Headcanon Corner: Are Hippogriffs a Thing? · 10:04pm Sep 10th, 2016
Warning: Spoilers from the latest episode, The Fault in Our Cutie Marks, abound. Proceed with caution.
So, after Tender Taps, the CMC have finally gotten themselves a new client. Why aren't there more episodes like this one? I'm more interested in seeing the Crusaders tackle Cutie Mark problems than building go-carts or selling prank cookies.
Anyway, we've got a bit of world-building in this episode, and it has not escaped my attention. There's one specific point I want to bring up, and I'll explain it below the break.
Anyone who knows me knows that I've been wanting hippogriffs to be part of the show's lore for a long time. A hippogriff, for those unaware, is the offspring of a griffon and a mare. We already have a world where ponies and griffons interact on a constant basis. It shouldn't be hard to connect the dots. But in this episode, Twilight mentioned something interesting.
She said that there are no recorded incidents of a creature other than a pony getting a Cutie Mark. Now, if we just consider the possibility of hippogriffs, that doesn't quite make sense. See, with hippogriff anatomy, their hindquarters are that of a pony, while their front is that of a griffon. Ergo, hippogriffs logically would get Cutie Marks too, QED. But if it's a pony-only thing, then what does that say about hippogriffs? Do they even exist in the world of MLP?
I'm still saying yes, and I have a few reasons why. When it comes to griffons, Twilight's information is outdated. We know it's outdated. So it's possible she just doesn't know about hippogriffs. It's also possible that hippogriffs don't get Cutie Marks, and those that want them can have them branded or tattooed onto their flanks as a badge of honor. Keep in mind that Griffonstone is a warrior culture. That kind of practice wouldn't be out of the norm.
I'm not letting this desire go without a fight, is what I'm saying here. I still want hippogriffs in the show. 
You're not the only one who thought of hippogriffs in this episode, as I thought of our own fandom's lovable hippogriff while watching:
Perhaps there's an in-universe explanation for why Hippogriffs don't yet exist in the show. Perhaps Biological compatibility issues, maybe they just haven't discovered them yet, and if they are offshoots of ponies and Griffons, maybe the same Biological issue interferes with with the Cutie Mark process. There's still a LOT we don't know about Cutie Marks, despite having 6 SEASONS!!
Still, with MLP going the way of the Simpsons, I have no doubt we'll see an explanation in the future. :)
Hippogriffs? An offspring between a pony and griffin? Interesting. I never heard of that term before.
And as a Sparity fan, I've heard of a kirin (or dracony as I like calling them) which are offspring between a dragon and pony.
I have them in my heaccanon, though they are mostly concentrated around Baltimare and the Province of Mareland, and they are fiercely loyal to the Twin Thrones.
I've never really gave much thought to whether or not they have cutie marks, the things are as much magic as they are genetic
I also wanted this subspecies to be in show ever since I learned were Griffins in the show. The Fault in Our Cutie Marks only helped reinforced that wish. Ito my head canon that far down the line that Gabrielle or Gabby hooks with a pony and later produces hippogriffs. Then they are to achieve what she realistically could not and gain a cutie mark. It be poetic that way.