//------------------------------//
// A Biological Overview of Equus mannulus terrenus 
// Story: The Sparkle Essays 
// by food food food 
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A Biological Overview of Equus mannulus terrenus


A Physiological Study of Earth Ponies by Twilight Sparkle



Many ponies and non-ponies make the mistake of underestimating the ‘ordinary’ and ‘dull’ earth ponies.  Though they comprise almost 45% of Equestria’s population, few attempts have been made to understand their physiological and magical attributes.  To an outsider, it may appear that earth ponies are bereft of any magic and equivalent to a unicorn without a horn or a pegasus without wings.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, earth ponies bear some of the most unusual traits out of all the pony subspecies.

The strength of the earth pony is common knowledge throughout Equestria and beyond.  During the Classical Era, the Equestrian Alliance of Rightful Tribal Holdings under Chancellor Puddinghead kept the motto, ‘velut terrae’, or, ‘strong as the earth’.  Any earth pony can be expected to be able to overpower a pegasus or unicorn of similar size in almost all occasions.  The natural athleticism of the earth pony spawned events such as the Iron Pony competition and the Everfree Games (later rechristened as the Equestria Games).  Earth ponies have denser muscle mass that develops even without exercise, giving even the laziest of ponies a wiry strength.  Even so, the strength of the earth pony is not merely physical, but bears magical properties as well.

When stressed, an earth pony’s strength can amplify by orders of magnitude.  When in this state, objects as large as a house can be moved with little effort, boulders can crumble beneath ironclad hooves, and almost no creature on land can overtake a determined earth pony.  Little is known about this ‘stress response’; details on how to stimulate it, how long it lasts, or even the upper limits of the pony’s abilities remain unknown.  What is certain is that this state is a defense mechanism that draws on the innate magic of earth ponies, much like involuntary spellcasting can be to unicorns.  The magic supersedes the limitations of the muscle and bone that defines most other actions, though the bone structure seems to be built for such outbursts of power.

Earth ponies have an incredibly dense bone structure, with a strength-to-weight ratio similar to some steel alloys, yet still flexible enough not to impede movement.  The entire skeletal structure of an earth pony is coated in layers of cartilage that negate impact damage in many injuries.  This tough endoskeleton combined with the dense muscle mass surrounding it, causes earth ponies to weigh more than similarly sized pegasi or unicorns.

The strength and endurance earth ponies possess makes them well suited for tasks involving manual labor and physical prowess.  Occupations such as construction, heavy lifting, and farming usually employ large amounts of earth ponies.  Farming is especially exclusive to earth ponies due to their innate connection with the earth and with all living things.  This magical connection is not well understood, defying most attempts at explanation.  Earth ponies seem to influence nearby organisms to their liking.  The initial effect is minute, but extended exposure causes crops to quadruple in output, weeds and unwanted growth to diminish, animal life to become tame, wounds to heal, and even the most barren of ground to become fertile.

With the power to tame the soil and the wildlife, it is no wonder that earth ponies are the most numerous out of the pony subspecies.  Their strength, endurance, and ability to dominate the land has truly earned them their name as the ponies of the earth.