Because of the new @strange-aeons video, I've seen a lot of newbies to the clown husbandry scene, and while I'm personally thrilled about the light shed on our small but very important community, I've got a few important reminders to all interested/new clown keepers!

Clowns are living creatures!

To the seasoned keeper, this may seem an incredibly simple minded first point- but I've seen time and time again, a clown being adopted because they're cute, and promptly being abandoned due to the new keeper not having realized they were getting into.

Clowns are living, breathing creatures that can become trusted and wonderful companions- if you are capable of giving them the care that they require and frankly deserve. A mistreated clown will not take kindly to their handler. That being said..

Clown breeds require different care!!

From loud, fun loving entertainers like the party clown to the quiet, reserved hijinks of the mime, clown breeds vary as much as any other pet you may have had. Before adopting a clown, ensure that you have what you need to take care of them! This involves room for troupemates if they're a social species, animals for a rodeo clown, ect ect ect. This also involves appropriate habitation. Don't keep your jester in a haunted house!!

Chucklets are NOT for beginners!!

This is probably the MOST important point of this post- If you're a beginner clown owner, do NOT adopt a chucklet!! I know the appeal might be hard to resist, but chucklets are oftentimes naturally quite violent! I know a guy who lost a finger to a birthday cross chucklet, one of the most gentle breeds out there. Chucklets are volatile until their adult markings grow in, and remain volatile if not properly trained and cared for. Clowns will remember the faces of humans they don't like, even if they don't remember why they don't like that human. Remember, Clowns can be rather simple. You put yourself AND the chucklet in danger if you aren't properly equipped to care for them!

Thank you for reading! If there are any questions, my dms and asks are always open ☆♡

A Quick Guide to Clown Breeds

Today I'd like to discuss the amazing genetic diversity found in our delightful clowns. Most of my information comes from the fantastic @clownology4dummies blog and this article is a direct result of the mini-interview I had with them. There's quite a lot to take in so we'll break it down into a few sections. The goal is that you will be able to answer your own question as to which breed your little funny friend is!

What are the Different Clown Breeds?

There are actually quite a lot of clown breeds! The most common terms you'll find amongst the clown husbandry tag include Teacup, Jester, Circus, Rodeo, Party, Mime, Harlequin, Pierrot, Porcelain, Tramp, Tragic, Auguste, Whiteface, and Fool. A lot of these terms are subcategories of others, so let's take a look at the umbrella terms and their related variations.

Circus

Circus is likely the largest umbrella beyond even what I've denoted here. In most cases, every breed can qualify as a circus clown with only a few exceptions. Circus clowns are rowdy, energetic, and require significant stimulation making them a tough breed for average households and new keepers.

However their beauty rivals that of traditional clown performers making them sought after by collectors. Additionally, circus breeds also have three main variations with unique behaviors and appearances each.

Whiteface

Possibly the best known breed is the whiteface. Inspired by the leader of the troupe in the classic clown theater format, this breed is elegant and beautiful. Their skin tends to be chalk white all over and they beat delicate and intricate marking.

Auguste/contre-auguste

In traditional performances, the auguste is the absurd counterpart of the whiteface. Troupes may have more than one auguste whereas there is typically only one whiteface. The auguste often has a base skin tone that is highlighted with section of white. The white patches are usually outlined in a distinct color and the other marking they have are typically bold, bright, and exaggerated. They lack the subtle dignity of whitefaces and tend towards loud and boisterous appearances and behavior.

Tramp

Another popular circus variety is the tramp, also known as the hobo clown. In breeding circles it's typically referred to as the American Standard Coat. This breed is known for its long and luxurious coat. Besides this, they typically have markings somewhere between the tragic and the auguste, but with a more rugged flair.

Jester

The jester is easily one of the most sought after breeds of clowns. They hail from a very privileged lineage prized by royalty of old. As such they are known for their exquisite costumes of high quality materials and bold colors and patterns. Additionally, true purebred jesters have little to no facial markings.

Fool

The fool is the commoner variety of the jester breed and tends to have less exquisite breeding. They are typically mixed with any other variety of clown. Despite having slightly more drab costumes and coloring, they make up for this with big personalities and accessibility to the average collector.

