This story is set in the same world as Ultimate Challenge, but comes from a different point of view.
At the age of 22, Susan Harper inherited an isolated farm in the middle of Dartmoor from her only relative, an uncle. When she had arrived at the place, she found that there were no crops in the fields, no livestock and no workers, so she immediately thought about selling the place. However, the solicitors dealing with her uncle’s estate had told her that, due to environmental policies, the owner received a large grant from the government to keep the land fallow and uncultivated. When she did the math, Susan realised that she would be financially better off keeping the farm and staying there.
About three months after moving in, Susan received a visit from a group of people, including the person who owned the neighbouring estate, offering to buy the farm. She was intrigued as she recognised one of her visitors as she was prominent in business and politics so Susan naturally asked why they wanted the farm. They were reluctant to explain, so Susan told them that she wasn’t interested in selling if they were going to be so secretive. However, after a whispered discussion, Susan was told that if she was willing to sign a non disclosure agreement she would be told why the group wanted to buy her farm. After considering the matter and having satisfied herself that nothing of an illegal nature was involved, Susan signed and was then introduced to the global but secretive world of human ponies. Fascinated, Susan eventually suggested that rather than sell her farm, she would lease it out but wished to continue managing it. This was agreed on the condition that Susan spend about six months learning all about the business of running her own pony stable while her property was being altered to suit the requirements of keeping human ponies.
Consequently, Susan found herself at a pony stable near Exmoor run by a Lady Cavener, a young woman about a year younger than herself. “Please, call me Lucy,” was her response when introduced. “Lady Cavener makes me sound like an old woman.” The two women hit it off straight away and Susan was soon being lectured on a wide variety of subjects. Care and feeding of ponies, health and wellbeing, security, sources of supply. The list of subjects seemed endless, yet important. Because ponies couldn’t usually speak and their arms were secured behind their backs, they couldn’t indicate to anyone if there was a problem or if they were unwell, so constant monitoring was required. Susan was amazed to discover just how much help she could call on. When her own stable was up and running, she was told that there would be at least one surgeons, two doctors, two dentists and numerous nurses around her. Basic hygiene was very important. Most ponies had two butt plugs, one to allow for sleeping and one with a tail. Cleanliness of these items had to be scrupulous in order to prevent any infection. The health of all those involved with the stable was also important to prevent anyone, whether visitor, groom or trainer, from passing on any infection to the ponies.
She learned that the whole organisation was known as the EQ Corporation, or just ‘The Corporation’ and was controlled by various committees. There was a small international group then national then regional committees that oversaw the various pony stables and implemented the various policies that made the organisation work as smoothly as it did. Susan was impressed by their professionalism when she was introduced to the members of her local committee, which included Lucy’s aunt, Lady Harrington.
Susan also learned about such things as the artificial straw used for bedding and artificial leather used for the ponies’ tack. The straw repelled insects and the leather could be soaked without harm. The food pellets that were fed to the ponies came in a variety of flavours and because the ponies had to eat with a bit in their mouths and therefore couldn’t chew, the pellets were designed to melt in the mouth. Another aspect of stable life was the requirement that when someone became a pony, whether it was just for a weekend or permanently, they were kept in ignorance of anything in the outside world. Susan was shocked to learn that some people were willing to become ponies for the rest of their lives so she was introduced to Lucy’s matched pair, Honey and Amber. Lucy told Susan that on or near the anniversary of them becoming permanent ponies, as well as at various other times, the bits were removed and the two were allowed to talk to each other and with Lucy. As Susan was learning about ponygirls, the ponies’ bits were removed and the following day, Susan spent all day and most of the evening talking with Honey and Amber, finding to her surprise that the two were highly intelligent and articulate. Susan learned that they were both university graduates, with Honey having a law degree and Amber a degree in accountancy. During her time with Honey and Amber, Susan learned why they had chosen a lifestyle that reduced them to animals, albeit well cared for ones.
All in all it was a fascinating time, even if she was left feeling as if she could have another four or five hours added to the day! However, one aspect of her training was something she hadn’t anticipated. One day, Lucy came to her and asked if she was ready to become a pony. Lucy’s aunt, Lady Elizabeth Harrington explained, “We feel that if you experience what it is like to be a ponygirl, you will have a better understanding of what I call pony mentality when you are running your own pony stable.” Susan was told that many in the corporation felt that this was necessary as she hadn’t ‘grown up’ in the pony world.
The very next morning, Susan’s introduction to the world of ponygirls began. After a breakfast that consisted only of a glass of water, she was taken to the tack room and made to strip. First on were a set of pony boots that reached up to just below her knees. They were tightly laced then a flap was zipped up covering the laces, and Susan saw that the zip locked. Without a key, there was no way to remove the boots. Next came a tight fitting corset that reached from her hips to just below her breasts, lifting them up as it supported them. Just before it was fitted, Susan saw that there was a steel ratcheted bar running up the back of the corset. A crotch strap was tightly fastened and Susan felt herself turning scarlet as first a dildo, then a hollow butt plug were secured, followed by a plug to seal the butt plug. The crotch strap was cleverly designed to still allow her to pee. Susan was feeling embarrassed at being on show like this, but events moved too quickly for her. Attached to the corset was a deep posture collar that prevented any head movement. The top of the steel bar was attached to the collar, then metal cuffs, about ¼ inch thick and 2 inches deep, were locked round her wrists. They were lined in a rubber like material and were slightly oval in shape which would prevent Susan from turning her wrists in them. Her arms were then taken behind her back and she heard and felt the clicks as the wrist bands locked into the steel bar and each other. Lucy then gently pushed on Susan’s bound wrists and she felt them being pushed up the bar leaving her arms locked in a reverse prayer position. Lucy then produced a salve and applied it into Susan’s arms and shoulders and she found that the pain and discomfort disappeared as the salve was rubbed in.
