Putting Your Hoof Down

Putting Your Hoof Down is the nineteenth episode of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the forty-fifth episode overall. When Fluttershy becomes tired of getting pushed around for too long, she takes Iron Will's classes on assertiveness. However, she begins to realize that she is becoming an unpleasant and barbaric pony.

Production and airing
The storyboard artists had professional wrestler Hulk Hogan in mind when posing Iron Will, who uses hand gestures that mimic Hogan's signature taunts. One of the layout artists for the show added several "easter eggs" to the marketplace scene, which were not storyboarded. These include brief appearances by Pipsqueak, Sweetie Drops, and Lyra Heartstrings.

In early July 2011, the Internet Movie Database temporarily listed season 2, episode 19 of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic as "Putting your Hoof Down" with an unspecified 2011 airdate.

Feeding the pets
The episode opens with Fluttershy pouring a pile of animal feed for her multitude of pets. All of the pets eagerly eat from the pile on the floor, except Fluttershy's rabbit, Angel, who impatiently taps his foot and waits for Fluttershy to pour feed into his bowl. Angel looks at the green feed and kicks the bowl sky-high. Fluttershy gives in and offers him a salad, but he throws it away. When he puts a slice of cucumber to his mouth, his face turns green, he falls over, and a flower springs up from his body. Fluttershy asks what he will eat and Angel points to a picture of an elaborate salad in a cookbook. She protests, but he slaps her and shoves the book in her face; she yields and goes shopping for ingredients.

Injustice in the market
In the Ponyville market, she tries to buy asparagus from a stall but a pony cuts the line. Fluttershy meekly points out that she was there first, but the pony carelessly says that she didn't see Fluttershy there and walks away. An older pony with a hearing trumpet then cuts in front of her as well, but Fluttershy's voice is too soft for him to hear. After that, two teenage mares cut in front of Fluttershy, telling her to get out of their personal space. Trying to avoid a confrontation, Fluttershy backs away. Pinkie Pie and Rarity see her predicament and tell her to stop being a doormat. Meanwhile, a stereotypically nerdy-looking pony buys the last bundle of asparagus. Rarity says, "Watch and learn!" She wins back the asparagus by charming the pony with sweet talk, convincing him to sell the asparagus to her.

Fluttershy then goes to a tomato stand. Fluttershy buys three tomatoes but the stall owner starts demanding two bits instead of one. Fluttershy doesn't argue and pays, but Pinkie Pie intervenes and makes the stall owner forget her original stance. In the midst of haggling, Pinkie Pie starts saying "Two bits!", fooling the stall owner into saying "One bit!" Pinkie Pie seizes the chance to pay and leave.

The last ingredient for the salad is a cherry. Seeing that there is only one cherry left on the table, Fluttershy says out loud how badly she needs it. The cherry seller takes advantage of Fluttershy's desperation and raises the price to ten bits for one cherry. Fluttershy tries to take a leaf out of Rarity's and Pinkie Pie's books, but she fails to charm the cherry seller and gets confused herself while haggling. This leaves the stall owner adamantly insisting on twenty bits for the cherry. Rarity and Pinkie Pie pull her away, only for Fluttershy to watch another pony buy the cherry for two bits. Fluttershy returns to her cottage and apologizes to Angel for the lack of a cherry on top. Angel compares the cookbook picture and Fluttershy's creation, and throws it out of the door. Fluttershy flies after it and crashes into her postbox. She laments that she "really is a doormat", but then sees an advertisement for a seminar on the art of assertiveness. She vows to never be a pushover again.

Iron Will
Fluttershy arrives at the Hedge Maze Center where the show is located. She tries to squeeze into the front row, only to be thrown to the back. The seminar begins as Iron Will, a muscular minotaur, dramatically comes on stage and greets them with a flex of his muscles and pyrotechnics. He promises that everyone who follows his advice will become a stronger person. He even provides a "100% Satisfaction Guarantee"; anyone who is not fully satisfied with the training will not have to pay. To show that anyone can follow his techniques, Iron Will calls for a pony in the audience. All the ponies put their hooves in the air, except Fluttershy, who hides. Iron Will's goat assistants quickly pick out Fluttershy. When she timidly walks on stage, a goat deliberately blocks her path. Iron Will rejects Fluttershy's suggestions to "gingerly tiptoe around him" or even "go back home and try again tomorrow", and delivers his first lesson: "When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock!". He flicks her towards the goat, knocking the goat down. As Fluttershy apologizes, she is interrupted by the minotaur, who tells her, ''"Never apologize when you can criticize!". ''He demonstres this by yelling at the goat. Fluttershy hesitantly gives it a try; Iron Will is impressed and in each of his eyes a coin is blinking, accompanied by a cash register's sound. He announces that if his advice can work for a shy pony like Fluttershy, then it can work for anybody. Fluttershy hears the audience cheering and smiles.