Harlequin

The harlequin fits squarely between the fool and jester being both and neither at the same time. Primarily they are denoted as a jester with an emphasis on patterns. Harlequin make up for a lack of facial marking with an explosion of costume detail.

Pierrot

The pierrot is somewhere between the royal perfection of the jester and the raw elegance of the whiteface. These clowns tend to have delicate markings and minimalist costumes. Typically their coloration consist of almost exclusively white with small black or red elements. These clowns thrive on culture and have a major flair for dramatic theatrics.

Tragic

As a subcategory of Pierrot, the tragic clown unsurprisingly focuses on theater. However their interest is as one would expect, primarily about tragedies. They love all things sad, dramatic, and dreary. They can usually be spotted with recent tear stains. Don't be surprised if your clown spends a lot of time sighing or staring out the window. That's just how they are and they like it that way.

Porcelain

Since many breeds feature porcelain elements, this grouping could potentially be an umbrella term for most other categories. However for the sake of simplicity, this blog will use this term to refer to clowns with porcelain like details but who don't quite qualify as a whiteface on their own. They may be partially or entirely porcelain and as such should be treated with care and dignity so as to avou trips to the vet.

Teacup

The teacup clown is arguably the most popular among the clown husbandry tag. Due to their petite size and soft features, they are a great choice for the average size house dwelling keeper. Teacups typically range from three to five inches from toe to hat tip. They have soft sand filled bodies that are especially good at sitting and looking cute. Usually the face is porcelain.

Due to their popularity, teacups share a liniage with just about every other breed. It's not uncommon to find teacups with jester, whiteface, and even scareclown features.

Party

Another favorite among clown enthusiasts is the party breed. Much like real life clown performers, this breed is dynamic, friendly, and outgoing. The appearance of the breed is extremely varied and they can have features like just about any other breed. The only difference is that the party clown is always bright, colorful, and typically they have extraordinary patterns. Party clowns typically don't have anything subtle about them and their facial markings are between that of the August and the whiteface.

Rodeo

The rodeo is actually closely related to the American Standard Coat but it was bred for working purposes. Much like the real rodeo workers, this clown breed has a desire to work with livestock and has excellent herding instincts. As such they need a lot of space and significant exercise opportunities. They differ from tramps in that they rarely have coats; instead they features costumes akin to colorful exaggerations of cowboys.

Scare

The scare clown is my personal favorite breed and I'm very excited to have the chance to discuss them. This breed is determined more by diet and behavior than appearance. They live to thrill others and spend a lot of time lurking and waiting for the perfect jump scare opportunity. They are quite aggressive and most believe they are essentially completey wild and should not be interacted with like other domestic breeds.

In terms of appearance, scares can look like virtually any other clown; from elegant to eccentric. However, darker coloration and features that tend toward the uncanny are generally associated with scares. Additionally it's worth noting that some breeder intentionally breed clowns to look like horror movie clowns. While some argue this may not be the most sustainable or humane practice, lookalike scares still remain popular with many collectors (myself included!).

Mime

It's important to note that while mimes of the human cultural sense are a variety of clowns, they are different in the collector sense. While they share looks with whiteface and color palettes of Pierrot, it's not visible features that make them different. Mimes are by nature completey silent. They also confound themselves and others with magic tricks.

Interbreeding mimes with other clown varieties may result in extremely elegant offspring. However it's considered to be a highly immoral practice. Doing so causes a lot of stress to the parents and the offspring as mime mothers will consistently reject young the instant they make noise-- and most other breeds are very noisy from the get go. This means breeders must be able to care for extremely young and vulnerable clowns which is challenging to say the least.

Which Breed is My Clown?

For most of us, this is the most important question. However, it's actually a very difficult question to ask. Just talk to anyone that works at a local adoption center or take a look at your local strays. Clowns have been carelessly bred for decades by shady individuals. As such, few clowns you'll find today are definitely a purebred of any variety. Most display a chaotic mix of behavior and visual genetic variation.

As such it's not unfair to judge your teacup as also whiteface and jester. Or your jester as scare and tragic. Look closely at the details in your clowns makeup, costume, and behavior to make an educated guess. Ultimately only a genealogy test will give you definitive answers, but those can be pricey depending on your location. As such it's generally considered more worthwhile to puzzle the likely origins of clowns and simply enjoy them as the quirky mix breed they are.