Finally, her bridle and bit were fitted. The bridle incorporated a set of blinkers that only allowed Susan to look straight ahead, and she knew that they could be closed over to make an effective blindfold. The bit was as severe as Susan thought it would be having examined it several days earlier. There was a flat metal piece that fitted over her back teeth and two metal plates that would swivel up into the roof of the mouth and press down on her tongue. However, what she hadn’t expected was the addition of a ring at the front that slid over her tongue, holding it still. Attached to the bar that held the ring, were two thin leather straps that buckled under her chin and Susan found that not only was she unable to move her tongue, she couldn’t make any intelligible sounds. A lunge rope was attached to her bit and she was led out of the tack room to receive her first enema. She was right about the bit, as Susan found that any resistance would result in severe discomfort if not pain.
After her enema, which left her feeling humiliated, Susan was locked into a stall and left there while she came to terms with the restrictions to her body and, although she didn’t realise it, her mind. She quickly learned to eat and drink while wearing her bit, but felt abandoned as she had been deliberately left alone. Later that day, she was taken out of her stall and her reins attached to a pony walker and she was exercised for some time. She initially resisted the pull of her reins as much as she could, but that wasn’t much and it was a weary ponygirl that was locked into her stall that night. Lucy hadn’t spared using her whip to ‘encourage’ Susan so her backside and thighs were red and sore as well. Just before the lights were turned off, Susan was visited by Lucy who told her that a proper training routine had been organised for her, and Susan was left, trying to get comfortable and wondering just what she had let herself in for.
Next morning, after her enema, Susan received the first of several surprises. She was blindfolded then secured in a horse transporter and driven away. She had no idea what was happening or where she was being taken but she was so securely fastened in the transporter that she couldn’t even move her head. After an unknown time, the vehicle stopped, Susan was released from her confinement and when her blinkers were opened she found herself in a strange stable. Holding her reins was Lucy who turned to a large women standing next to her and said,
“Margaret, say hello to Brandy.” Who’s Brandy, Susan thought, then as Lucy handed her reins to the woman Susan realised that she was Brandy, and that was her pony name. Lucy went on, “She’s a new pony and her owner asked for her to be brought here for training.” Susan tried to say or do something. Owner? What was going on? She expected to be in harness for a couple of days at most, but it seemed as if she was being abandoned here, wherever ‘here’ was. She tried to ask what the hell was happening, but her efforts came to naught. Her bit prevented any kind of sound except whinnies or neighs and the bit combined with her tack kept her from moving around.
As Lucy said a cheery, “Bye, bye,” the woman holding Susan’s reins gave a gentle pull and said, “Right Brandy, lets see what we can do with you.”
The next few weeks passed in a blur for Susan. She was taught to walk, step, trot, canter and gallop like a good ponygirl. She was also introduced to pulling a buggy. For the first two or three days, it was a hard time for her and she often felt a whip across her backside and thighs. She also found out that the dildo and butt plug could deliver painful shocks. On the evening of the third day, she was lying in her stall feeling sorry for herself thinking, they treat me just like an animal. That was when it dawned on her that as a ponygirl she was just an animal. Thinking it through she considered the way she had been treated and realised that she hadn’t been cruelly treated, but was being dealt with as any animal that was being trained and was refusing to co-operate with its trainer. With that thought, she settled into a deep sleep, the first she had enjoyed in several days.
Next morning after her enema, it was back to the training ground and it soon became apparent to her trainer that Brandy was no longer fighting. It soon also became apparent to everyone there that Brandy hadn’t just mentally given up and surrendered, but was still alert and was seen to be enjoying herself. Susan could never explain how she felt. On the one hand she was totally controlled, but that control gave her a freedom she had never realised before. The only decision she had to make was obey or disobey, and she chose to obey. Her training continued and one morning she was hitched to a buggy and her trainer appeared. However, this time her blinkers were closed and she found herself pulling the buggy round the estate totally blind and dependant on her trainer to guide and protect her. It was a major lesson in control and dependence, one that Susan never forgot.
Time lost all meaning for her as one day blended into the next. She had a period, but her training regime never altered. When the weather was dry, she would often be hobbled and left in an adjacent field with other ponies. There were two males there but they showed no interest in the females, and had Susan not been too occupied with her own thoughts, she might have wondered why. She was kept too busy to think during the day, but as she lay in her stall at night, she began to wonder if she had been tricked into becoming a ponygirl as a way to conveniently get rid of her, and would be kept like this for the rest of her life. It was both a shock and a relief one day, after exercising all morning to be taken to the tack room instead of back to her stall, and have all her tack and boots removed. She was helped up to the large house, still naked and settled into a comfortable chair. Her feet and ankles ached and she had found that she had to walk on tiptoe. Likewise she had to hold her hands behind her back as any attempt to bring them in front of her resulted in painful shoulders. She sat there as two women entered the room, one well dressed in a suit, the other as a nurse.
“Good afternoon Susan,” said the well dressed woman. “I’m Penelope Brockhurst and this is Sharon who will soon have you up and about. We can have a chat later, but for now I’ll leave you in Sharon’s capable hands. See you at dinner.” Turning to the other woman she added, “Take good care of Susan.”
“Of course, Lady Brockhurst,” was the reply and turning to Susan said, “Right, let’s get your arms working properly again.”
