Do ponies have nerves in their tails?

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

As shown in S1E2, Rarity cuts off her tail for the serpent and shows no sign of pain. Go to 10:26 of this video to see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97z4YnwDYc4

 

However, in S1E18, Scootaloo shows sign of pain when Applebloom falls on her tail by saying, "Ow, Applebloom! What are you doing?!" Go to 10:45 of this video to see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9pGah7qztI

 

So, back to the original question. Do ponies have nerves in their tail and are able to feel pain from them, or no?

Edited August 27, 2012 by Scootabloom

[spaghettinoodles 298]

Apple Bloom probably fell on her tail & pulled the hairs. It's like if someone were to pull your hair. Their actual tail hairs don't have nerves.

[NavelColt 22,882]

Simple, ponies do not feel pain in their tails, as shown by Rarity. Scootaloo feels pain in her tail because she's a chicken, not a pony.

 

I dunno, I'm casting this off to inconsistencies. Or, you could simply say that the quick and short-lasted pain felt by Rarity when she cut her tail was just not shown, as perhaps she just ignored it. Whereas Scoots is just a filly, and is in the long run probably far more likely to verbalize something like that.

 

I dunno.

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

Apple Bloom probably fell on her tail & pulled the hairs. It's like if someone were to pull your hair. Their actual tail hairs don't have nerves.

 

If you look at her tail when Applebloom falls on it, it doesn't move at all. It just sits there motionless. Doesn't seem to me that it was pulled.

[Starshine 16,335]

First, let's take a look at this

 

Get your brain bleach

 

Since everypony to some extent had already shown that their tails are somewhat prehensile, I'm pretty sure they got some nerve system in that thing.

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

First, let's take a look at this

 

Get your brain bleach

 

Since everypony to some extent had already shown that their tails are somewhat prehensile, I'm pretty sure they got some nerve system in that thing.

 

Ugh... Forgot about that... If that's true, that means Rarity cut off some of her... OOOHOOOHOOOH! *everfree forest serpent style faint*

[Motion Spark 7,807]

as long as I can tell, horses only have hair by tail, they don't have muscles like dogs or cats do, the feel, when you pull their tail, so the nerves must be at the root of the strands which are attached to their flank.

 

it's like a girls long hair, if you pull her hair, she will feel pain, but if you try to cut at the very end, she might even notice that you are cutting her hair.

[Starshine 16,335]

If that's true, that means

I'm afraid that is true...

Rarity proudly gave a cut of her flesh to a random stranger, just because "it simply won't do"

 

That girl is a brave one

[Titan Rising 2,156]

Of course.. I can see why you are confused with all of this though

 

The reason Rarity didn't flinch is because her soul is black and she feels NOTHING

 

I may be wrong but in real life I believe horses do have nerves closer to their backside up to a certain point. I know that they don't have nerves all throughout their tails though. Also more than likely depends on the breed

Edited August 27, 2012 by Hollowshield

[null1 606]

This might not exactly pertain to the topic but Big Mac's tail was cropped permanently, look at how short it is. It's common to do that with workhorses so their tail would not get caught in harnesses and machinery.

 

His was cropped by cutting the end dock of his actual tail off so it would not grow back. For Rarity, I suppose we can assume she cut the hair up to the tail, but not cutting it.

 

For Scootaloo feeling pain in her tail, the animators/writers probably overlooked the anatomy of what happened.

[I used to be a stranger 7,994]

The real interesting question is when their tails -which are hair for the most part- behave in a prehensile manner, such as picking things up

(S1E25 Party of One)

 

And touching other characters

(S1E14 Fall Weather Friends)

 

These actions are impossible unless there are muscles inside the hairs. It would explain the ability, as well as provide a much more adequate explanation as to how Pegasus ponies would control Yaw (considering the control surface limitations of such proportionately tiny wings.)

But as it stands it has no provision as to what could logically realistically explain this ability within or outside of the show, so the matter lands firmly within the territory of "Cartoon logic".

[Princes Cadance 345]

They have a little swishing motion controlled by like a tail bone but uhmmm

no feeling in the actual tail unless pulled on

[Nas 2,873]

Just like Dreamwalker posted, their tails officially look like that, and really, the real nerves are where the skin is, the hair has nothing to do with such.