Final Thoughts on Clown Breeds

In closing it's easy to see why new clown keeper's tend to become.confused as to which category their clowns fit into. I hope this guide has helped you clear up any confusion you have. Please feel free to comment below with any questions or to ask our friends at Clownology for even more expertise.

Additionally if you feel I've made any mistakes here, please don't hesitate to comment or reblog with corrections. As I primarily raise circus and scare clowns, I'm by no means an expert on every breed. I will be delighted to make adjustments so this blog can serve as a useful resource to newcomers and expert clown parents!

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you'll join me again soon for more clown news and articles. In the future I'll be discussing each breed in more detail as well as exploring specific pure bred lineages.

I wrote a Whole Response to this ask and then I was like oh I wanna browse clown tumblr a bit so I went to save it as a draft and TUMBLR made it come up RED and deleted my whoole thing. So the ask box and the drafts on the blog get eaten up into tumblr’s bottomless gullet. Save me, friends :0( [sad honking noises]

BUT!! Thank you so so much for the ask anon, I got so excited!! :03

You all know parties, pierrot, and scares, but HERE are some clown breeds for YOU that you might not have known about!! (Maybe some of my personal favs hehe)

Porcelains are a favorite of mine- maybe because I care for one myself!!! I’ve seen a lot of pictures of them on my dash, but no one really talking about the breed itself. I think it’s pretty important to do so since they’re not a beginner breed, mostly due to their fragility. They’re very prone to cracking :,0( They evolved from clayface clowns, and their porcelain skin was believe to have been evolved to protect them, like a bird’s egg would- so it’s very good at evenly distributing force, but certain things can cause it to crack.

They enjoy the finer things in life- frills and shiny objects, pastries and sweets- Pinkee has been particularly fond of tea parties recently…. <3 They’re usually very small and dainty little things!! They’re also commonly mixed with other clown breeds such as parties or Pierrot!! Pinkee says hello!!

Rodeos are a breed of clown that I don’t think gets enough love, especially because they’re so so interesting!! Not many people care for them in the home- which I understand, since it’s a bit difficult to reproduce their natural environment. They’re used to warmth, having originated from the desert, and you know.., bull fights are a little difficult to just whip out in your backyard. They’re a very daring, energetic, and charming breed though! Some of my favs <3

Acrobats!!! Ough!! /pos!! They’re definitely not a breed I see on tumblr a lot, in comparison to their working human counterparts for which they were named. Different varieties/subspecies have popped up all over the globe, which I think is really cool!! They tend to parallel the humans performing the tricks they love :)) which I think is really sweet.. <3 They require a looooot of space, which is why they’re not as common domestically- they need room and equipment to swing and leap around. Their unique behaviors are what make them some of my favorites!!

Jesters have been making a comeback, as evident from my little friend Pinkee. They’re a living underdog story, really! They originate from the court jester, which was a breed that was believed to have gone extinct by the 21st century, due to the loss of their habitat and the way they evolved into different modern breeds of clown. But following the discovery of an isolated colony, clown husbandry enthusiasts worldwide have been working to spread this newer, more modern form of this breed that is more reminiscent of the court jester!! Court jesters themselves are very interesting to me, I always have some hope they’re not actually extinct,,

Teddies are, well- very similar to teddy bears, and come in a lot of different aesthetic varieties!! Usually very frilly and fluffy <33 They’re very good with kids and are overall just an extremely pleasant breed and wonderful for families! Very low maintenance as well- though they still need love and attention just like any other clown!!! They’re super common- sometimes you’ll see a teddy and you might not even know it’s a living clown, which has spooked me at the shelter,,,,,,,,Many Times,,,,,,,, I love them dearly though, they’re such cute little things! They love pastries and fluffier foods like cotton candy!

And those are some of my favs/breeds I think deserve more love!!!!! I can write up some more if you need, I was just very excited to write abt these guys!!!

Sending love! Please update us on that master post if you can!

-Mod Grace :0)

Discussing Pierrot/Birthday mixes

Recently, I’ve seen many clown owners who are beginners adopting “pierrot/birthday” crossbreeds. But, from further investigation of these clowns I’ve noticed that these aren’t Pierrot/birthday clowns, but delicate Starfrost clowns.