Sharon, it turned out, was a physiotherapist and chatted away to Susan as she worked. It took about a week of exercises and massage before Susan regained the full use of her arms and about the same time before she could put her feet flat on the ground. Also, it took Susan two or three days before she felt comfortable using the toilet due to the daily enemas. During this time, Susan had a number of conversations with Penelope Brockhurst and Sharon, mostly dealing with the long term effects of being held in pony tack for any length of time. Susan found that she had been kept as a pony for six weeks.
During her recovery however, her lessons in pony stable management continued but with practical work added, as she learned how to look after a pony, including how to safely give an enema. She was told one day,
“You can have your own pony to practise with.” As the stable block was empty, she wondered how, until Ingrid, one of the grooms, laughed and said, “I’m your pony!”
Ingrid went on to explain, “About three years ago, I was a 19 year old troublemaker and I broke into this place to see what I could steal. Of course, security detected me and I was quickly caught. Because of my attitude and language, I soon found myself in pony harness, and was put through a training regime.” She paused, thinking back. “It took me a couple of months before it suddenly struck me that I was being treated well, despite the restraints. Even the trainers, although firm and ready to use a whip or crop, weren’t cruel. I was punished if I needed it, but praised and made a fuss of if I behaved. I think that was the first time I had ever been shown any kindness since I was a little girl. I must have been here about six or seven months as a pony and I had resigned myself to being like that for ever when Lady Brockhurst came and removed my bit. When I could talk she asked me if I had learned my lesson. To cut a long story short, she offered to release me from the pony tack but I would have to remain as her prisoner. Once I had recovered from the way I had been restrained, I became one of her grooms during the summer, but I returned to being Magpie during the winter.”
Lady Brockhurst then added, “Ingrid has now earned the trust of the corporation and is free to leave, but chooses to stay.”
For the next few weeks, Susan groomed, exercised and generally looked after Magpie, finding just how much work was involved. Not only the feeding and cleaning, but things like giving Magpie a manicure or pedicure. She even learned to brush Magpie’s teeth without removing the bit. She also discovered that the simple act of closing the bolt that secured Magpie in her stall for the night and just walking away and leaving her, filled Susan with a strange sense of power. She had complete control over another human being. It was a heady feeling and one she knew she would have to watch out for, not only within herself, but in others as well. Over the coming years Susan would earn a reputation for zero tolerance to anyone showing the slightest sign of abuse towards a pony.
One point that Susan had noticed when first introduced to the severe pony harness she ended up wearing, was the small padlock on the ratchet bar that held her arms. It was explained to her that if the wrist bands were pushed up too far, the release mechanism on the cuffs sheared and the arms could not be released, or even lowered back down. The reason for the padlock was to prevent that happening by accident. “Between the material and the close fit,” Penelope explained, “I don’t think there is any way to release the arms short of amputating the hands. It’s something that has to be emphasised to anyone who decides to commit themselves to permanently becoming a pony.”
Susan also found out about the two males and was shocked to discover that they had both been castrated. “It’s a long story,” Penelope told Susan, “but basically they got themselves into a lot of trouble they couldn’t get themselves out of. Even their father wouldn’t help them and they had to sign themselves over to me as my property. They had both raped at least two girls, but as the girls didn’t want the publicity and possible scandal, no action was taken. However, when these two signed themselves over to me, I was able to see justice served in my own fashion!”
Two months after her time as a pony, Susan returned to her stable and it soon was up and running. She had several good grooms, including Ingrid, who came with Penelope Brockhurst’s blessing and two experienced trainers. All her staff were female, and soon the ponies started to appear. However, Susan implemented several ideas of her own. The first was that every pony, even if only there for a weekend, was secured in the severe harness, with arms locked in a reverse prayer and with the severe bit. She also had the sexes strictly segregated, with all males, or colts as she referred to them, wearing a chastity cage. There was a large field for the ponies to relax in but Susan installed a barbed wire fence to divide the field in two. About a yard from each side of the fence, there was an electrified fence that would deliver a painful shock to any pony touching it. When asked about it, Susan explained that she didn’t want any pony hurting itself on the barbed wire if one of the sexes tried to get closer to the other. A number of committee members expressed doubts about Susan’s conditions, but the number of people coming to be ponies increased to such an extent that there was a waiting list as more and more people wanted to experience the total control that Susan provided.
Although a number of stables now used computer controls for their operations, Susan had decided that the individual pony stalls should still use old fashioned door bolts. Speaking to clients when they were getting ready to go home, she was told that the electronic systems felt like a prison whereas a simple bolt, that they couldn’t manipulate because of their tack, made them feel more like livestock. Many of the stables played gentle classical music as an aid to keeping a calm atmosphere in the stable. Susan also used this and in addition interspersed the music with the sound of waves gently crashing onto a beach. The feedback she received on this was very positive as people said that the sound induced a sense of calm. Soon, other stables started to use this technique as well.
Every individual had to write out, in their own hand, and sign a permission document, each time they came, stating that they were allowing themselves to be kept as livestock. They could specify a date and time when they wished to be released, but they could also leave that up to the discretion of the owner, in this case, Susan. Two regular visitors were a husband and wife. Their marriage had been heading for divorce when a friend introduced them to the pony lifestyle. They found that they enjoyed the experience and soon found their way to Susan’s stable. When they came, they were treated exactly the same any every other pony. Susan used to see them standing in the field, as close to the electric fences as they could, looking at each other. When talking to them, they told Susan that the fact that they were so close yet so far apart had spiced up their marriage.
When they came they always refused to specify a release time and left it up to Susan. Knowing the husband had a series of meetings, Susan released him one afternoon but kept his wife, who remained in ignorance of her husband’s departure. She was kept there until he returned three weeks later, but before Susan would release her, she had the wife harnessed to a buggy and allowed the husband to take her round the estate. As she was blindfolded, she had no idea who was driving the buggy, and using a buggy whip on her, until they returned to the stable block. When next Susan spoke to them, she was told that once they had returned home, they had enjoyed the best sex they had ever had. One of the grooms said that Susan had come up with a new method of marriage guidance counselling!
