Typically in fan art of MLP FiM, the Royal Guards and warrior ponies always had some sort of magic or weapon to aid them. In the case of a sword, they're usually drawn in the mouths. Now I know this is a cartoon and all and ponies could probably grip stuff with their magnetic hooves, but I also know that some of you want to go with the realistic approach.
So for these people, they usually think that when a pony holds a sword, it's mostly by the mouth.

But the problem with this is that ponies are very vulnerable on the other side as ponies would have a hard time trying to switch the blade to the other side. Usually writers and artists try to remedy this by giving them a shield, but let's not ignore the fact that the mouth isn't the best biological part of the body to hold heavy things.

So far, there is only one horse that can successfully use a sword with his mouth, and that's because he is a purebred badass. (Could be wrong about the purebred part.)

But let's not ignore the fact that this is a full-grown (animated) horse. His jaws are probably stronger than that of a pony... probably. Would an Earth Pony's neck be able to support the weight of a sword without being off balance? When you think about it, probably not so.
Which is why some people go with the magnetic hoof approach.
But I think there is a realistic solution that I believe both parties can agree with.

Pata Swords.

Eh? What do you think? This sword is pretty good, and the gauntlet's guard is able to provide decent protection! Not the mention the fact that this sword can easily be held by any of the ponies.
Give it a couple modifications (probably make the blade retractable to save space?), and our little pony warriors should be able to handle a blade perfectly. This way, all pony races don't have to be left behind.
What do you guys think?
Perhaps artists and fan fic writers should start using pata swords in their material the next time they create something involving ponies with swords?

2091613

That's not necessarily the problem.

What the problem is would be more so transference of force, shock and such. Imagine that feeling of hitting a metal bar against rock as hard as you can. Now try doing that with your mouth.

I never like the depiction of ponies wielding swords. I felt they were simply impractical for the equine form. I think the guardsponies are more likely to use bladed or weighted horse shoes to fight in the way horses are shown to do in reality; by kicking.

If I recall correctly, Mulia Mild uses a sword in her hooves when she attacks the Cakes' cake. I agree, ponies using a sword in their mouths is just out of the question.

2091613

Warning: I have Asperger's Syndrome and swords is my special interest. Stop me if I start rambing.

Anyway, I try not to overthink these things. Swords appear to be very rare in Equestria, the ponies apparently favoring the spear. The few swords we have seen, though, were mostly wielded by hoof rather than by mouth. I think the one exception is Pipsqueak, and I kinda doubt he's a swordmaster or anything. And if ponies can somehow grip spears and other oblong objects with their hooves, I'm willing to accept that they can probably use swords the same way. Suspension of disbelief, and all that.

Incidentally, the pata is the probably the least sensible sword design I know of. I don't like criticizing historical weapon designs because if a lot of people were actually willing to put their lives at stake using them in real battles, they must have had some kind of practical application going for them. But even so, I look at the pata and all I can think is: "Wow, someone put a lot of effort into finding a more complex way of making a sword that's still way less practical than a regular one."

2091655
But does would be a little impractically in a real fight. Swords have their pros and cons, but they're able to parry and don't have to be used at such a close range like you suggested with the horseshoes.
Think about the griffins. They have claws that can easily grip stuff. They have way more advantages than the ponies, and the only thing they'll be afraid of is magic. But of course, earth ponies need a solution. This is the best I found so far.

2091695
Like I said: cartoon horses and animals. Who knows what donkeys have.

2091635
Oh most definitely. That reason should be obvious enough.

2091707
Yes, but the point I'm trying to make is that pata swords are seemingly the only practical solution for ponies to use swords. I haven't seen another sword with the pata's design, nor do I claim to be a full expert on swords.

Perhaps the pata is more complicated for humans, but how does a pony adaptation fair? Mind the idea that I'm going with retractable blades to save space, or foldable ones that are very reinforced so the hinges don't break or something.

2091726

Yes, but the point I'm trying to make is that pata swords are seemingly the only practical solution for ponies to use swords.

Hence: "Incidentally." I was going off on a tangent. My bad.

I haven't seen another sword with the pata's design,

Yes, and there's a very good reason for that becauseaaAARGH!.

Sorry. Trying to stay on topic.

Perhaps the pata is more complicated for humans, but how does a pony adaptation fair?

