Applejack uses pigs to find truffles... wait what?

[cider float 2,538]

There's always that question, why does Applejack have pigs?

 

Then the answer is usually "she uses them to find truffles."

 

Now hold on a dang minute, that answer in itself has a problem.

 

Do ponies even eat mushrooms and are they okay eating mushrooms?

 

And this is the common talk I hear about the overall question on the MLP pony's diet.

 

 

"They're ponies so they don't eat meat..."

 

But they eat dairy, eggs, mushrooms? Makes no sense... ponies do not eat dairy, eggs and mushrooms either. Does anyone not see the issue here?

[El Duderino 879]

Are you aware that mushrooms are not meat? They are a type of fungus. I see no problem with them eating mushrooms. In real life, horses don't necessarily eat mushrooms, but as long as they aren't poisonous mushrooms, they could eat them if they wanted to.

 

And dairy... ponies in real life drink their mothers milk. Given that MLP ponies are not the same as real ponies, I don't think it's a huge stretch to say that they can eat or drink dairy products.

Eggs... OK. That one doesn't make too much sense, but we can simply say that ponies don't eat meat. Eggs are not meat.

[cider float 2,538]

Are you aware that mushrooms are not meat? They are a type of fungus. I see no problem with them eating mushrooms. In real life, horses don't necessarily eat mushrooms, but as long as they aren't poisonous mushrooms, they could eat them if they wanted to.

 

And dairy... ponies in real life drink their mothers milk. Given that MLP ponies are not the same as real ponies, I don't think it's a huge stretch to say that they can eat or drink dairy products.

Eggs... OK. That one doesn't make too much sense, but we can simply say that ponies don't eat meat. Eggs are not meat.

Yes mushrooms are fungus not meat nor plant. So it makes no sense for horses or ponies to eat mushrooms either.

 

All animals eat their mother's milk during infancy but after they grow up they don't. Trying to give animals milk can cause them to have diahrrea and sickness. And yeah eggs.

 

What I'm saying is that these ponies shouldn't be eating eggs, dairy and mushrooms like they don't eat meat.

Edited November 13, 2016 by cider float

[El Duderino 879]

Yes mushrooms are fungus not meat nor plant. So it makes no sense for horses or ponies to eat mushrooms either.

MLP ponies are not the same as real ponies, and therefor probably don't have the same diet. The only general consensus I see is that MLP ponies don't eat meat. Eggs, dairy, and mushrooms are not meat.

(I know people don't like the "it's a tv show" argument, but I have to pull it out here. forgive me) I think the creators of the show try to make the ponies as similar to people as possible. Ponies can't eat meat, but that's pretty much where the creators stop. Their diets are similar to people, but without meat... because they're ponies.

[cider float 2,538]

MLP ponies are not the same as real ponies, and therefor probably don't have the same diet. The only general consensus I see is that MLP ponies don't eat meat. Eggs, dairy, and mushrooms are not meat.

(I know people don't like the "it's a tv show" argument, but I have to pull it out here. forgive me) I think the creators of the show try to make the ponies as similar to people as possible. Ponies can't eat meat, but that's pretty much where the creators stop. Their diets are similar to people, but without meat... because they're ponies.

Then what's wrong with them eating meat?

[El Duderino 879]

Then what's wrong with them eating meat?

*sigh* So imagine you were making a show about talking ponies. You would want those talking ponies to be as similar to people as possible so the audience can relate. Because of this, you include things in their diet that people eat. However, it's still kind of hard to ignore the fact that horses are herbivores, so you don't include meat.

 

And I also just looked this up. Real horses actually CAN eat mushrooms and eggs. They just don't do it naturally in the wild. The only reason they can't eat/drink dairy products is that most mammals loose the enzymes to digest dairy products when they are adults. Humans are kind of odd in the fact that we can drink milk as adults.

But that ties in with my original point. You want the cartoon ponies to be similar to people, so even though horses can't drink milk, you make it so they (for example) drink milk with their cereal because the audience of kids drink milk with their cereal. 

Edited November 13, 2016 by El Duderino

[cider float 2,538]

*sigh* So imagine you were making a show about talking ponies. You would want those talking ponies to be as similar to people as possible so the audience can relate. Because of this, you include things in their diet that people eat. However, it's still kind of hard to ignore the fact that horses are herbivores, so you don't include meat.

 

And I also just looked this up. Real horses actually CAN eat mushrooms and eggs. They just don't do it naturally in the wild. The only reason they can't eat/drink dairy products is that most mammals loose the enzymes to digest dairy products when they are adults. Humans are kind of odd in the fact that we can drink milk as adults.

But that ties in with my original point. You want the cartoon ponies to be similar to people, so even though horses can't drink milk, you make it so they (for example) drink milk with their cereal because the audience of kids drink milk with their cereal. 

They can eat meat as well, they just don't do it in the wild. What's your point?

[El Duderino 879]

They can eat meat as well, they just don't do it in the wild. What's your point?

You are impossible. You say if they "they can't eat meat", so why can they eat eggs, mushrooms, and dairy...

Because eggs, mushrooms, and dairy are not meat!

My point is that they can eat whatever the creators of the show decide they can eat... because they are cartoon ponies and don't have to follow the rules of what real ponies eat.