One aspect of her position that Susan still hadn’t come to terms with was that every member of staff addressed her as Mistress and at the staff’s insistence, all visitors had to address her a Miss Harper. Lucy told her to enjoy the titles and her aunt, Lady Harrington added,
“If your staff have started to address you as Mistress and insist all others call you Miss Harper, it’s a sure sign of the respect they have for you. Embrace it my dear. You’re not the sort of person who would let this go to your head.” She laughed. “Besides, if it did, there are plenty of people who would bring you back to earth again!”
Not every person who became a pony for life did so from choice. On three separate occasions, Susan’s stable played host to someone whom the committee had decided should not be released back into ordinary society. Two of them, Sugar and Diamond, were habitual thieves who stole to fund a drug habit. Although they initially fought their restraints and the conditions they were kept in, they eventually surrendered to the fact that they were going to be ponies for the rest of their lives. When allowed to talk, both admitted that they would probably try to escape if they were ever given the chance, even though they were now free from any drug habit, but they behaved themselves otherwise.
The third pony was a different matter. Her name was Nightmare, because according to her grooms, she was, or rather had been a nightmare to deal with. She had attempted to stab two people when she had broken into a stable and was caught. Her psychiatric evaluation labelled her as a borderline psychopath. The assessment, coupled with the threats she made towards those holding her, resulted in the decision to keep her as a pony. Unlike Sugar and Diamond, she never accepted what was happening to her and fought everyone. She had needed two grooms at all times, as despite her restraints, she was always ready to try to attack anyone who came near. She would try to kick, bite, head butt or just spit at anyone who came near her. In fact, because the steel horseshoe on a pony boot could cause severe injuries, she had to be kept hobbled at all times unless pulling a buggy, and special precautions had to be taken when the hobble was removed or refitted.
However, her own attitude and temper had a negative effect on her, as Susan saw when Nightmare was stabled with her for a few days. Sugar and Diamond had shown spirit and even humour when Susan had seen them but looking at Nightmare, Susan could see no sign of intelligence. As one of the grooms who came with her said, “It’s as if she burned herself out. There’s nothing remotely human inside that shell now. She’ll come to you for stroking, obeys her reins when pulling a buggy but otherwise just stands with that vacant stare.”
“Could she be faking it to lull you into a false sense of security?” asked Susan.
The groom replied. “Three separate corporation psychiatrists have examined her, and at least one of the evaluations was carried out with her in a drugged state.” She sighed. “No, I’m afraid Nightmare is just a two legged animal these days, nothing more.”
Six years after inheriting the farm, life continued and although Susan didn’t like the monthly chore of the paperwork involved in the running of the stable, she knew it needed to be done and she was always glad when it was completed. As she finished up the paperwork for Harper Stables one evening, she looked out of her window at a young woman trotting past pulling a buggy. She stretched, smiled and thought, ‘Some stable!’
Her musings were rudely interrupted as Ingrid entered the room.
“Sorry Mistress, but we have an intruder.”
“Where?”
“Wandering round the stable block. She wasn’t picked up earlier because she said that she was a friend of yours.”
Knowing just how good the stable security was, Susan asked for the intruder to be brought into the office, and she received a shock when the hunched over figure came shambling in.
“Karen!”
For the past two years, Susan had been in touch with the girl in front of her. Karen White was three years younger than Susan but had been in and out of hospital for self harming and alcohol abuse. The poor girl was unfortunately clumsy and always wore clothing too big for herself, a sign that she had poor self esteem. Susan had often visited Karen and regularly e-mailed her, and thought that she was still in rehab for her alcohol abuse. It turned out that Karen had just been released from the rehab clinic.
“I had no money, and I’d lost the flat I’d been renting so I thought I’d come down and see you. I was hoping you could give me a job or something. I was hitching and this delivery van stopped and gave me a lift. When I told him where I was heading and that you were a friend, he told me that he was making a delivery here, so I just came in with him.”
Susan settled Karen in one of the spare bedrooms, left her to have a shower and arranged a change of clothing while a meal was prepared.
“You know you’ll have to notify the committee, don’t you?” said Ingrid when she and Susan were alone. “I know she’s your friend, but she can’t be allowed to just leave. The corporation wouldn’t want to risk a breach in their security.”
“I know,” replied Susan, “but I can’t just chain her up somewhere. I’d be kidnapping her and who knows what being held a prisoner would do to her mental state. She’s fragile enough as it is.”
Whenever Susan had a problem or a situation she wasn’t sure about, her first action was a phone call to Lucy. On hearing what had happened she promptly passed Susan on to her aunt.
“There is a committee meeting this weekend. Can you keep your friend from leaving and come up for it?”
“Yes. There’s nothing happening and I think Karen will appreciate being given some space."
“Excellent! We can work out something when you’re here.”
Over dinner, Karen said that as she had wandered round the stable block she had noticed just how peaceful it was. She was naturally curious about the human ponies and said,
“Every one of them seemed so settled, despite the way their arms are tied. Do you think I could try it?”
Susan replied, “Well Karen, it’s not the sort of thing everyone would like. The ponies all have to sign an agreement allowing them to be kept like that. There is a salve that deals with any pain or discomfort in their arms but they are completely helpless and they can’t make any intelligible sounds.”
Karen interrupted, “I gathered that, but even so, none of them looked as if they wanted out. They looked so relaxed. I’d like to find out what it feels like?”
