Rarity loses her mane and tail but not her coat why

[NathanW200 307]

In the episode It isn't the mane thing about you only Rarity's mane and tail get removed by the remover potion she used on herself but her white coat wasn't removed in any way why is that I didn't see any of her skin why do you think that is and why did Rarity only mention her mane the whole time and not her tail I mean her tail looked just as bad so it was worth mentioning 

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by NathanW200

[Will Guide 21,365]

It should be obvious that the mix up only affected the hair in the mane and tail, not the fur.

fur and mane are different from each other.

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Wholly Windcharger

[NathanW200 307]

3 minutes ago, Wholly Windcharger said:

It should be obvious that the mix up only affected the hair in the mane and tail, not fur. They're different.

 

I don't get what you're saying

6 minutes ago, Wholly Windcharger said:

It should be obvious that the mix up only affected the hair in the mane and tail, not the fur.

fur and mane are different from each other.

 

but it's remover potion shouldn't it remove whatever it touches

[Will Guide 21,365]

12 minutes ago, NathanW200 said:

I don't get what you're saying

but it's remover potion shouldn't it remove whatever it touches

It must have been smart enough to only remove one type of thing. Since it was used on Rarity's mane and tail, it would only affect that and nothing else. That's my valid answer.

[Jeric 46,873]

I need a horse expert so I shall call @Fhaolan. He actually knows quite a bit about animal biology. He probably would know what the difference is between mane hair and coat hair. 

55 minutes ago, NathanW200 said:

but it's remover potion shouldn't it remove whatever it touches

I am sure Zecora didn't invent a magical acid that would disappear everything. Pinkie was going to put this on foals and all over the house, right?

[Fhaolan 4,488]

2 hours ago, Jeric said:

I need a horse expert so I shall call @Fhaolan. He actually knows quite a bit about animal biology. He probably would know what the difference is between mane hair and coat hair. 

...

Okay, this is not an easy subject, unfortunately. This is likely going to get weird.

Horse 'hair' breaks into three groups. Mane, tail, eyelashes, and 'feathers' (long hair down near the hooves) are normally called 'permanent' hair. Their coats are often called 'temporary' hair and finally there is 'tactile' hair on their muzzles (yes, horses have whiskers, like a cat, though it appears a bit more random on their muzzles) as well as inside their ears and around their eyes. There is no chemical difference between these various hairs, the differences are all in the follicles that generate the hair, thickness, curl, etc. This is actually true for all mammals. There is no chemical or structural difference between 'hair' and 'fur'. It's all about the follicles generating the hair (thickness, cross-section, curl (or kink), growth speed and shedding cycle).

To get it out of the way 'tactile' hair means the skin around the hair follicle is sensitive, so anything disturbing the hair is registered. The hair itself is not actually sensitive, it's just long, exceptionally thick, stiff hair.

The difference between 'permanent' hair and 'temporary' hair is all about the hair's growth cycle. Temporary hair means the hair follicles are geared towards growing hair very fast, and then shedding it within a short time frame, and then often going dormant for a bit before starting the cycle again. Horses, like most mammals, have two coats. The 'outer' coat, sometimes known as the 'main' coat' is usually glossy and straight. In other animals this is often called 'guard hair'. The growth cycle for the outer coat is usually about a year, with little to no dormancy period. They're shed fairly evenly throughout the year, so coat is almost never patchy unless the horse is unhealthy. The inner coat, or 'winter coat' is shorter, flat in cross-section, and usually curlier in order to trap air and create an insulation layer. There is usually a lot more 'winter coat' follicles on a horse than 'outer coat', and the growth cycle for these is usually for only a couple of months for the winter period and then dormancy for the rest of the year. The big thing of course is that winter coats tend to have a very fixed cycle, all growing at much the same time and all shedding at much the same time as well.

Permanent hair is much thicker, stiffer, and longer, and the follicles are usually geared to having a growth cycle of 5+ years. So shearing down a horse's mane will usually take years to regrow completely, while a coat will grow to a reasonable length in only a month or so after being shaved, depending on the general health of the horse's skin of course.

Now, on to the episode. There are lots of different things that can convince a hair follicle that it's 'shedding time' off-cycle. Various chemicals and diseases can do that. Being specific enough to only affect one 'group' of follicles? That's a lot harder to pull off. (heh) On a single RL mammal, the differences between the types of follicles are so relatively small being able to target 'mane' from 'coat' would be next to impossible.

However, we do know that MLP ponies *aren't* equines as we understand them. Some of them have feathers (pegasi), which are chemically similar to hair but are quite different structurally, especially around their follicles. Due to the differences between them, hair and feather follicles can be targeted by different chemicals. So it's more likely that MLP coat follicles are quite different from RL horse coat follicles, giving them far more distinct differences between the various follicle types (Mane/Tail, Coat, and Pegasi Feathers). Possibly their coat is more like primitive proto-feathers found on dinosaurs like the Sinosauropteryx. In which case, the chemical could target the specific follicle type, leaving the others relatively unscathed.

But that's just me making stuff up.

[Will Guide 21,365]

13 minutes ago, Fhaolan said:

...

Okay, this is not an easy subject, unfortunately. This is likely going to get weird.

Horse 'hair' breaks into three groups. Mane, tail, eyelashes, and 'feathers' (long hair down near the hooves) are normally called 'permanent' hair. Their coats are often called 'temporary' hair and finally there is 'tactile' hair on their muzzles (yes, horses have whiskers, like a cat, though it appears a bit more random on their muzzles) as well as inside their ears and around their eyes. There is no chemical difference between these various hairs, the differences are all in the follicles that generate the hair, thickness, curl, etc. This is actually true for all mammals. There is no chemical or structural difference between 'hair' and 'fur'. It's all about the follicles generating the hair (thickness, cross-section, curl (or kink), growth speed and shedding cycle).