Most people are unfamiliar with this breed, because it used to be very uncommon. Starfrost clowns were usually used for “the dance of the stars”, an old common holiday celebrated in December for showings of a new year and a brighter future. These clowns would mimic the stars in a dance form that looked as though these clowns were shooting stars. But since this holiday has died down, so has the need for starfrost clowns.

If I’m being honest, I thought this breed had fully died off. But I’ve been seeing so many more breeds of them which is super exciting! These breeds normally have minimal designs on their face, but the designs they do have are beautifully drawn stars that look like they’re almost shining. There isn’t an exact color palette for them, but their colors mostly range from all different sorts of pastels. These clowns almost resemble ballet dolls, from their delicate and elegant features. Their dress mostly resembles ballet wear, and beautiful long flown dress wear. These are definitely the more fancy types of clowns and even their personalities are like this!

These clowns are very quiet, a lot like mimes and Pierrots. They normally jingle and almost sound like they’re twinkling. They’re often really small, ranging from 2-4 feet tall. They’re very calm and docile, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to manage. Their enrichment can be extremely hard to find, and if I’m being honest I’m not fully sure what all of their enrichment toys are. Their taste is also really refined. They enjoy teaparties and cookies, and adore cupcakes and hot chocolate from what I’ve heard. Basically anything that you’d classify as “winter food” will work. They just really enjoy desserts and especially if they’re star themed. They also need lots of space to dance around and play, and an area with lots of soft colors with stars will make them feel at home. AND REMEMBER! These types of clowns NEED a cold environment! If you live anywhere even remotely hot, I’d suggest not getting one of these guys. On the flip side, if you live in a cold or rainy environment I’d highly suggest giving them a nice loving home!

In my opinion, if your a beginner clown owner I don’t think you should get one of these guys. From what I’ve heard they can be a very hard clown to take care of and keep happy. And I’ve also seen clown owners with a lot of variety in other clowns get one of these guys and I would HIGHLY SAY NO TO THAT!! Starfrost clowns are very bad with other clowns, and can be very dangerous and can lock down if with too many different breeds. They need to have other clowns that are quieter, such as scare, pierott, mimes, sad clowns and other starfrosts. If you have breeds such as rodeo, party, birthday ect, then it could make them go into hiding or even make them go into a depression. Please make sure to have a good mix of quiet clowns for starfrosts!

I hope this made you consider getting some starfrosts, and giving them a nice lovely home! Have fun clowning around everyone :o)

HELLO!!

I am an experienced clown mother, child owner, and clown trainer. My clown family (from oldest to youngest) consists of Hobbles, a senior French mime/circus mix, Jingles, a mixed circus/party clown and Hoops, a pure bred party clown. I know some people would scoff at housing a senior clown with two much younger and rambunctious clowns, but Hobbles is a great older figure to the boys!

Our family and wealth of knowledge is happy to help you with any clown care questions you may have! This site is packed with useful information on many different breeds of clown, but there is also misinformation lurking beneath. I am mostly knowledgeable about party, circus, and mime which are some of the most common breeds. (Although mimes are not a starter clown! I can elaborate on that more in a further post which I will do soon.) That being said, I do not have much knowledge on other breeds and there are better resources on Tumblr for things like Rodeo, other mime mixes, and jesters.

I am currently making a master list of information posts, look out for a detailed care guide for party, circus, and mime/circus mixes!

XOXO, Slushy Mother🩷

Henlo it’s me again

I’m happy to announce that Georgie now has two younger brothers!

I got the two new sillies because a woman on my street has a clown that recently had a litter, and I just couldn’t resist.

Their names are Todney (left) and Francis (right) and they will appear on my blog along with Georgie soon!

I was just wondering if you could give me some insight as to what breed these might be, as I am still not an expert and the woman I got these from did not know either, or if you could point me in the direction of someone that could

I just like having an idea of what I have before taking them to their first trip to the vet.

Thanks in advance!!

(And feel free to dm me if you want to hear more about the silly little guys :> )

How absolutely marvelous! Congratulations to you and Georgie!

