Twilight Sparkle – Tara Strong,

Pinkie Pie/Fluttershy – Andrea Libman,

Applejack/Rainbow Dash – Ashleigh Ball, 

Iron Will – Trevor Devall.

My Little Pony. Friendship is Magic is a TV series, with multiple spin-off movies which all together provide the background for toys called “My Little Pony” produced by Hasbro; a similar phenomenon of cross-promotion also occurs in the case of Monster High (toys are accompanied by a TV series which reinforces popularity and sales of the toys).

The previous episode: A Friend in Deed.

The next episode: It’s About Time.

Summary of the series (see here)

Summary of the episode:
The title of the episode Putting Your Hoof Down alludes to Fluttershy’s struggle (the shy, fragile, vulnerable pony) to stop being a push-over and finally stand-up for herself. To gain more confidence, she attends a workshop led by Iron Will, a minotaur and, most importantly, a motivational speaker, visiting Ponyville. With the help of his catchphrases like: “Don’t be shy, look’em in the eye” and “Don’t be sorry! Be assertive!” Fluttershy gradually becomes more and more confident. However, at some point the metamorphosis goes too far, and the formerly kind pony, becomes rude and physically aggressive towards other ponies. When she realizes the sudden change, Fluttershy has her own Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde moment: she locks herself in her house, afraid of the “other Fluttershy” revealing herself.
Her friends are concerned for her, also due to the fact that Iron Will, being a good businessman, comes to collect the payment for the services he provided. The confrontation with the minotaur is a moment of truth for Fluttershy. She does not show her aggressive side, nonetheless, she assertively argues that she was not completely satisfied with the results of Iron Will’s training – hence, she will not pay him. Minotaur is sort of impressed with Fluttershy’s attitude and agrees with her. The pony finds a balance between being mean and being a doormat. In a way, also thanks to the minotaur, she achieves her initial goal.  

In Putting Your Hoof Down Minotaur is no longer trapped in the maze. He has a name, Iron Will, which reflects his strong personality. What is more, he also has a job. Full of energy, having passed the struggle of his own, he is now on the mission to help others gain confidence to get through their lives. The Minotaur is money hungry, as if the money would by a substitute for human tribute, known from Theseus’s myth. Iron Will evolved from the classical “version” of the Minotaur, and knowing his worth, he now conquers the world of business. 

Iron Will is a very specific kind of a minotaur. He is still aggressive; however, his aggression is built around the theme of a motivational speaker, characterised by strong charisma and a direct way of speaking. In such a manner, he easily convinces a shy pony to follow the same path as he does and belittle others to build-up his own worth. It would be an addition to the mythical story, in which Minotaur’s point of view is not acknowledged at all. Here, Iron Will, still being a monster and a villain, “attacks” others with his ridiculous but persuasive catchphrases, and manipulates young ponies. However, they turn out to be smarter than he anticipated. And that is yet another lesson for Iron Will – to watch-out for little acts of kindness, sometimes more powerful than motivational speeches.

Entry: “Minotaur” on Theoi.com (accessed: September 2, 2020).

Hodkinson, Owen and Helen Lovatt, "Introduction" in Classical Reception and Children’s Literature: Greece, Rome and Childhood Transformation, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. 

Translations: Multi-language soundtrack

The series proved to be very popular among teenagers and adults as well: fans call themselves: “bronies”; because of this popularity, it could be considered as having reached a crossover audience.