What Are Unicorn Horns Made Of?

[Midnight Seashell 206]

At times unicorn horns are strong but when a pony is sick the horn tends to wrinkle and flop.So what is up with them horns? Also what do you think would happen if a unicorn broke their horn?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,297]

Gonna take a guess that it is some kind of magical material, which probably seems like an obvious guess but that could explain the ponies being sick thing. When they are sick, their magic is probably weak, hence the horn floppage. Also because of this magical material, I am gonna assume one of two things: Either their horns are completely impervious to breaking or they just grow back, being potentially the aforementioned magical bone.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

This is pure headcanon, but I believe "alicorn" is also the name of the horn material. In the beginning of Magic Duel, Trixie bought the Alicorn Amulet, which was full of dark magic, and the magic escapes through the horn. "Alicorn" has a few definitions; one of them is the horn's material.

 

And what happens if the horn breaks? I don't know. We do know that horns grow as unicorns or alicorns age. My theory is that horns behave a lot like spider skeletons: As they grow older, they shed the outside of their horn, and the horn grows. If it breaks, and it sheds, the broken part of the horn slowly sheds away.

[That Guy with the CMB 5,872]

Probably cartilage with skin over it or somethin'. The softness can be explained by the fact that it's a cartoon and silly stuff like that happens. Like someone's head or whole body deflating in a cartoon featuring humans. Obviously, bones don't just do that based on the person's emotions, but it's a cartoon and that's supposed to be silly. I don't think horns are really meant to soften. Twilight's soft horn is perfectly explicable, just like what happened to the rest of the ponies with the poison joke. The poison joke was magical...in a bad way.

 

 

In all, horns aren't meant to be soft at all. Their soft state is either a result of magic causing it or just basic cartoon silliness.

 

 

And if somepony's horn broke, it would probably grow back! Like a bone.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Eazyfries

[Jeric 46,835]

This is pure headcanon, but I believe "alicorn" is also the name of the horn material. In the beginning of Magic Duel, Trixie bought the Alicorn Amulet, which was full of dark magic, and the magic escapes through the horn. "Alicorn" has a few definitions; one of them is the horn's material.

 

And what happens if the horn breaks? I don't know. We do know that horns grow as unicorns or alicorns age. My theory is that horns behave a lot like spider skeletons: As they grow older, they shed the outside of their horn, and the horn grows. If it breaks, and it sheds, the broken part of the horn slowly sheds away.

Interesting take on the 'shedding'. I had not considered that particular idea. I'm also glad you mentioned the other definition of an alicorn. Come to think about it, I don't recall it ever being mentioned on MLPF before now, even though that was what I always called a unicorns horn (fantasy novels learnt me yo!)

[Scrubbed user 3,415]

I'd say they're made of either cartilage or keratin. Cartilage doesn't bend, but keratin can. if it's thin enough (like our finger and toe nails)

 

Even though a horn grows with a pony's age, I doubt it would grow back if broken. If it kept growing with age, older ponies would have very long horns, but they don't.

[Luminance 2,181]

The horns also takes the coat color of each Unicorn or Alicorn so I've think that it's an coat covered appendage consisting of structural ligaments and maybe an magical gland or organ. Anatomy wise it's like a ear but with magical properties.

[weesh 690]

This is pure headcanon, but I believe "alicorn" is also the name of the horn material.

 

aside from any in-show references, there are also many references to that that predate MLP.  

[Unicorncob 5,628]

Cone-crafted bone and pixie farts

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I'd say they're made of either cartilage or keratin. Cartilage doesn't bend, but keratin can. if it's thin enough (like our finger and toe nails)

 

Even though a horn grows with a pony's age, I doubt it would grow back if broken. If it kept growing with age, older ponies would have very long horns, but they don't.

sombra's horn was able to grow back after it had broken

[BlinkZ 1,151]

Well as otherh ave pointed out, it seems to be similar to bone or mare like a very strong finger nail of sorts.  Rarity had her horn filed so it like a nail at least. I assume father down near the forehead it boney but might have muscle in it too that links the brian to channel the magic.  

As for if it broke off well various fanficiton have thier take on that, some go with it woudl bleed while others say it breaks like a bone and woudln't really grow back unless splintered back together to form back together like healing a bone. Hard to say really.

 

So a combination of both bone and nail like given the swirly like way it seem to grow Or the length could be power based like an antinia r something who knows why Celestia horn is long enough to be used a weapon in of itself.

[twiia 1,842]

I'm thinking it could be made out of chitin or something, plus some magical material.

[Skyling 14]

We do know the horns grow back, since horn filing is a thing in the show - wouldn't happen if the horns didn't naturally grow out with time. So ... some bone like (nail-like?) substance, probably. And Celestia obviously haven't had hers trimmed in ages

[Guest]

I've always thought that they're made of some bone-like material spiced with magic. 

[CaptainDoubloon 856]

Sugar and spice and everything nice, of course.

[Merion 783]

The horns also takes the coat color of each Unicorn or Alicorn

 

That's why I imagine the horns as something close to reindeer antlers (they are covered with velvet)

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

i think the horns are made out of human nails ??

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Bone covered in flesh and hair. That would explain why Rarity's horn could get floppy when she stays in a sauna for too long.

 

It also ruins my own personal headcanon that unicorns could use them as stabbing weapons.

[\/ 650]

What if it's just keratin and we're all overthinking this?

[Fhaolan 4,468]

I would guess keratin, much like a rhinoceros horn. That way it could 'inherit' the same pigmentation as the coat, given that fur/hair is also keratin.

[Grepper 3,192]

It's made of keratin. Cartoon magic makes it floppy.

[Sintanan 151]

A unicorn's alicorn is made from a thin core of a crystalline material to allow for the channeling of magick, a thick cluster of nerves so the unicorn can mentally control the magick, a keratin structure around this thin core and nerve cluster.  Due to the structure being keratin, a horn can flex slightly and can eventually regrow if broken or damaged.  Since the nerve cluster of the alicorn is part of the core structure, this keeps the horn's surface from being any more sensitive than any other part of the body.  Truthfully, since the horn is keratin it actually makes it less sensitive itself and can be filed or shaped much like trimming one's nails as long as the core or base remains unharmed.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

Sugar and spice, and everything nice...Plus chemical X!

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

i think the horns are made out of human nails ??

 

The same stuff human nails are made of, but probably not actual human nails.

[TheGamerDerpy 7]

Well, lets take a look at the horn of another animal here on earth. The horn is usually made out of bone, maybe keratin, and maybe dead stuff. Also, when you say "when a pony is sick the horn tends to wrinkle and flop" you probably took the episode "Bridal Gossip" the wrong way. Twilight wasn't sick: She stepped in Poison Joke, and was unable to use magic. Also, this answers the "What would happen if the horn broke off?" part. Not only would it be painful, but this would be the equivalent of the Twilight in Bridal Gossip when she stepped I the Poison Joke and woke up the next morning. They would be unable to use magic, and the horn would not grow back. I'm pretty sure the bone that makes up a unicorn horn is different from a normal human leg or arm bone. While our bones can grow back, the unicorn horn cannot.

 

And I over did this. Plz don't get mad at me if I did!!