qt

@Background Pony #9D0D  
I meant from an equine perspective.
 
Admittedly I could have been clearer if I used the word ungulate.

@Stotter  

 
But giraffes aren’t equines.

@Crowley  

 
The logic is so messed up in this world.

Angel has proven to me well enough that the animals are undeniably sapient. There’s no grey area to it with so much evidence. It seems to be a cultural choice for most animals not to learn to talk or have homes though. Perhaps it’s also to do with them having shorter life spans so none of them ever really leave a child-minded state. They’re happy with their lives though, if they weren’t, they’d say so, probably in English. Then again with someone like Fluttershy around, there is even less need to learn the language, since she can understand any basic level of speech it seems.
 
@Background Pony #5CAF  

 
The plural of sheep is sheep

What if this is the equine equivalent of the non-human primates?

@Background Pony #5CAF  
The more apparent application of this theory is when Fluttershy’s temporal duplicate gave Spike’s temporal duplicate the ability of speech in FG. X3

@Crowley  
Yeah, the sentience and/or sapience of non-equine animals is quite possibly the area of the show that’s most mixed-up and contradictory; best not to dwell too much on it, and just live in the moment, as it were. Though Background Pony #5CAF proposed a surprisingly workable headcanon.

@FanOfMostEverything  
I like the latter interpretation.

@Crowley  
Signs of sentience? That damn rabbit could probably open his own business. Seems to me like being a “pet” or “critter” is more a matter of personal attitude than anything.

@Crowley  
@Background Pony #BE95
 
Headcanon proposal: Sapience in Equestria is its own type of magic or energy that could be created and transferred through close interactions with already sapient creatures. That’s why most of the ponies’ pets appears to be more intelligent. The sheeps and cows slowly gained their sapience due to years of shepherding by the ponies. Fluttershy exerting a stronger field could also explain her ability to communicate with the animals.

Cute.  
CUTE I say!

@Dirty Bit  
non canon……. i don’t know what you talking bout. the episode was, largely, canon. just not something that we gonna see referenced every scene

@Crowley  
greater signs of sentience at least. tank is probably more aware than most turtles.

@Crowley
 
Although technically non-canon, that monologue is legendary. Lee Tockar broke the mold back then

@Sr Pelusa  
@Keith Mowz  
Oh yeah, those sheep too. And yet the pigs aren’t sentient like the cows or sheep… and pets like Winonam, Tank and Opal aren’t sentient… but Angel and Owlowiscious often show signs of sentience… and let’s not even get started on the implications of Gummy and his monologue in that one episode.

@Sr Pelusa  
And they put in cages.

And the “you know you could have just asked” sheep.

@Crowley  
Sheep can talk and yet they live in a farm

Very cute. A shame she isn’t sapient…
 
@Crowley
 
I know, right?

@FanOfMostEverything  
Well, the giraffe was dumb enough to run into that unfinished doorframe. But I do find it odd that she’s classed as non-sentient in this, while one of Applejack’s neighbours is a sentient talking cow (that even Pinkie remembers the birthday of).  

So, is she just an animal with very expressive eyes, or a sapient who decided to not say anything and freeload in Dr. Fauna’s office?

This giraffe was a QT!

She’s important, she’s the first giraffe we seen in the show, we must see more different animals species talking