New Fluttershy
Returning to her cottage after the seminar, Fluttershy prepares to "attack the day" with a new attitude. When she sees a gardener named Mr. Greenhooves drenching her petunias, she points out that he's done this before but is ignored. She recites Iron Will's advice: "Treat me like a pushover, and you get the once-over!" and she presses on the water hose, causing the water to build up behind her hoof. When Mr. Greenhooves confusedly inspects the hose nozzle, Fluttershy lets the bulge of water drench him. He acknowledges that the flowers have had enough water; Fluttershy is ecstatic with her success.

Later, Fluttershy is on a narrow bridge that is blocked by Cherry Berry and Sweetie Drops, who are pulling large carts of garbage. The two friends are too busy chatting to move for Fluttershy. Fluttershy remembers Iron Will's first advice for dealing with someone who tries to block your way and bucks the garbage carts. The trash-covered ponies finally agree to move forward.

When Fluttershy stands in a queue in Sugarcube Corner, Shoeshine cuts in front of her. Fluttershy stares at Shoeshine in the eye and snarls at her to go back in the line "where you belong". All the other intimidated ponies rush to the back of the line. Rarity and Pinkie Pie greet Fluttershy and are impressed by this "New Fluttershy". Pinkie says that she is "as proud as pink punch" and offers Fluttershy some pink punch while laughing really hard. Fluttershy construes her laughter as an insult, mutters "You laugh at me? I wrath at you!", and pours the punch on her friend. Fluttershy happily says, "Bye, girls!" and hails a taxi, but Royal Riff hops into it. Reciting "Cut in line? I'll take what's mine!", she quickly attacks and throws him off the cart. She screams, "Nopony pushes new Fluttershy around! Nopony!" Rarity and Pinkie Pie agree that Fluttershy's new attitude may be a problem.

Fluttershy goes too far
Fluttershy once more leaves her cottage with more confidence than ever. Checking her mail, she realizes that the mailman who comes to her house left the wrong mail. She confronts him and ignores his apologies, saying, "You apologize? I penalize!" He accidentally gets stuck in a mailbox and Fluttershy slaps a stamp on his rump, sending him off by mail. A moment later, a pony tourist asks her for directions to the Ponyville Tower. She begins to talks to him, but drops her mail in a puddle. She growls, "''You make me lose, I blow my fuse!" ''and throws the tourist across the field and into a bale of hay. Rarity and Pinkie Pie see the commotion and try to tell her that she may be taking her new attitude too far. Refusing to go back to her nice normal self, she mocks an overwhelmed Pinkie Pie that she has a "simple little brain". Fluttershy goes on to mercilessly criticize Rarity's obsession with petty fashion and Pinkie Pie's passion for frivolous parties. Hearing Fluttershy put them down for wasting their lives on pursuing things that nobody cares about, Rarity and Pinkie Pie run away crying. When Fluttershy looks at her vicious reflection in a puddle, she tears up, saying that she is a monster.

Standing up to Iron Will
Later in the evening, Rarity and Pinkie Pie come to Fluttershy's house but find the doors and windows blocked with wooden panels. The two friends knock on the door, but Fluttershy tells them to go away before she can hurt them again. Meanwhile, Angel tightens the knot on strings that are binding Fluttershy to a chair. Fluttershy promises to never come out again, but Pinkie Pie and Rarity tell her that all the blame is on Iron Will and that there are better ways of being assertive.

Iron Will arrives to collect payment from Fluttershy after hearing news of her transformation. Rarity tries to charm him, saying that a rich minotaur like him doesn't need the money immediately. He does not heed her and drops her off a ledge. Pinkie Pie then claims that Fluttershy is not home and they need a full day to find her. He tells Pinkie Pie that he will only give her half a day. Using the same method from the tomato stand, Pinkie Pie confuses Iron Will into giving them a full day, but as he leaves, Fluttershy audibly sneezes. Fluttershy decides to come out, shocking Rarity and Pinkie Pie. When Iron Will demands his pay, Fluttershy refuses; she was not "100% satisfied" with the results because her new attitude made her to lash out at everyone and drive her friends away. The shocked instructor tries to cut a deal, but the pegasus insistently says, "No means no". Disappointed but keeping true to his word, Iron Will leaves, although he believes he can make a new catchphrase out of what Fluttershy just said. Rarity and Pinkie Pie are happy to see that Fluttershy stood up to Iron Will without having to forgo her true personality, and the three friends hug.