Susan reluctantly agreed, so next morning, after writing out and signing a release, Karen was harnessed and introduced to the world of a ponygirl. The morning enema came as a surprise, but she showed no signs of distress, so Susan handed her over to Ingrid while she got on with the day to day running of the stable.
It came as a surprise when Ingrid asked her to come to the security office that evening. Expecting trouble, she was greeted by Ingrid asking,
“I thought you said Karen was one of the clumsiest people you’d ever known?”
“She is,” Susan replied “and I’ve been waiting to hear of her falling down or tripping over her pony feet.”
“Have a look at this then.” Ingrid responded. “It was taken this afternoon.”
The video showed the main training barn and in the middle of it was Karen, on the end of a lunge line, being guided by Ingrid with Mary, the senior trainer supervising. Susan was amazed at what she saw.
“Are you sure that’s Karen?”
Ingrid laughed. “Oh yes. I couldn’t believe it either. It’s as if she has transformed into another creature.”
Instead of the slouch, the figure stood erect, ‘proud’ was Susan’s thought. When she moved, Karen showed a grace and poise that Susan couldn’t believe. When Karen then did a graceful pirouette ending with one hoof in the air and stood without a movement for all of thirty seconds, Susan just stood open mouthed.
There’s more,” added Ingrid as the video feed changed to a live view of the stable block. The camera zoomed in on the stall that Karen was in and it showed her lying relaxed and settled.
“I was going to bring her back into the house tonight,” said Susan, “but I think I’ll just leave her there and speak to her in the morning.”
“Good idea,” replied Ingrid. “I’ll be interested to hear what she has to say for herself.” Then she added, “Especially as she didn’t specify any date or time in her release!”
Early next morning, after her enema, Karen was put back in her stall and Susan and Ingrid came to see her. The bit was removed and after working her mouth Karen replied to Susan’s query as to how she was enjoying being a pony.
Karen had a thoughtful expression on her face as she replied.
“You know, it’s strange. I keep comparing this to my times in rehab. In both places I’ve been watched over, but the physical restrictions here don’t compare. However, despite all that I actually feel less restricted here than when in rehab. Despite the restraints, I actually feel comfortable! I don’t feel as if I’m being regarded with suspicion. Quite the contrary. It’s a feeling that I’m being watched for my own sake. In fact, last night was the best night’s sleep I can remember in a long time. The shrinks would have a great time with me, because I actually feel comfortable!”
Susan exchanged looks with Ingrid and spoke. “Well Karen, I was planning to let you out of your harness today, however I have to go away for the weekend. Would you be happy to stay like this until I get back?”
Karen looked at them and replied. “Sure. Ingrid said she’d teach me some steps, dressage I think they’re called?”
Susan turned to Ingrid and said, “Take good care of her, and I’ll be back on Monday.”
“Of course Mistress.” Ingrid replied
Karen laughed. “Susan, I knew you were in charge here, but Mistress?”
Susan’s response was to refit Karen’s bit, and noticed that there was no resistance from her.
“As you’re now a pony, you should have a pony name. Any suggestions Ingrid?”
“How about Starlight?” Ingrid replied, and by the whinny that came from her stall, Karen also liked it.
“Fine. See you after the weekend Starlight. She’s all yours Ingrid”
“I’ll take good care of her Mistress. Have a nice weekend.”
Considering that she would have to answer questions about her security arrangements, Susan doubted if it would be fun. With that thought, Susan took her leave and after breakfast, changed and drove to Lady Harrington’s estate. Sure enough, the first order of business was how Susan’s security had been breached, but after looking at all the facts, the committee came to the conclusion that as Karen was known to be a friend of Susan, the circumstances were very unusual and it was something that wouldn’t happen again. They were concerned however, that Karen would want to leave, but there were smiles all round when Susan explained that Karen was experiencing the weekend as Starlight, so wouldn’t be going anywhere. With that, the committee moved on to other matters and Susan was left to wander round the estate with Lucy. She spent time watching Lucy’s matched pair, Honey and Amber exercising.
Turning to Lucy, she asked, “Are those two reading each other’s mind? Even when they’re not in harness but just walking together they keep in step.”
“I know,” was the amused reply. “They’re so in tune with each other it’s uncanny. I think that’s why they keep winning. I’ve even tried them blindfolded but they still keep in synch, even when they’re not in direct contact with each other.”
The day continued and Susan joined the others for an excellent dinner. As she settled down for the night, she wondered how Karen, or Starlight as she now called, was enjoying her second night as a pony, however she resisted the temptation to call Ingrid and settled down for the night.
Saturday passed in a flurry of business followed by dinner but late on Sunday afternoon, Susan received a phone call from Ingrid, who sounded very upset.
“Calm down Ingrid. What’s the matter?”
“Oh Mistress, I’m sorry.” Susan immediately thought that something bad had happened to Karen as she replied,
“Just tell me.”
Calming down, Ingrid explained, “Starlight was in the same row of stalls as Echo and Vesta.” Susan knew that these two had opted to become permanent ponies and were being kept in her stables until their owner came back from overseas.
“Well,” Ingrid continued, “The vet came to fit their control rings.” These were 1" diameter steel rings that fitted through a pierced septum, giving the pony a permanent nose ring. All of a sudden, Susan knew what was coming.
“I had to go and help one of the other grooms and when I came back, she had fitted a nose ring to Starlight as well.”
“Oh no. How is she?” asked Susan, expecting the worst.
“That’s the strange thing Mistress,” Ingrid said. “She thinks it’s, to use her own words, ‘kind of cool’. She’s not upset in the least. How she’ll feel when her ring is used to control her may be a different matter, but for now she’s just wanting to get on with her training. When I spoke to Linda, she said that Starlight never showed any alarm or resistance to being ringed.” Linda was a GP who played at vet for the ponies.