To get it out of the way 'tactile' hair means the skin around the hair follicle is sensitive, so anything disturbing the hair is registered. The hair itself is not actually sensitive, it's just long, exceptionally thick, stiff hair.

The difference between 'permanent' hair and 'temporary' hair is all about the hair's growth cycle. Temporary hair means the hair follicles are geared towards growing hair very fast, and then shedding it within a short time frame, and then often going dormant for a bit before starting the cycle again. Horses, like most mammals, have two coats. The 'outer' coat, sometimes known as the 'main' coat' is usually glossy and straight. In other animals this is often called 'guard hair'. The growth cycle for the outer coat is usually about a year, with little to no dormancy period. They're shed fairly evenly throughout the year, so coat is almost never patchy unless the horse is unhealthy. The inner coat, or 'winter coat' is shorter, flat in cross-section, and usually curlier in order to trap air and create an insulation layer. There is usually a lot more 'winter coat' follicles on a horse than 'outer coat', and the growth cycle for these is usually for only a couple of months for the winter period and then dormancy for the rest of the year. The big thing of course is that winter coats tend to have a very fixed cycle, all growing at much the same time and all shedding at much the same time as well.

Permanent hair is much thicker, stiffer, and longer, and the follicles are usually geared to having a growth cycle of 5+ years. So shearing down a horse's mane will usually take years to regrow completely, while a coat will grow to a reasonable length in only a month or so after being shaved, depending on the general health of the horse's skin of course.

Now, on to the episode. There are lots of different things that can convince a hair follicle that it's 'shedding time' off-cycle. Various chemicals and diseases can do that. Being specific enough to only affect one 'group' of follicles? That's a lot harder to pull off. (heh) On a single RL mammal, the differences between the types of follicles are so relatively small being able to target 'mane' from 'coat' would be next to impossible.

However, we do know that MLP ponies *aren't* equines as we understand them. Some of them have feathers (pegasi), which are chemically similar to hair but are quite different structurally, especially around their follicles. Due to the differences between them, hair and feather follicles can be targeted by different chemicals. So it's more likely that MLP coat follicles are quite different from RL horse coat follicles, giving them far more distinct differences between the various follicle types (Mane/Tail, Coat, and Pegasi Feathers). Possibly their coat is more like primitive proto-feathers found on dinosaurs like the Sinosauropteryx. In which case, the chemical could target the specific follicle type, leaving the others relatively unscathed.

But that's just me making stuff up.

Dude, no offense but you made it more complicated than it needs to be. It was simply a magic potion intended to remove sticky gum. But it was a simple mix up for hilarity to ensue.

[Fhaolan 4,488]

6 hours ago, Wholly Windcharger said:

Dude, no offense but you made it more complicated than it needs to be. It was simply a magic potion intended to remove sticky gum. But it was a simple mix up for hilarity to ensue.

I was asked specifically for a biological and chemical reasoning by @Jeric, and in order to make that work rather than relying on 'it's magic', it became complicated. That's the way it goes.  

The most likely 'real' explanation that a pony's coat is also hair didn't occur to the writers. Either that or they felt that Rarity having the equivalent to mange with a patchy coat on top of mangled hair was a step too far (or too annoying to write around with the episode length.)  

[Will Guide 21,365]

4 hours ago, Fhaolan said:

I was asked specifically for a biological and chemical reasoning by @Jeric, and in order to make that work rather than relying on 'it's magic', it became complicated. That's the way it goes.  

The most likely 'real' explanation that a pony's coat is also hair didn't occur to the writers. Either that or they felt that Rarity having the equivalent to mange with a patchy coat on top of mangled hair was a step too far (or too annoying to write around with the episode length.)  

Fair enough 

[ggg-2 3,553]

....They wanted to avoid a reference to public indecency? I dunno.

[MangoFoalix 25,047]

Just now, ggg-2 said:

....They wanted to avoid a reference to public indecency? I dunno.

I'm pretty sure there was at least one time in the show where a pony became completely naked "no hair at all" or something like that. Maybe I'm completely wrong.

[Synniken 261]

Didn't Zecora tell Pinkie Pie to focus really hard on the spesific thing she wanted removed? And her mane and tail were probably all Rarity was thinking about while she used the potion.

As to why she didn't mention she was upset about her tail as much as her mane, was probably because she was having a photo shoot with a magazine that showcased the most beautiful manes in Equestria.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Synniken

[BlinkZ 1,151]

I think he more confused why Rarity head didn't turn out like this 

Yeah i'd be confused too. This exaclty image came ot midn when i thought of Rarity losing her hair.

Of course, then you have to consider cranky who is 'bald' yet still has coat hair on top of his head and isn't pink there

[Widdershins 9,961]

...

 She's White.

 ...nobrony pointed this out yet? White hair pretty much is pigmentless or outright dead...right? Regardless, white reflects all color so that means there's nothing in it to show color to begin with. Which is why stains & etcetera show up so much easier. Which means, any white-coated pony is just reflecting off a tint of their own skin. That little fact is the basis of my ponysona.

 Rarity could very well be already bald or patchy. 

 I feel we've already seen the main six with chunks of fur taken out. If they had wanted to portray her as that comically effected, they would have. Just that would be more concerning, like she was sick, and against the theme that she was blowing the problem out of proportion. Besides, pink & white splotches would be too hideous to animate. I'm sure they were aiming for misfortune, not "dying lab rat."