Cup 'n' Carrot (Patreon)

You know what's weird in MLP? Wedding rings. 

Unicorns at least have a horn to stick em on. Yet we see earth ponies, and presumably pegasi, exchange these tiny, human-finger sized ringed, without any place to properly wear them. Big Mac gifts Sugar Belle a wedding ring on a necklace, but.....why not just give her a necklace, then? Why this tiny diamond ring? Ponies are nudists with active lifestyles. That wedding ring is going to get lost, or at the very least chipped and tarnished, just like a dog's collar. I understand that in a children's show, wedding rings are obvious visual signifiers for a young audience, but idk, I guess I'm irked by such a human custom being used by this world of sapient animals.

But if ponies don't use wedding rings, how do married ponies signify their status? I think I'll make a little set of headcanon doodles pondering this completely unnecessary question. Here's the first!

There is no single uniform way ponies signify that they're taken, but certain ideas are very popular. Matching tattoos are a simple and low cost idea for couples who spend too much time kneading dough and whipping buttercream to wear flashy jewelry. The most common is a simple design done inside one ear (which has had the inner fur shaved). Most older ponies, as well as the wealthy aristocracy, deride ear tats as tacky, childish, and low class. Mister and Missus Cake do not give a solitary fuck. They got their marks when they eloped after high school, having been too broke for anything fancier. The marks, though cheesy and perhaps a bit crudely drawn, are regarded with much affection (and are a prime target for fond ear nibbles). 

In the event a relationship doesn't work out, ear tattoos can fortunately be hidden by letting the fur inside the ear grow back. Ponies often joke and tease about finding an old lover inside their partner's ears. While ear marks are often dismissed as foolhardy, there are far more controversial marriage customs out there.....