They seem very much like a mix of multiple different breeds, what you might call mutts, they also seem to be teacups. (although they are still young so it’s harder to tell) My best guess for what breeds they are would be Rodeo clown and Common Fool. They don’t seem like party clowns because of the colors, party clowns are usually much brighter. As far as I know, Fools and Rodeos both fall under the circus clown umbrella, and I don’t think their diets are much different than typical party clowns. Pies, candy apples, peanuts, cake, chocolate, lollipops, cotton candy, popcorn, ect. Rodeos are typically high energy and very playful so taking them out for lots of activities is a good idea. Common fools are known to collect items they find interesting, particularly shiney things, like bells, stamps, coins, stickers, jewelry, buttons and feathers. They are almost certain to get along well with Georgie and shouldn’t have trouble cohabitating. (teacups are known for getting along well with eachother) Overall they don’t seem like anything difficult to work with, and as a bonus they are absolutely adorable! (As always I’m no geneticist, I could be mistaken, but you’re already taking them to the vet so I’m not at all worried)

Say hello to Todney, Francis and Georgie for me!

Best wishes to you <3

Compilation collection of clown companion designs

From top to bottom, we have,

Weenie

She's a pure breed "jack in the box" clown. One of the smallest breed's of clown. Thanks  to a leucistic mutation that caused her clown markings to not be  visible, she was excluded from be able to be used in clown show breeding. So she was put up for adoption early and cheaply, and grew up among scary clowns. Picking up the carrying weapons habit, with her weapon of choice being an ice pick. Jack in the box clowns are insect  eating ambush predators. Able to scrunch down and fit into very small spaces, before springing up at high speed to catch insects in flight. They have weird suction cup butts. And are just a little bit larger than  the average ferret. Most of the time, jack in the box are little jumpscare machines. Popping out of any nook or cranny to try and spook someone. But Weenie, thanks to her growing up with much larger scary guard clowns, developed a much different tactic. Which basically amounts to walking up to a person and looking at them. What in a scary clown would be expressed as an intimidating looming over of a potential threat. But with a tiny silky furred jack in the box, it becomes an adorable and  ridiculous looking animal coming into someone's field of view, which is often enough to get an intense reaction all on its own.  

Flip-Flop

She’s a small pierrot hybrid, about a foot tall. she loves flowers and tumbling and gymnastics.

Bingo

He’s a cannonball clown, one of the most roundest breeds of clowns. They’re very shock absorbent, and enjoy high speed. especially being shot out of cannons. But being thrown around or sticking their head out of car windows are also good.

Meatloaf

He’s an older clown, but well behaved and good with kids. He’s about 5 feet tall and especially talented at shadow puppets.

Oyster

She’s a pretty typical rodeo clown, though with more purple.

It is always a blessing to hear of your wisdom but I must know something. Clowns is such a broad word. I know there are sub species of clowns but what is the most common?

HELLO!

That is a very good question, and one with a somewhat complicated answer... Clowns are indeed broad with much more overlap in behavior, temperament and coloration than most humans realize.

In fact, humans rarely realize that clowns, being highly social and adaptable, can change based on their environment and social order in their troupe. A teacup juggler can grow to twice its size if it feels like the human child it is bonded to is being threatened, and a scare clown will flatten down their frills and grow more pastel in coloration if given the task of caring for the clownlings in a troupe’s hatchery ballpit.

Back when I was but a young clown those like myself seemed to be the most common. Clowns tended to have only one or two colors and much smaller frills. However, with our continued interaction with humans we have grown more colorful and with much more complex patterning.

Humans differentiate these clowns as the common “party bigtop.” However, these are simply clowns who over the generations have become the most used to human interaction and is not in fact a true distinguished breed. 

Jesters are so rare today because they had adapted to medieval courts. However, these bloodlines are in no way extinct. Should you search the cranial surfaces of many a “common bigtop” you would find the vestigial bumps of a jester. You will also find faded mime markings, patches of hard shell from a porcelain, and even some common scare clown markings that have become vivid and colorful.

So while the “common party bigtop” is indeed the most populous, if you look more closely you will find hundreds of clown breeds still among their ranks, similar due to convergent evolution based on the interactions between my species and yours.

However, while the “common party bigtop” has evolved to garner your attention, that does not mean that other clowns have not adapted to human interaction as well, only that they are more specialized to a specific niche. Rodeo clowns have adopted the cowboy hats and leather chaps of their adoptive communities, and mimes have developed the haughtiness and overt artsiness of their native france. 