Susan sat thinking then said, “Ask her if she’s willing to stay a pony for the rest of the month. I want to go and sort out some things so if she’s agreeable, it would solve the security problem, at least for now.”
“I’ll go and ask her then call you back.”
Susan hung up then explained to those around her what had happened. It was Lady Harrington who said,
“From my years of experience plus looking at this young lady’s file, I think you may have found your own pony! I’d be interested in reading her psychological profile when it’s done”
Susan gasped in surprise, as she hadn’t realised that the corporation would seek an evaluation on Karen, but before she could respond, she received a text message from Ingrid to say that Starlight was happy to stay as Starlight for the next three weeks but was going to give Susan hell on principle when she got back.
There was laughter all round when Susan mentioned this, as well as some relief that the security issue regarding the girl could be shelved for now. At that point someone raised an issue about some documentation that she needed and Starlight was forgotten for the time being.
Three weeks later, as Susan was returning home, she received a phone call from Lucy. Her Aunt, Lady Harrington had just been taken into hospital. Susan promptly turned round and headed back to Lucy’s stable and stayed there with her for two weeks. Her aunt had suffered a minor heart attack but was soon home again. Fortunately, she had already passed on the running of the stable to Lucy, so when it was certain that she would be fine, Susan headed home, arriving around seven at night, but no sooner had she settled in than Ingrid came to see her.
“How’s Karen?” Susan asked, suddenly thinking that she had left Karen as a ponygirl for nearly six weeks.
Ingrid laughed, “You mean Starlight. She’s a good one. Neither Mary nor I have ever seen someone so nimble and graceful in pony tack.”
Mary was the head trainer who had come to Susan from Lady Harrington, and for her to praise a pony was something. Also, Susan had thought of Karen as clumsy and awkward, so she wanted to know more, so Ingrid suggested they go to the office and look at the CCTV.
First was a live feed that showed the ponies in their stalls, and Susan saw that Starlight had a chain fastened between her nose ring and the side of her sleeping platform.
“What’s that for? Has there been a problem?” Susan asked in an anxious voice, to which Ingrid laughed.
“Oh there’s a problem all right, but not what you would expect.”
As Susan stared at her, Ingrid continued, “If we don’t chain her to her bed she would be up throughout the night practising the steps she’s been taught during the day. It’s the only way we can make sure she actually lies down and sleeps.” She then handed Susan a folder. “This is an evaluation of Starlight from Doctor Kennedy.” The doctor was a psychiatrist who worked for the corporation, usually assessing people who were thinking about becoming permanent ponies. However, Susan was more interested in looking at recorded footage from the past few weeks and saw for herself how Karen, or Starlight as she even referred to herself had progressed. The dressage routine she had been taught was fairly basic, but Susan had never seen it carried out with such grace and precision.
It was a very thoughtful Susan who settled down to sleep that night. Next morning, she spent time in her office reading through the report. It seemed, according to the doctor, that Karen’s self harm and alcohol abuse were a subconscious cry for attention. This, coupled with a low self esteem appeared to have been met by the strict control she found herself under as a ponygirl. She had found a sense of achievement that she hadn’t found anywhere else in her young life. Susan thought about what she had read then after lunch she headed for the stables, absently responding to the calls of “Welcome back Mistress.”
Karen was in the field and Susan saw that her hair had been cut into a short pageboy style and saw also that she now also sported a tail and realised that it was made from Karen’s own hair. Susan called, “Karen,” but there was no reaction.
“Use her pony name Mistress,” a passing groom said. “She refuses to answer to her human name any more. Just remember to treat her like any other pony and not as your friend and she’ll respond."
Felling flustered, but not really knowing why, Susan took a deep breath and called, “Starlight.”
Immediately, Starlight looked up, gave a whinny and came over to Susan. Trotted was the word that came to Susan, as Starlight nuzzled into her. Remembering what the groom had said, Susan clipped a short leather lead to Starlight’s nose ring and led her back to her stall. After bolting the bottom half of the door, Susan reached in and gently removed Starlight’s bit.
“Oh Starlight,” she went on, stroking her friend’s face and neck,
“I’m sorry for leaving you like this for so long. I only meant it for a couple of days, yet you seem so happy and settled like this that I have to confess that I don’t really want to let you go.”
“Then don’t,” was the surprising answer. Before Susan could comment, Starlight went on,
“During my first night here I overheard two of the grooms talking. Don’t be angry with them.” This was said as Susan’s lips tightened. There was a strict rule about having conversations when a pony could hear. “They were speaking Spanish, and I guess you didn’t know that my mother was Spanish.”
“No I didn’t. What did you hear?”
“Oh that the corporation, whatever that is, didn’t know what to do about me. They didn’t want to let me go as the felt that I could pose a threat to the secrecy of this and other places, but if they didn’t let me go then they would be guilty of kidnapping me.” She paused and took a drink of water before continuing.
Susan, since I came here, I’ve been treated with nothing but kindness. I can’t really explain it but I actually feel at home here. I didn’t even try to object when I realised that I was going to have this ring through my nose, because I felt so settled. Even though I’m reduced to being treated as an animal, I still feel as if I’m regarded as an individual and not another statistic in a clinic. I’ve given it a lot of thought these past few weeks and I’ve decided that I want to stay.”
“But, but...” Susan stammered. “The long term effects...”
