So after some trial and error, I’ve determined that writing with your mouth is really hard. If you try holding it with your lips, the pencil wiggles all over the place. And if you bite down on the pencil with your molars, it’s so stiff your writing is too blocky. But the latter was definitely better because I could at least control the pencil. So I thought, hey, Earth ponies would probably be a lot better at this than me! With practice, you could have some pretty good penmanship.
 
 
-Earth pony foals never enter a schoolhouse without a penbit. This handy little device allows Earth ponies, and anyone really, to grip the pencil with greater control and comfort without getting it all slobbery. Penbits are typically made of plastic presently, but they used to be made of clay or wood. Nowadays, foals treat penbits like little accessories and they come in all sorts of colors and patterns. Some are even flavored! Of course the flavored ones lead to more drool stains on essays.
 
 
Additionally, ponies are taught to write in cursive to save time and spare their neck muscles from constantly dipping down to write, which is unfortunate for dyslexic ponies.
 
 
-All ponies have hoof magnetism where objects are naturally attracted to their hooves. But Earth ponies have on average the strongest hoof magnetism, and some even “train” their hooves to pick up things. There are even competitions to see who can pick up the heaviest thing with just their hooves. Applejack holds the Ponyville record with her apple trick here. This magic does seem to respond to conscious effort, rather than unconscious. Otherwise things would be sticking to pony hooves all the time!
 
 
-Earth ponies have a stronger connection to the Earth than some. It varies of course, but farming ponies have a very strong sense for what soil is good to grow on without digging or getting a closer look. They can also sense the health of plants, if there is something toxic in the ground, and some can even sense exactly how moist the soil is without a need for instruments. They’re also really good at finding water this way, and so are often enlisted to build wells. Big Mac is especially known for this gift.