So in conclusion, while the “common party bigtop” is the most populous breed, they are in fact a thousand different breeds who over the generations have begun to look similar to one another due to their interactions with humans and their convergent evolution to be as appealing to humans as possible.

However, should the taste of humans change, clowns shall change with it. Think of the new “lolita” or “vaporwave” clown breeds that have popped up in recent years. Perhaps in a few generations these shall be the most common of breeds...

Hey! I just discovered your clown tales (clowniverse?? idk how to call it) and it's a really cool concept that makes me think of how snake breeders act pff. Really wanna know more about the clown breeds (esp scary clowns, they probably need hugs)

OMG THANK U SO MUCH im so glad ppl enjoy the bambousio tales! i wanna get back 2 writing them but i wanna finish the hub first lmao.

I'll explain most of it in a tab in the hub, but a lot of my inspiration for the clown breeds (and the idea in general) came from the clown husbandry tumblr tag. Ive been skewing the lore a bit (to make bambousio clowns unique) but if you'd like some facts:

I have the usual Red and White clowns, and i mention Rodeo clowns and jesters as well i think. Jesters are pretty old and vintage sorta (as i take inspiration from the history of clowning) and i also created Time Clowns which i mention pretty often. my Clowncon tale explains the origin of time clowns, and theyre used in SCP-4730 as well.

Scary clowns are different to horror clowns, but i did mention in my clown park tale that they may have three sets of teeth. they also play with fake weapons and (inspired by clown husbandry) are a lot like the bulldogs of clowns if that makes sense. A mutual suggested the idea of clown fighting, which i absolutely love. also yes i agree they deserve all the cuddles and ball pits

a mutual of mine did an entire tale on Rodeo clowns here, if youd like! i save all the bambousio stuff in my sandbox, rn theres about 10 things.

-

ok this is long BUUUT ive also made sure to make a solid difference between Bambousio clowns and Herman Fuller clowns. Bambousio clowns are not human and never were, never will be. All clown breeds fall under the Corydon family (mentioned in 4730) and sapient clowns are some weird phenomenon in clowns. You can read about sapient clowns (albeit by a biased cult leader with a weird saviour complex) here!

sooo yeah! ive tried making bambousio clowns their own thing, but a lot of information i gather is usually from the clown husbandry community. its so bizarre. yeah! i hope this is good! :•]

Charliedabulldog!

Bull dogs, cute, ugly, drooling, whatever you chose to say about them, they are a different breed! I have always loved dogs and for years have wanted to own a bull dog. Five years ago that dream came true when we brought home this darling puppy named Charlie.

Charlie was absolutely the cutest thing I have ever seen! He was wrinkly from head to toe. And those eyes, well, he was just cute. As he grew, he sort of grew out of the cuteness. His bottom jaw didn’t stop growing, so he has a terrible under bite! Now he has a face only a mother can love! But love him I do!

Bull dogs are faster than most people think. By simply looking at them, you wouldn’t think they can move really quick and if you own one, you know they aren’t particularly tickled to do much of anything. Or perhaps that’s just our Charlie!

I also love chickens and living in the country we took advantage of Chick Days at the local Tractor Supply Store and bought some chicks. They did great until they reached adulthood and were allowed to roam the yard. Hawks were not the only threat. There was a greater threat from land. Charlie! He not only chased the chickens, but he could catch them. Because of his “natural” herding instinct, J. we had to get rid of the chickens.

Charlie is also a star. He is part of our son’s rodeo clown act. During the first part of the rodeo the announcer teases our son, known as “Bean”, about having never fought a bull. He’s not a bull fighter, he’s a rodeo clown. The build-up leads to a bull being loaded into the shoot and after much apprehension, they throw open the gate. Out comes Charlie, wearing bull horns and he goes after Bean in the arena. It’s hysterical!

He’s special!

