Earth ponies are a rarity among the Royal Guards or Canterlot elite; instead they tend to their crops, dig up rocks, and occupy other such menial jobs. Though no overt racism exists in modern Equestria, nopony would be faulted for looking at the humble earth pony a little dismissively; even the earth ponies themselves do on occasion. After all, they can't fly or use magic.

It wasn't always this way. In a bygone era obscured by the niceties of the Hearthwarming Eve story, casual racism was just a euphemism for war, and war meant hilariously lopsided death ratios for the earth ponies and their hapless conscript armies. After all, they can't fly or use magic.

But hey you never know. Fix bayonets and over the trenches boys! This next pony wave attack will surely do the trick...