I know it's a common theme in the fandom that Earth Ponies got their own brand of magic, often involving nature, but has it ever been mentioned at all in the show?

Just confused because it's such a widespread concept, yet I can't recall it at all from the show, have I forgotten something?

898568 I don't think there ever has been any mention in the show of earth ponies possessing any form of magic.

As I understand, the fandom gets it from Word of Faust; she posted somewhere on DA or Twitter or something that earth ponies have their own magic. But I've never personally read the cited post, and don't know the context, so take that for what it's worth.

The thing of it is, it appeals to a sense of balance if earth ponies have something. Unicorns are obviously magical, pegasi have to have some brand of magic to interact with the weather the way they do, so it stands to reason to expect that the other third of Equestria has got something on the same level as the others. Generally, it's interpreted as some means of growing food, since that is the earth ponies' role in the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant (and also in a lot of cases in modern Equestria as well).

But, according strictly to what has appeared in the show and nothing else, no, there has been no confirmation of there being such a thing as "earth pony magic."

898568 It's not mentioned in the show. "Earth pony magic" is one of the most widespread and deep-rooted fandom conceits we have n this corner of intarwebz, and most justification for it goes thus:

1) this show taked place in the Magical Land of Equestria, with two pony sisters who raise the freakin' sun and moon.

2) this land of Equestria is full of magical talking horses. Magical. Talking. Horses.

3) All the races (Pegasus, Unicorn, Earth Pony) are treated as equal and seem to be equally capable

4) Unicorns quite definitely use magic, and it makes sense that Pegasi use magic to control the weather, walk on clouds, and fly with their tiny-ass wings. Case in point, "Snowflake". If he can make Wonderbolts with his hummingbird wings, there's got to be some magic involved.

5) Therefore: To keep up with the other, obviously magical races in the world of magic rainbow talking horses, Earth Ponies probably have some form of their own magic at least tied up in the things they do. Most farmers you see are Earth Ponies, Earth Ponies are the ones pulling entire trains across the freakin' desert, they do most of the hard labor AND seem to be the ones in charge of baking, or really anything to do wth food, which crops up in the Hearthswarming Pageant.

So a lot of fandom people with too much thinking in their brains (like me) assume that earth ponies are incredibly connected to the land and the magics of fertility and growth and nature. It evens out the scoreboard across the three races of pony and helps explain things like why four stallions can pull a long-ass train, or why Applejack was physically capable of harvesting almost the entirety of Sweet Apple Acres in what boils down to a little over a week when you look at it, or why Pinkie Pie anything...

I hope this helped cure you of some of your confusion.

898742

Not saying that you (and 99% of the entire fandom lol) is wrong, but what if as a "trade off" for not having any magic, the Earth Ponies simply adapted by gaining much more evolved muscles?

Wich would make some sense because they can't just magic thing away like the Unicorns or fly past them like the Pegasi.

Edit: as for Pinkie Pie, thats clearly gypsy magic ;D

898763 There's definitely some more evolved muscles going on (BIG MACINTOSH), but I feel like those aren't quite enough to explain everything away. "Earth pony magic" is sometimes used to explain things like uberstrength among the earth pony population, and I am well aware of how Earth Ponies tend to be craftier and better able to improvise a plan since they can't rely on wings or mumbo-jumbo.

If there is Earth Pony Magic, I feel like it would probably be something instinctual, uncontrollable or almost entirely subconscious, except for a few notable exceptions, such as Pinkie Pie, who I see in my headcanon of Magic Rainbow Talking Smooching Ponies to be entirely in tune with her latent magical abilities and thus able to fuck with the world when it's funny to do so.

It's totally a personal taste, and I respect that the actual canon and a distinct population of the fandom do not necessarily think it is a real thing, but I'm too happy about M.R.T.S.P. (see above) to redact it from my imagination. I don't actively write plotpoints that revolve around it, but Earth Pony Magic definitely colors my perception of events.

Hearths Warming Eve pretty much says that the earth ponies are the only ones able to grow food. I can see the pegasi never bothering with it (living on clouds), but the unicorn's lived on the ground as well. They thought themselves so superior (if Princess Platinum is anything to go by). I doubt they would ask for help from the earth ponies unless they had to. Also, in that episode, Applejack held up a clump of dirt and it was visibly growing in her hoof. It's also my opinion that earth pony instinct and magic is why Granny Smith knew how to properly prepare Zap Apples. I think earth pony magic is also why Mr. Greenhooves has to tend to Fluttershy's garden.