Pone Reviews 56: Appleoosa's Most Wanted Welcome back to Pone Reviews! It's been a while since I broke a tie for an episode poll on my Twitter @diamondsong42, but I did for today's episode. We're travelling to Appleoosa for a rodeo... and we might just meet an Eeyore pony as well. Here's a review of Season 5's "Appleoosa's Most Wanted!" Three morals in a row placed obscurely. Here's my interpretation. "Sometimes you look at something you do all wrong, and it has a different meaning than you think." I'm gonna go out there and say this is one of the most obscure morals in the show, period. Here we have Trouble Shoes, a pony who loves the rodeo but can't lasso like the best of them. But his cutie mark is a horseshoe and he got it during a rodeo! What does it mean? Apparently that rodeo CLOWNING is his real talent! He changed his habits up and his life is so much better. Let's apply this principle to reality. Perhaps you signed up for that art class and are failing miserably even though you think you are doing good. Maybe you should drop the painting class and use your skills to a drawing for animation class instead. Perhaps you are struggling with your work load and your organization method isn't cutting it. Try a new organization style catered to your strengths. The lesson might be obscure, but it is very versatile. Why make things worse for yourself when you could look at the problem differently and potentially fix it? Now, the plot. The Cutie Mark Crusaders are tagging along with Applejack to Appleoosa as she competes in an annual rodeo in place of Braeburn. But there's an outlaw on the loose! Oh no! While I'm not a big fan of this episode, it was really the stepping stone for the Crusaders' career after obtaining their cutie marks. Trouble Shoes was desperate to be part of the rodeo but only made things worse for everypony around him. The Crusaders realized after watching his clumsiness and getting to know him that the upside down horseshoe wasn't a lifelong harbinger of bad luck: It was a symbol that he could make ponies happy by using his clumsiness to his advantage. While it took Diamond Tiara's reformation to earn them their marks, this *was* the first time they stepped out of their usual routine of trying to earn their marks and focus on other ponies. It just took another episode for them to realize that. And they were able to sway a whole town that was being dicks in their and Trouble Shoes's favor! I may hate the delivery, but I appreciate the message. The Cutie Mark Crusaders have certainly grown thanks to this episode. Here are some more things I appreciated about this episode: *Trouble Shoes is huge! He's based on a Clydesdale horse, one of the largest breeds of horses in the world. Not sure if he's bigger than Celestia, but he definitely has a good few inches on Luna. *Fun fact: Trouble Shoes is voiced by Jim Miller, a supervising director for the show. He's done a couple minor roles such as King Sombra (where he had the flu) and two or three background ponies, but Trouble Shoes is his most wordy role. He also based his performance off of Eeyore from "Winnie the Pooh." *Sheriff Silverstar knows more than a few words! He spoke in "Over a Barrel," but not much. *The title is based on the show "America's Most Wanted" and I heartily respect that decision. And here are some things that Trouble Shoes can just knock down: *Continuity error: Trouble Shoes was a colt when he watched his first rodeos in Appleoosa... yet Appleoosa had only just been built before the events of "Over a Barrel." Either the producers overlooked this or Trouble Shoes ages RIDICULOUSLY fast. *Braeburn isn't continuously shouting "APPLEOOSA!". I'm mildly uncomfortable. *Geez, Appleoosa must not have much crime because petty vandalism warrants FLAMING PITCHFORKS. *I'm getting really nitpicky here, but why stay mad at the CMC for sneaking out after Applejack told them not to? THEY MADE FRIENDS WITH A SUSPECTED FELON FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE. To conclude: A hoof-kicking episode with an obscure moral and Eeyore horses. Too bad the buffalos didn't get involved in this. 3.75 out of 5 rainbows 🌈🌈🌈% That closes up another Pone Reviews. Come back Saturday for an episode that'll have us do the TIME WARP! Diamond out!

Clowning Around

Clown Care tip: Clowns are social creatures and require interaction with others to be happy and healthy. Take care to cater for your Breeds specific needs.

“Welcome to Clowning around! This your first time here?” Anne leaned back reflexively to the overbearingly cheerful greeting. They were at a park several blocks away from the apartment. It had been strung up with colourful banners and cheery music wafted from a speaker system hooked around a tree. It looked like some low-key fair, minus the rides but made up for with Clowns. So many Clowns. “err..yea” she had decided to check out the local enthusiast club, to get an informed opinion of how to look after her temporary charge because she sure as hell had no idea what to do.  It was making her desperate. “Here” She held up the wriggling chucklett. “This is Babs” “bab!” it meeped  the first real sound it had made aside from that creepy ass giggling. Technically it had been ‘Bub’ or ‘bob’ but it couldn’t seem to form the ‘o’s very well and Anne wasn’t about to ignore the first actual word it seem to respond to. So Babs it had been. He really didn’t look like a Babs. she didn’t know what he looked like (except trouble). “Oh wow, that’s an unusual looking one” the greeter was a thick set woman with flour streaking her hair and an impressive set of forearms, ones that bulged faintly when she crossed them. “Not any common breed, not a purebred I don’t think. Where did you get him?” “I didn’t. I’m just looking after him for a while” Anne got the feeling she’d be repeating that a lot. “First clown?” “That obvious?” “Just a bit. Here. Your holding him wrong for starters” she reached out to show her. Anna felt the growl and reacted instantly, pulling the clown back before it could try fasting onto the approaching hand. “Ahe, he doesn’t like hands near his face”  waiving her own bandaged arm as proof. She had learned the hard way that you did not approach Babs head on. Babs ruffles puffed, a sour looking pout that it hadn’t gotten to bite.                                                      *****