 

Although, like Blue said, the hair can be used extensively for convenience, like having extra "hands", so to speak, as they have their own control of objects in that way.

 

--

 

But, to really answer the question at hand, the hair doesn't have any pain-sensitive nerves.

[Jadefire 2,798]

Real life horses's tails are mostly made of just hair, which doesn't have nerve endings and only hurt when they are pulled. Now these are obviously cartoons and therefore aren't realistic (especially since these ponies regularly perform actions that require impressive flexibility and range of motion in their joints), but I'd prefer to see these things as either inconsistancies or just the rule of funny at work.

[Arylett Charnoa 4,919]

First, let's take a look at this

 

Get your brain bleach

 

Since everypony to some extent had already shown that their tails are somewhat prehensile, I'm pretty sure they got some nerve system in that thing.

 

This picture proves the point I'm about to make:

 

There's only a CERTAIN part of a pony's tail that has nerves. As you can see, when all the hair is removed, the actual tail underneath is a lot shorter. It's a small extension of bone and nerves that comes out from the behind and ends close to it. I believe that surpassing that, there's just hair and no nerves. The tails can be used in a prehensile fashion because firstly, cartoon logic. Secondly, they don't have hands, and earth ponies need SOMETHING to grab things with. Thirdly, perhaps that short part of their actual tail allows them to control the entire tail, without feeling any pain near the end of it.

 

Rarity cutting off some of her tail hair was well within the logic of horse anatomy. The hairs on horses' tails tend to be longer than the actual tail itself.

 

Observe:

 

 

Basically, this picture sums up my entire point.

 

As for the part with Scootaloo, I presume that Applebloom somehow hit the part of her tail that had nerves on it and made her go "ow." It didn't sound like it hurt that much anyway.

[thegoodhen 698]

Dashies tail got hit by a bucking lightning, caused by Derpy!

So, I guess not.

Cartoon logic applies, not even body proportions are always kept... So they could make "S" shape out of their tale, I suppose...

[Starshine 16,335]

Rarity cutting off some of her tail hair was well within the logic of horse anatomy. The hairs on horses' tails tend to be longer than the actual tail itself.

Nope, I'm pretty sure she cut her tail much shorter than tha-

 

 

Oh, I guess you're right

It's wonder she hardly winced when she cut her tail just like that

[Laydee Kaze 400]

I think Arylett got it in a nutshell (I was going to post a skeletal diagram)

 

Just yeah... you never really /see/ the tail part of a horse for the hair...

 

 

 

But you guys have to remember that this is a cartoon program. It's for kids... Kids aren't going to be like 'WAIT NO THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE'... so don't worry about it xD

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

basically... it's cartoon logic, and if it did hurt, it's probably because the hair on their tail got pulled, other than that it wouldn't

[Dusty Soul 2,612]

Cartoon logic, but it would still be possible. As many have said theirs only a certain part of the horses tail that is skin. So no...

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

Cartoon logic, but it would still be possible. As many have said theirs only a certain part of the horses tail that is skin. So no...

 

so would you like your skin to be pulled? that's what it would do. All i'm saying. "just saiyan" but i think everypony is just overthinking the whole thing.

[Dusty Soul 2,612]

so would you like your skin to be pulled? that's what it would do. All i'm saying. "just saiyan" but i think everypony is just overthinking the whole thing.

 

Yeah everyone is overthinking it, but that's what we do... We over think stuff that we think doesn't make sense, but it does for the sake of it being a cartoon.

[pinkiefan1287 610]

Pony tails are very odd if you ask me. Like in the episode "Baby Cakes" Mrs. Cake was able to keep a tray on her tail and was able to keep balance two baby bottles. Also Pinkie Pie was able to lift a bucket of water with her tail.

[silvadel 1,393]

Magic flows throughout the whole body of the ponies. This allows certain things like what you see with the tails of earth ponies, things like walking on clouds etc. Unlike the other ponies -- unicorns are able to focus magic outside their bodies through use of the horns which (being outside their normal bodies) forms a bridge to the outside world for their magic.