Regarding Donkeys, you know the drill.

Religion
Magic
Culture
Politics
Technology

Perhaps more of a focus on how closely related they are to Ponies?

However, I have no clue where to start with Mules.
I mean, they clearly exist in-show, but are they the same as what we would call Mules irl?
Did some Earth Pony really roll in the hay with Matilda Senior?

DEBATE FOR MY AMUSEMENT

I don't really know how Donkey's should be classified, and let's leave Mules until we have Donkey's sorted out, ok? Anyway, IRL, this is what Wiki has to say:
"The African wild ass (Equus africanus) is a wild member of the horse family, Equidae.[3] This species is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic donkey which is usually placed within the same species.[4] They live in the deserts and other arid areas of the Horn of Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia; it formerly had a wider range north and west into Sudan, Egypt and Libya."

Maybe we could build off that, perhaps where Zebras stayed in Zebrica (or whatever it's called), the ancestors of the donkey migrated out and evolved along side ponies.

What's the consensus on Pony society? Like, there are metropolitan ares like Manehattan and Los Pegasus, a little Roman with Cloudsdale, British with Canterlot and Western with Appleoosa. The technology seems to stay pre-industrial, for the most part. So where would that leave other species? It seems Donkeys would be Eurasian, for the most part if pre-Industrial was the time frame. I'm just talking out of behind here, keep that in mind.

532870
So they could originally have been closely related to Zebra maybe? Socially, if not genetically.

An interesting idea, certainly.

532915 Equestria's tech level is all over the bloody place. They have video games and ovens, but not computers or combustion engines. They use steam-powered trains, but have hydroelectric dams.

I think comparing Pony culture to our own works on a social level, but as soon as you bring technology into the picture it all goes to hell.

532929

Indeed it does go to hell. I'm just talking from a holistic standpoint, though. They obviously have outdated means of communication, despite the video games and electricity. They don't have automobiles, and mostly rely on man(horse?)power to get things done. There was a construction site in the Mare Do Well episode, but if I were me I'd just write it off as Rule of Cool/Funny. They don't have skyscrapers yet, it seems. Manehattan looked 19th to early 20th century. All in all, the world isn't as connected as our own. That's pretty much my reasoning when it comes to time frame, anyway.

532944
Maybe.
There's the entire possibility that they don't have electricity at all, that the tech is powered via some kind of magic/enchanted crystal/mcguffin but meh

Either way, this isn't really the place to discuss Ponies, seeing as they've already been discussed enough on their own .

532948

Alrighty.

From a little skimming, it sounds like Donkeys saw domestication in Egypt, first. Camels seem to be the 'merchant' species from what I've seen (Which I admit isn't a lot), but I've never seen donkeys in this role. They'd probably be well traveled, by and large, and friendly to Equestria if you consider the role of the sun in Egyptian mythology.

Donkeys would probably more similar to ponies than zebras, socially, but I like the idea that they were congruent for a while.

I don't really have many ideas on what magic they'd use. Zebras often use potions, while ponies have spellshaping and nature magic. They could have magic related to, I dunno, building things. I mean, Town Hall crumpled under Derpy's butt, so maybe that line of thinking isn't so out there. If you go the Egyptian route, they could've used magic to place protective curses on their things way back when (like sink-proofing they're pyramids, or something). Any other ideas on magic?

532806>>533024

1. We've had two donkey characters in the show so far--Cranky Doodle and Matilda. They met at the Grand Galloping Gala, and Cranky spent most of his life drifting from place to place. In spite of this lifestyle, he claims he has "many friends" and doesn't "need anymore."

2. Ponies casually insult mules, who must be hybrids between donkeys and ponies. This suggests ponies and donkeys sometimes intermarry, but that the practice is looked down upon.

Speculation: Donkeys have no nation of their own, but, like the cows, have a distinct subculture within Equestria itself. They are Equestria's equivalent of gypsies.

Although I didn't mean it quite seriously, in my story Assassinate Princess Celestia!, I also supposed that Pinkie Pie's wild imaginings in "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" were largely correct and that the mules, ostracized from regular pony society, have a secret order of ninja assassins.