Well, they'd still need some way to hold on to it, as they wouldn't be able to use an internal grip like with the real human version. That gets a bit tricky, because you don't want a weapon that you have to strap to your arm via some complex mechanism every time you want to use it. When things start going all medieval you want to be able to just reach down a grab it, you know? So it's probably even more complicated if you don't have any fingers.

That aside, I imagine it would look kinda like Apple Bloom's fencing:

I seriously have no clue how they're doing that.

Really, the idea behind the pata hilt is pretty much the same as with the pistol grip, except much dumber, because it won't let you move your wrist.

2091613

Watch for the guardsponies in Magical Mystery Cure.

Magnetic hooves are cannon.

That's the thing about fictional universes. Everything doesn't need to make complete sense in the realm of physics. Enter the handwave.

2091707

"Wow, someone put a lot of effort into finding a more complex way of making a sword that's still way less practical than a regular one."

I fell in love with you a little bit just now.

I guess this pata sword would be the only option for a pony. Who don't even have wrists.

This is one thing that baffled me about Fallout Equestria. Unless you're a unicorn, you're hosed. Thats probably why Blackjack and LittlePip are both unicorns. The authors couldn't be bothered to come up with an intelligent work around for lack of hands. With the acception of the battle saddle. But firing a gun with your mouth? Are you serious?

Human swords are pretty much impossible so they have to adapt around it. Someone above mentioned retractable blades which would be a good idea. If the gauntlet/arm part is just going to stay on their leg then they'll need to be able to walk. And thats impossible if the blade is always out.

One other obstacle is stance. They'd have to learn how to stand and walk on their hind legs comfortably. At least that seems apparent to me. And this isn't impossible. Across the MLP franchise in nearly every generation its been shown that ponies can walk on their hind legs for prolonged periods. It would just need practice.

Take it one step forward and just give them Pony Light Sabers. That way no pony has to worry about the weight of the blade hindering them during combat.

I've been developing my story since April now, just creating the world and all that, but this same subject has been eating at me for a while. My story is going to be quite long, and it's full medieval. So naturally it's going to have frequent sword play. Now, I hate fantasy fighting with back flips and all that. I much prefer good old fashioned HEMA.

I don't think that the pata or similar hoof strapped swords are the best idea. The reason is that you won't be able to use that hoof for anything else besides holding the sword. Perhaps you need to catch yourself after falling off balance? Or maybe you want to...move. You can't use that hoof for walking if it's strapped to a pata.

My personal solution was for sword play to further implement the fetlock. In essence, it's the wrist of an equine. The joint between the carpus (knee) of the foreleg and the hoof itself. In real equines, it only bends forward/upward. But in MLP, it bends the opposite, and bends better backwards than forwards. I think that MLP ponies can bend it so that they can grip things between the foreleg and the hoof. This would also explain why ponies in the show an "magnetically" grab things with their hooves pretty frequently. It also explains why so many objects and tools in the show require the dexterity to grab them, but not the dexterity to finely manipulate them with fingers.

After giving it some though, the mouth isn't the worst place for a weapon or tool, though it's far from perfect. Because of their elongated shape, I believe that pony mouths would be a bit better suited for performing tasks than human mouths. Combine this with the fact that equines have much longer, stronger tongues, and wallah! Some tools and even some weapons can be operated in the mouth. My main concern with weapons is the shock absorption and the reach. When a pony extends their foreleg outward, they gain an extra few feet of reach compared to extending their neck. That makes a tremendous difference in a fight!

My main problem with my story now is simply that if a pony holds the weapon in a foreleg, they have to limp to walk. And if they have a two "handed" weapon, they can't walk at all without balancing on their hind legs. While I agree they can stand on their hind legs for prolonged periods, even further with training, I don't think they can walk very well that way, or at least not like a human can.

I don't want combat to rely on telekinesis, as that would screw over earth ponies and pegasi, I also don't want them to fight entirely on hind legs. Then it kind of makes it feel human or anthro; something I really want to avoid.

If anyone wants to talk more about this, or similar subjects, I'd be glad to.

6479944

I don't want combat to rely on telekinesis, as that would screw over earth ponies and pegasi,

In canon the pegasi can use their wings like hands and Earth ponies don't seem to have a problem operating their limbs just like a humans.
I would just give small scale telekinesis to earth ponies, lines up quite well with depictions of ponies doing things with out their mouths in the show.
Also, waking on hind legs is a thing.