Starlight interrupted, “Susan, or should I call you Mistress? I’m not thick. After about a year, without pony boots I’d be a virtual cripple and the muscles, ligaments and tendons in my arms will fuse my arms into this reverse prayer position. With the daily enemas, I will soon lose all control of my bowel muscles and become incontinent. My body and mind, especially my mind, have already become adjusted to this. I have no pain or even discomfort. Even on the short time I’ve been here, my health has improved. I had a long talk with someone short while back, and I find that I agreed with him that this is a type of security blanket for me. I feel comfortable here.” She paused. “Also, I have to tell you that I’ve fallen in love with you. Will you keep me and become my owner?”
“Karen, think this through very carefully. If I were to keep you, then I would never allow you to speak, ever again. If your bit had to be removed, you would be sedated first.”
Karen looked Susan in the eye and replied, “My name is Starlight. Karen is dead. I’ve already considered this matter for several weeks and talked it over with this guy who came. I will willingly become your ponygirl, and if I never talk again, I’ll still be happy, because I know that you love me and will look after me.”
There were hugs, kisses and a few tears as Susan hugged her friend and said, “Oh yes Starlight. I’ll be your owner and keep you and look after you and never let any harm come to you.”
A few days later, when Karen could use her arms, she wrote out and signed the document that committed her as a pony for the rest of her life. Her arms once again in the reverse prayer were pushed up until the locking mechanism of her cuffs sheared. Turning to Susan she said, “I love you Mistress.”
Susan fitted Starlight’s bit, rendering her speechless, and left her locked in her stall. Turning to walk away, she had a smile on her face. Her friend was now just livestock, but Susan was determined that Starlight would be the happiest pony in her stable. The following day, Starlight had an RFID chip installed and then had Susan’s ownership tattoo on her right thigh. The tattoo consisted of the stable insignia, a running pony, with ‘SH’ above it and her name, ‘Starlight’, beneath it.
Much to Susan’s surprise, many of those who came to her stable on a regular basis, both men and women, insisted on having her ownership tattoo. The women usually had it at the top of their right thigh, and the men mostly had it on their right arm. In the view of the corporation, it was another sign of the liking and respect that Susan and her stable had earned.
Life in the stables continued. A CEO introduced Carol, his PA to the pony lifestyle. However, she was concerned and a little afraid when seeing the grooms using their whips, so Susan invited Carol to come to the stable the following weekend and led her through to the exercise barn. Carol was very nervous as all that could be heard was the constant crack of numerous whips. However, when she entered the barn, Carol was confronted by the sight of ten grooms having an obstacle race. They each had to get a balloon down a course and round, over or through various obstacles using only their whip. If a balloon burst, that groom was disqualified. Susan explained that successful completion of this course every six months was actually a compulsory requirement otherwise the groom would not be allowed to use a whip on or near a pony. Susan went on to explain that there were numerous competitions for the title Whipmaster and Whipmistress with prizes for those who did well. It was designed to keep standards high as well as keeping ponies safe. Holding out her own plaited leather whip for Carol to examine, Susan explained.
“As you can see, this can cause serious damage. In poorly trained hands this can break bones and strip flesh, so we make sure anyone using this is safe, especially for the ponies. It took me the best part of a year to master using this.”
“I’m not sure I’d like the idea of a man using this on me, even if they are well trained” Carol said.
We only have female grooms and trainers here.” Susan replied. “Many of those who come to us, both men and women, do so as this is one of the reasons. They say that they feel more comfortable with this arrangement. Anyway, the idea of using a whip is to encourage and correct, not punish.” She paused. “We have other methods if we have to punish a pony.”
Carol looked at Susan. “What do you mean, punish?”
“Well, we sometimes get a pony that deliberately misbehaves, or decides to be stubborn and not play. You’ve read through the disclaimer?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll know that once in harness, the person is no longer a person, but an animal, livestock really, and is treated as such.”
“Oh.” Carol suddenly smiled. “I understand. I think I’m going to enjoy this experience after all.”
Carol became a frequent visitor to the stables and stayed as a pony for increasing lengths of time. About 18 months after her first visit, while spending three months as a pony, Carol met Elizabeth, who regularly came to drive a ponygirl buggy, and eventually chose to commit herself as Elizabeth’s permanent ponygirl. The CEO who had introduced her to Susan was left feeling unhappy.
“Carol was the best PA I ever had. I never thought for a moment that she would choose to become a pony for life.”
On another occasion, a fairly influential married couple arrived for an unspecified time as ponies. The day after arriving, the man slipped and injured his knee and was taken to the local hospital where he spent the night before returning with his leg heavily bandaged as he had torn a ligament. He spent a week resting in Susan’s guest quarters before returning home, as he had work to complete. His wife wasn’t told of his accident because it was decided that there was no need for her to know as she was just a pony. When the man suggested, when he was getting ready to return home, that he needed his wife to look after him Susan simply responded,
“I’ve been to your home. You have a butler, a maid and a cook. Why do you need one of my animals?”
He eventually came to collect his wife six weeks later, and once again, Susan was later informed that they had ‘the best sex ever’. When told, Ingrid replied, “I told you that you should extend the stable description to include marriage counselling!”
It was this type of approach that appealed to so many of the clients. Also, although many of those who came were wealthy, there were some who were not. Susan knew that these people enjoyed being ponies but couldn’t afford the fees that were charged, so she would ask for payment in kind. Because of this she had available, engineers, carpenters, electricians and painters. Those who chose to be ponies, paid by allowing themselves to be rented out as buggy ponies. She even had a photographer and artist who would paint portraits of various people in pony tack. She also had a well known female TV presenter who, when not being a ponygirl, would present private programmes for the pony community.
Another aspect of Susan’s stable was that in the winter, when there were no ponies, Susan would ask for volunteers from the grooms to become ponies in order to allow the other grooms to learn and train. She never had a lack of volunteers even though Susan told them,
“Just remember that there is a chance that I like what I see and decide to keep one or more of you as ponies. You will all sign a disclaimer that has no end date, so beware. I might keep you or even sell you.”