533718
Funnily enough, I'd come to a similar conclusion about Donkeys earlier today.
Well, minus the ninja bit

Wow. Now there's something to ponder. The secret shame of Equestria.
Sure they all preach equality, acceptance and tolerance for everycreature, but in truth there are those regarded as sub-pony/sub-equine. Donkeys, mules, possibly cows and goats too. Well, maybe more mules than donkeys.

533789
Well, there's certainly inter-species racism in Equestria. And some intra-species too, I'd wager. Canterlot Unicorns, for example.
Cows are interesting. Are they willingly subservient, or are they more like slaves? The in-show dialogue would suggest they weren't slaves, but you never know.

Maybe they were bred for servitude, like modern farm animals?

In my headcanon, Goats are symbiotic/subservient to Minotaurs. They rely on each other, but Goats certainly get the short end of the proverbial stick.

Also, why the flying feather do the Apples keep pigs?

533828
Same reason the Flintstones had a pigosaurus under their kitchen sink, garbage disposal.

532806 Well now, here's a neglected species if ever there was one. Let's give it a go.

Donkey
Equus asinus

Origin: Donkeys branched off from the rest of the equines early on in their prehistory, before the great age of magic when zebras, ponies, and Saddle Arabians gained the cutie mark and the abilities to wield magic. In a sense, donkeys offer a glimpse into the past, as their forms have remained stable over the last few million years, and the common ancestors of the equines would have looked very much like donkeys. They remained isolated on the great zebra continent with the other equine species, coexisting with them quite peacefully even after the ancestors of ponies began to spread out across the world.

Religion/Philosophy/Worldview: It's hard to pin down any one philosophy or religion on donkeys, as they are a diverse bunch at the best of times. Being fiercely independent, though, their ethics has often been focused on exercising one's autonomy, and donkeys tend to be skeptics more often than not. It isn't wise to bring this up with them, though, as they are very likely to regard such observations as stereotyping.

Magic: They have no magic whatsoever, not even the sort more commonly found among earth ponies. As a result, they focus more on talents that don't compete with those of the pony breeds (such as agriculture and magical technology), and in any group are likely to be the first to exploit a niche.

Culture: No fixed culture has been confirmed for them. They have developed a myriad of rituals, festivals, architectural styles, art movements, and other such innovations on their own, and most of the major pony cultures contain at least some of their contributions. Occasionally, donkeys will adopt a culture wholesale from their neighbours, and since they've spent most of their history alongside the zebras, a lot of "African-esque" motifs have trickled into the culture pool.

Politics: Donkeys are odd in this respect, since they don't actually have leaders of their own. Instead, decisions are made either by common consensus without a central authority or by recruiting the specialists of whatever field their contention stumbles upon. For instance, in cases of fiscal policy, they'll seek out someone whose job involves handling money for a living as their spokespony, regardless of their actual species. The candidates rarely relish the job, though, as donkeys will subject virtually everything they submit to the keenest criticism. In cases of multi-species government - which are usually the default, as donkeys prefer the presence of other species - they will often act as the Devil's Advocate.

Technology/Science: Donkeys have not contributed anything noticeable for the last few thousand years, ever since the ponies became the dominant species. Nevertheless, they developed civilizations first, and many of their innovations were passed on in modified form to subsequent empires, kingdoms, democracies, dictatorships, and principalities. It's a little-known aphorism that every field of science and technology owes its existence to the work of a donkey.

Feeding: Donkeys usually enjoy the same meals ponies do: fruit, grass, dairy products, flowers, and vegetables. They do have a habit of biting others when enraged or terrified, and have been known to eat eggs, but actual meat-eating has never been recorded.

Life Cycle: Donkeys can live for a few decades, but while this puts them on par with unicorns, they also age earlier and develop devastating disorders more often. Courtship is a long and careful process in which both sides try their best to gain the other's trust and approval, and can sometimes last for months or even years if it seems promising. That said, donkeys have been known to form attachments with surprising speed, and once formed, said attachments will last a lifetime. The young take a few years to grow and are precocious from birth, and teenagers tend to go through a stage of being hyperrational but incredibly stoic, the opposite of what usually happens in other species. It's probable that this is because donkeys used to live in remote regions where predators were more likely to target the very young and the very old, leaving the healthier middle-aged ones with low risk and therefore no need of intense emotions. It may also be because of their unusually intense monogamy, since a partner for life must fulfil very exacting requirements.