Epilogue
At the end of the episode, Fluttershy learns that when standing up for herself, she can do so in a controlled way. When Fluttershy feeds her pets, she is finally able to get the spoiled Angel to eat a regular salad, with a little help from her Stare.

Quotes

 * Pinkie Pie: What do you think you're doing?
 * Tomato stallholder: Mindin' my own business, maybe you should try it.
 * Pinkie Pie: Two bits for tomatoes is outrageous, one bit is the right price.
 * Tomato stallholder: I say it's two bits.
 * Pinkie Pie: One bit.
 * Tomato stallholder: Two bits!
 * Pinkie Pie: One bit!
 * Tomato stallholder: Two bits!
 * Pinkie Pie: One bit!
 * Tomato stallholder: Two bits!
 * Pinkie Pie: Two bits!
 * Tomato stallholder: One bit!
 * Pinkie Pie: Two bits!
 * Tomato stallholder: One bit!
 * Pinkie Pie: I insist it's two bits or nothing!
 * Tomato stallholder: One bit and that's my final offer!
 * Pinkie Pie: Have it your way, one bit it is!


 * Fluttershy: As Celestia is my witness, I'll never be a pushover again!


 * Iron Will: Woah! He’s blocking your path. What are you gonna do about it?
 * Fluttershy: Um, politely walk around him?
 * Iron Will: No.
 * Fluttershy: Gingerly tip-toe around him?
 * Iron Will: No!
 * Fluttershy: Go back home, and try again tomorrow?
 * Iron Will: No! When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock!


 * Pinkie Pie: Old Pinkie Pie's not so sure new Fluttershy is such a good idea after all.
 * Rarity: Old Rarity agrees.


 * Fluttershy: You make me lose; I blow my fuse!


 * Rarity: What happened to nice Fluttershy? We want that Fluttershy back.
 * Fluttershy: No, you want wimp Fluttershy. You want pushover Fluttershy. You want do-anything-to-her-and-she-won't-complain Fluttershy!
 * Pinkie Pie: Nyaaaaah! Too many Fluttershies to keep track of! Make it stop!


 * Fluttershy: I can't believe that the two most frivolous ponies in Ponyville are trying to tell new Fluttershy how to live her life when they are throwing their own lives away on pointless pursuits that nopony else gives a flying feather about!
 * Pinkie Pie: [starts crying] Looks like nasty Fluttershy is here to stay!


 * Rarity: Oh sweetie, we all said things that we regret.
 * Pinkie Pie: We did?
 * Rarity: Shh.


 * Iron Will: Iron Will's my name, training ponies is my game!


 * Pinkie Pie: We're not even sure Fluttershy is home right now. Uh, she might be off frolicking with some woodland creatures, uh, why don't you give us some time to track her down for ya?
 * Iron Will: Iron Will does have some grocery shopping to do. Iron Will will come back this afternoon.
 * Pinkie Pie: But that's only half a day. We need one full day at least.
 * Iron Will: Iron Will will delay for half a day and no longer!
 * Pinkie Pie: A full day!
 * Iron Will: Half day!
 * Pinkie Pie: Full day!
 * Iron Will: Half day!
 * Pinkie Pie: Half day!
 * Iron Will: Full day!
 * Pinkie Pie: We need half a day and no more!
 * Iron Will: Why you'll get a full day and no less!
 * Pinkie Pie: Okie dokie. See you tomorrow.
 * Iron Will: Wait, what?


 * Iron Will: What do you mean you're not satisfied?! Everypony has always been satisfied!
 * Fluttershy: Well I guess I'm the first then. But since I'm not satisfied, I refuse to pay. It's as simple as that.
 * [goats bleating]
 * Iron Will: Ohh, are you... sure you're not just a little bit satisfied? B-because maybe... we could, cut a deal, I-I mean, we're both reasonable creatures, aren't we?
 * Fluttershy: I'm sorry, but no means no.
 * Iron Will: No means no, huh? Nopony's ever said that to me before. Huh... I gotta remember that one. That's a good catchphrase for my next workshop.

Gallery

 * Putting Your Hoof Down image gallery