[chili-pepper-thinker 37]

Yeah, it's pretty confusing. Also I can understand that ponies from Equestria can eat mushrooms and dairy, but EGGS?

 

It's like eating unborn chickens, isn't it?

[cider float 2,538]

You are impossible. You say if they "they can't eat meat", so why can they eat eggs, mushrooms, and dairy...

Because eggs, mushrooms, and dairy are not meat!

My point is that they can eat whatever the creators of the show decide they can eat... because they are cartoon ponies and don't have to follow the rules of what real ponies eat.

The norm is ponies eat only plants.

 

Eggs, mushrooms, dairy and meat have one thing in common, they're not plants. Plants perceived by the common viewer as the only thing ponies eat. 

[Oleks 1,993]

OK, your question made me google some stuff. And it seems that horses can eat so many different things, including mushrooms, eggs and dairy products. Some guy on Yahoo Answers claims that his  pony likes chocolate biscuits, salt and vinegar crisps, pepsi and tea. Some nutjobs even give alcohol to horses.

Here http://esc.rutgers.edu/fact_sheet/odd-things-that-horses-eat/ eggs and dairy products are listed among "potential treats".

[Ganondorf8 11,370]

If you look up information regarding a horse's diet and eating habits, I'm sure you will learn what it is they can consume safely and what can be considered poisonous to them. As for Applejack having pigs at Sweet Apple Acres, I'm going to attribute that as something the animators put them without really paying much attention to articulate detail.

[Ziggy + Angel + Rain 11,303]

Those pigs are really intended for bacon.  They aren't starring in their own film about sheep herding, they aren't coordinating with a web-writing spider, and they aren't stuttering their way through animated shorts.  They're bacon.

 

Bacon.

[cmarston1 5,959]

I am pretty sure that ponies in real life aren't pastel colored, nor can they control the weather and celestial bodies.

So it is quite clear that there are a lot of differences from ponies in MLP FIM, and the real world.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to eat different foods as well because of this.

[cider float 2,538]

OK, your question made me google some stuff. And it seems that horses can eat so many different things, including mushrooms, eggs and dairy products. Some guy on Yahoo Answers claims that his  pony likes chocolate biscuits, salt and vinegar crisps, pepsi and tea. Some nutjobs even give alcohol to horses.

 

Here http://esc.rutgers.edu/fact_sheet/odd-things-that-horses-eat/ eggs and dairy products are listed among "potential treats".

 

They're not the norm. But what I'm trying to say is yes there is a thin line between herbivores and carnivores. In fact herbivores will eat meat if you cut it up for them.

 

[Luminance 2,186]

Maybe she uses the pigs to find truffles but only to sell. There can be other consumers for the truffles besides ponies. I'm sure that's how Applejack make extra bits on the side including her apple products.

[silvadel 1,393]

 

Bacon is tasty.  Griffons and some guilty ponies might partake...

[Marimo 555]

They basically just don't want to include the idea of ponies murdering other animals to consume their flesh, especially when they've shown various degrees of sapience, ranging from being purely animal-like, like the pigs, to outright being able to talk, likes the cows. While you might be able to argue some other things featured like glue would use animal parts as ingredients, meat is the bigger issue since it's outright the flesh of an animal that was slaughtered.

[Vlazamal 338]

They're not the norm. But what I'm trying to say is yes there is a thin line between herbivores and carnivores. In fact herbivores will eat meat if you cut it up for them.

 

But it is ethical? Do you eat aborted human fetuses and dog?

 

Eating dairy products is like things from human breast milk, and sense all animals are sentient and as intelligent as others, it would be like cannibalism.

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

When the show is on they eat grass and hay, and those pigs are used for truffles... but as soon as those credits role...

 

Bacon burgers for everypony.

 

 

They support the deliciousness but are careful not to do it in front of prying eyes.

[cider float 2,538]

But it is ethical? Do you eat aborted human fetuses and dog?

 

Eating dairy products is like things from human breast milk, and sense all animals are sentient and as intelligent as others, it would be like cannibalism.

What? What kind of ridiculous statement is that to my response?

 

Cannibalism means eating someone of the same species. 

[Vlazamal 338]

What? What kind of ridiculous statement is that to my response?

 

Cannibalism means eating someone of the same species. 

 

It's similar if said other species functions mentally the same or very similar as you.

[AlbaTross 1,586]

Well, this is an interesting discussion. Finding truffles probably is the best explanation for why AJ would have pigs since ponies don't eat bacon or ham. However, it is a tad odd that the Apples would have so many of them. Does it take a lot of pigs to find truffles? The more of them there are, the more expensive and time consuming it is to care for them. That is kind of odd, but given how off the whole episode is, I doubt we're supposed to take the pig pen that seriously.

[sweetolebob18 728]

IRL horses do not have a gall bladder & thus can't really digest fat. Humans eat celery even if we can't really digest that.  Eggs are in a lot of baked goods so MLP use eggs.  I'd bet that compared to humans a higher % of Ponies are Vegans.

 

IMO, Griffons, Dragons, & maybe Minotaurs are omnivores. Diamond Dogs are either omnivores or carnivores.  If the pigs are for meat, they are probably for export