The group itself was an eclectic bunch of folks. There was a core group of three that met up regularly, who housed most of the props and hired out the park every third weekend. The rest were drifters who would meander through every so often (Also the occasional family who got suckered into thinking there was a fete on) Kimberly was the baker, the one with the incredible bowling arms if she ever decided to get another hobby. She had two Circus Clowns fully grown, both who seemed to delight in slapstick and general Buffoonery. Jace turned out to be a reedy looking Hungarian who’s part time work was as the I.T. guy at a university. His passion was to enter his purebred into the professional circuit. Daffy was the name, with a perpetual frown and morose slouch, accented by the cheerfully sagging flower in the Clowns hat. “Don’t let his looks fool you, Daffy is an ace at the pie tossing” Anna just nodded, pretending to get it while her eyes drew to the last of their little group. “Wait…is that a Cowboy?!” Kimberly laughed, her Scottish brogue coming through thick. “Close. That be a Rodeo Clown” “Why is it black and white?” “Well the rumour is Myrtle is part Mime” “Part...mime?” That would explain the stripes. “Oh yea. Never confirmed though. You need a license to keep a Mime” Myrtle belonged to a leather vest wearing Biker. Tattooes, full beared, looked uncannily like Ron Pearlman with that jaw of his.  He didn’t say much, just gave a nod as Kimberly introduced her. Anne nodded back, nerves crawling in her gut. She didn’t get outside much, and the way Myrtle was watching the two of them from underneath the brim of it’s hat made her want to scuff her feet like a child. “What’s that you got there? A jester?” Jace was looking at Babs with interest, crouching down to get a better look. “I dunno, it’s part of the reason I came here. I don’t…really know much about Clowns” perhaps not the best thing to say to a self-confessed group of enthusiasts. “He has bells like one, that coat is definitely renaissance based but it’s a little…” “Grungy” was the best word to put it. “Could be a creeper” “A..beg your pardon?” That sounded gross. Jace sat back on his heels, taking his glasses off to give them a bit of a wipe. “Creeper. Creepy Clown. A popular breed around haunted houses and Halloween” he recited dutifully. Had he memorised a pamphlet somewhere? He looked like a guy who’d memorize all the stats from somewhere. “It’s not a kind I’ve ever seen though. Most of the breeders tend to live around Massachusetts. They don’t come out this way” “I’m not sure where my Aunt got him, she travels a lot” she should really ring her Aunt up and actually find out though. It sounds like something fairly important to know. “I hate to tell you, but I think she got a sickly one” Annes glare matched Babs. Irritation radiating from the both of them. “Ah just ignore Ace here” The biker was surprisingly soft spoken. Jace grumbling at the nickname but taking the chance to scoot back out of focus. “If it isn’t ‘purebred’ then he doesn’t know toss about it” “hey I have you know that I have read extensively…” he began, only to have the Biker wave him off uncaring. “Read read read, it’s not about books kid. Aint no clown ever stuck to the manual” They didn’t? well shoot, there went her hopes. “you learn as you go. So? Lets see what sort of Clown your chucklett is like” Gesturing back to the miniature circus ring that had been set up with all sorts of toys. Traipse and hoops and rings to toss, plates for spinning, boards for springing from. A set of unicycles in three different sizes, myriad of ribbons and a small carousel even. A group of children were already playing with it, delighted by the ‘not-fair’ that would spring up every three weeks. At least there weren’t any balloons. It wouldn’t turn out too bad, would it?