazy myself and I don't wanna get up to get things, also I wanna do things impossible in our world. Earth ponies, shortly put, are productive unlike anypony else.

[John Locke N7 52]

come on

 

Unicorns = Support

Pegasi = DPS

Earth Pony = Tank

 

XD

[Dulset Tarn 441]

Here's an interesting little tidbit I noticed.

 

Rarity's handiwork:

 

Earth pony child's clearly superior handiwork:

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,329]

Earth ponies seem to supply the food in Equestria. Note how most of the earth ponies in Ponyville are seen with food stands. Applejack sometimes runs an apple stand and Pinkie works at Sugarcube corner. They also seem to be very good at digging as shown with Pinkie in Bats! and Maud did it to save Pinkie.

[KatonRyu 1,026]

According to Hearth's Warming Eve, only Earth Ponies can grow food. Given how a plant immediately grows from the dirt in Smart Cookie's hooves, they seem to have some magic tied to it that makes them very good at it too. It's interesting to note, however, that not all Earth Ponies seem adept at growing food.

 

In Magical Mystery Cure Pinkie gets AJ's cutie mark but she manages to all but destroy Sweet Apple Acres in a relatively short amount of time showing that she has next to no 'feeling' for the Earth in the department of growing things. However, she does work in a bakery so she's likely more than adept at baking food.

 

Aside from that, her family works on a rock farm, which while it has no connection to food, does have to do with the Earth. The greater physical strength of Earth Ponies seems to come in handy there.

 

Also if Apple Bloom's talent for carpentry is anything to go by, they're fairly good builders as well. (Hell, the entire Apple Family seems to be adept at building given the speed with which they built a new barn).

 

It seems to me, then, that anything requiring a 'hands on' approach like growing and preparing food, processing raw materials like rocks and building things are the territory of Earth Ponies.

 

I have no doubt unicorns and pegasi can also build things (Cloudsdale was definitely made by pegasi and I think Canterlot contains a fair bit of magical handiwork) but I believe bustling cities like Manehattan were mainly built by Earth Ponies.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

According to Hearth's Warming Eve, only Earth Ponies can grow food. Given how a plant immediately grows from the dirt in Smart Cookie's hooves, they seem to have some magic tied to it that makes them very good at it too.

She was specifically demonstrating that the soil is exceptionally fertile, the scene would make no sense if she did that herself.

[KatonRyu 1,026]

She was specifically demonstrating that the soil is exceptionally fertile, the scene would make no sense if she did that herself.

 

True, but even exceptionally fertile soil wouldn't grow a plant so quickly without some form of magic. Maybe it wasn't just her, but I do think she had something to do with it. I don't think Princess Platinum or Commander Hurricane would have had the same result, anyway.

 

Since it's a play we can probably assume the entire scene was embellished though, and maybe the plant is just a visual cue for the audience while only Smart Cookie (and maybe Chancellor Puddinghead) could see or feel the fertility of the soil when this actually happened in the past. In any case, it does prove that Earth Ponies have an affinity with the land that the other races lack.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

True, but even exceptionally fertile soil wouldn't grow a plant so quickly without some form of magic. Maybe it wasn't just her, but I do think she had something to do with it. I don't think Princess Platinum or Commander Hurricane would have had the same result, anyway.

 

Since it's a play we can probably assume the entire scene was embellished though, and maybe the plant is just a visual cue for the audience while only Smart Cookie (and maybe Chancellor Puddinghead) could see or feel the fertility of the soil when this actually happened in the past. In any case, it does prove that Earth Ponies have an affinity with the land that the other races lack.

Everything you said before that last sentence was okay but then you just pulled that one out of nowhere.

[KatonRyu 1,026]

Everything you said before that last sentence was okay but then you just pulled that one out of nowhere.

 

That conclusion does sort of come from nowhere, I admit. Trying to think of a response I realized that I actually have no idea why only Earth Ponies can grow food because anything that is purely based on knowledge could be duplicated by the unicorns.

 

The only thing I can think of is that whatever caused the planet to require constant pony management also made it so that non-Earth pony races can't grow food, even if they have the knowledge to do so. That's pretty far-fetched, but then this world has no natural weather, climates, or even day-night cycle. Who knows what it takes to actually grow food there. Specialized Earth pony 'magic' is all I can think of, really. At least we know they have some form of magic or else they wouldn't have cutie marks.

[Dulset Tarn 441]

That conclusion does sort of come from nowhere, I admit. Trying to think of a response I realized that I actually have no idea why only Earth Ponies can grow food because anything that is purely based on knowledge could be duplicated by the unicorns.

 

The only thing I can think of is that whatever caused the planet to require constant pony management also made it so that non-Earth pony races can't grow food, even if they have the knowledge to do so. That's pretty far-fetched, but then this world has no natural weather, climates, or even day-night cycle. Who knows what it takes to actually grow food there. Specialized Earth pony 'magic' is all I can think of, really. At least we know they have some form of magic or else they wouldn't have cutie marks.

Well, that's all just assuming that only earth ponies can grow food. There could be plenty of explanations, from passed-down knowledge to cutie marks, but no one really said the others can't grow food. Just that it was the task relegated to earth ponies at the time.

[Soaring Symphony 372]

Here's an interesting little tidbit I noticed.

 

Rarity's handiwork:

bow_tie.png

 

Earth pony child's clearly superior handiwork:

bedazzle.png

Wouldn't that be more like "hoofiwork" for a pony?????????????

[PinkieAwesome 65]

Farming

Construction

Geologists

Any manual labor jobs

Musicians

Being elite members

Oh and being chefs and bakers and all that jazz