As usual, I'll make my disclaimer. This is not necessarily my headcanon, and particular details could be changed. I just thought it would be fun to try a different angle for the donkeys.

533789

533828

I think they keep pigs to sniff out truffles. There was confirmation from someone on the staff, but I can't remember if it was Faust or someone else.

I also got the impression that cows were paid employees. They turn grass into milk, and in return they get enough money to go shopping at Sugar Cube Corner, like Daisy Jo was doing in A Friend In Need.

What makes me wonder is how, if most hoofed animals seem to be sapient enough, they still end up being relegated to the roles of real world farm animals. Even allowing that the ponies enjoy the advantages of magic, flight, and possibly superstrength, you don't need any of those to make contributions to things like medicine, science, art, or politics, and Celestia doesn't seem to be a Might Makes Right kind of ruler anyway. Do they really contribute nothing to society other than regular milk and truffles?

There don't seem to be many donkeys or mules in Ponyville anyway (two of each have appeared onscreen, one of whom was a celebrity chef who might not actually live there, and another of whom moved there only recently), never mind their population throughout Equestria. Those four are probably immigrants from another continent, like the griffons apparently are according to the official map.

Interesting idea: if all hoofed animals are sapient, and it's because they all had a common ancestor species which was sapient, then by real world reckoning, there have potentially been sapient species in Equestria for roughly 84 million years. This is without counting the sapient tendencies of all the other animals in the show, including those of reptiles like Gummy and Tank.

Religion: Traditionally donkeys follow a more diverse pantheon than the standard two-way model of Equestrian faith.
Magic: Most donkeys in modern Equestria take a sceptical view of their chances of having magic but the more traditional ones believe that they can obtain small magical bonuses by way of offerings to the gods.
Culture: Donkey culture is best described as being something like a cross between Confucianism and Ancient Rome. Stubbornness is a fairly common trait amongst donkeys and so they tend to be slow to change their views.
Politics: Originally it was pretty much like the Roman republic but they have since been amalgamated into Equestrian society.
Technology: About the same as Equestria.

688224

What makes me wonder is how, if most hoofed animals seem to be sapient enough, they still end up being relegated to the roles of real world farm animals. Even allowing that the ponies enjoy the advantages of magic, flight, and possibly superstrength, you don't need any of those to make contributions to things like medicine, science, art, or politics, and Celestia doesn't seem to be a Might Makes Right kind of ruler anyway. Do they really contribute nothing to society other than regular milk and truffles?

"Sapient enough" could be more of a sliding scale rather than a bright line. And there's also lifespan to consider - if ponies live as long as humans but cows only live as long as cows, who would bother giving one an education?

(Now donkeys and mules seem to be quite consistently treated as citizen non-ponies, and given Cranky's long search seem to live humanlike lifespans as well. Cows are at least humoured when they try to play at being people, but sheep are herded and have just one line - goats seem smarter and employable, but don't speak.... I'm not sure where I'm going with this, really.)

532806
One point when considering why donkeys and mules seem... disfavoured sometimes, is that they basically resemble ponies while lacking any apparent magic of special traits. It's common enough for unicorns to be shown as contemptuous towards earthponies - imagine the attitude to a version which lacks even a cutie mark, and comes in only a few rather bland colours to boot! And that's not to speak of the mixed offspring, whose pony side is complete overshadowed by such taint - why, what self-respecting mare or stallion would curse their children so! Not nearly enough to explain their prevalance - why, I wouldn't be surprised if,...

Basically, they make for a better analogy for some forms of racism than inter-pony stuff or zebras.

(Edit (Jan 2022): Although such analogies can be quite awkward given that they seem to be genuinely "inferior" in a power sense, and their hybrid offspring likewise... I wonder if there's a workaround.)