The reaction to being kept as an animal varied. Many grooms found the experience frightening. The total loss of control and the way they as individuals were controlled by others left them feeling afraid. Susan told them to remember how they felt when they were looking after ponies, especially those new to the lifestyle or committed to being ponies for life. Some of the grooms, on the other hand, found the experience exhilarating. When asked to explain, Sheena, one of the younger grooms replied,
“It’s not easy to explain. There’s actually a sense of freedom. Freedom from responsibilities, freedom from having to make decisions, freedom from the everyday details of life. You just exist. You go where you’re told, guided by the reins.” She stopped and looked at Rebecca, another one of the grooms and continued, “It’s the same even when some people seem to have a love affair with their buggy whip.”
There was laughter as she continued.
“There’s also that little frisson of fear, especially when you’re locked in your stall at night. I know I’m loved and cared for and I trust everyone here, but there’s always the thought that I might not be released and find myself a ponygirl for the rest of my life.”
“How would you feel if I did keep you?” asked Susan.
Sheena stood silent for a moment. “To be honest, I don’t know. I trust you Mistress, and know that I would be cared for and not treated badly. But I don’t know how I would cope knowing that I would never have the use of my arms again, and very probably never speak again.” She went on, “I like and respect you Mistress, so I would submit to whatever you decided to do.”
It was that and similar shows of loyalty that made Susan go the extra mile for her girls and she never kept any groom in harness for more than a month – with one exception.
Elaine had been working as a groom for almost a year before she was caught stealing from the other grooms. Because of the nature of the stables, the matter was referred to the local committee instead of the police. At a hearing, Carol admitted her guilt and submitted herself to Susan to accept the punishment of being made a ponygirl for life. She spent the next six months as Rascal, being trained in Susan’s stable, and never tried to rebel. The only sign of fear or worry came when she was put up for sale at auction, but even then, never fought, accepting her fate. Susan met Rascal about two years later and found that her former groom had become a reliable and fun loving ponygirl, loved by her owner who used her as his personal buggy pony. Susan suspected that Rascal was more than just a ponygirl but decided that it was none of her business.
Strangely, despite Susan’s warnings, nobody refused to sign a release, and it was Ingrid who said that it showed just how much trust the staff had in the woman they called Mistress. Ingrid always became Magpie from November through to February, and one day, just before Ingrid became Magpie, Susan asked her,
“Aren’t you worried that I might not release you in the Spring?”
“No Mistress,” was the reply. “When Lady Brockhurst caught me, I had resigned myself to being a pony for life, so being released was a kind of reprieve for me.”
“What if I decided to sell you?” Susan asked, determined to get a reaction from Ingrid.
“Well, I said I was resigned to becoming a pony for the rest of my life, and ponies don’t choose their owners, do they? Of course,” she went on, “if you sold me you would probably regret losing one of your best grooms.”
Susan couldn’t hold back the laughter that rose, then said, “Right. Let’s get you into your tack. It’s a nice dry day so I’m going to hitch you up to a buggy and we’ll go for a tour of the estate. Oh yes,” Susan added with a smile. “You’ll be blindfolded the whole time.”
Ingrid’s only response was a smile.
Susan did have one problem which she solved in an unusual manner. Many of those who came wanted to stay as ponies for longer and longer periods. At least four individuals signed up for a complete year. However, because of the way they were harnessed, Susan knew that there would be long term damage to their bodies if kept like that, so she had a separate section build about half a mile away from the main stable block. In fact it was more like a cell block. For every month someone was in pony tack, they spent a week in solitary confinement in this block, They were free of all pony tack, but their hands were locked in leather bondage mitts and a steel collar was locked round the person’s neck and secured to the wall of their cell by a steel chain that stopped them reaching the door of their cell, which was locked anyway. The men were kept locked in their chastity cages and the women were also locked into chastity belts even though segregation of the sexes was still strictly enforced. Twice each day, they would be taken from their cell to a toilet so that they didn’t lose control of their bowel muscles. They continued to be fed the pony food and in addition they were told that talking was not allowed. The cell block was monitored and anyone breaking the rule would receive attention from the duty groom’s riding crop. This rule was ignored at first but after two or three backsides received a hiding, the word spread and silence ensued.
The corporation leadership paid many visits to Susan’s stable as word of her strict standards spread and more and more clients wanted to experience being under her control. A number of her ideas were used by other stables but Susan’s stable retained its reputation for strict but fair control throughout the pony world.
Throughout the years however, if no other duties got in the way, Susan would usually be found with Starlight, her very own pony. Starlight proved very good at dressage and she and Susan won a number of prizes. Susan even took Starlight to other countries and did well at international level. Back home, they would often be out and about the estate, with Starlight pulling her Mistress in her buggy and they would frequently be gone for most of the day. One evening, while tidying the buggies, one of the younger grooms came across a bag containing a vibrating double dildo. When she brought this to Ingrid’s attention she was told that it would be a good idea to forget she saw anything unless, that is, she wanted to spend the rest of her life as a ponygirl. She took the hint!
The years passed, and eventually Starlight became too old to pull a buggy and spent most of her time in the field where she would come alongside those who were new to this world, whether to play or to stay. At night, Susan, who had sold the stable to the corporation and handed the management of it onto a younger person, would usually be found in Starlight’s stall and eventually spent the nights there. So it was that one morning, a groom found them both. The doctor was summoned and pronounced them both dead. The corporation’s machinery swung into motion in a well rehearsed routine. Death certificates were signed. Although both stated heart failure, the doctor said, “One died of heart failure and the other of a broken heart, but don’t ask me to decide which was which.”
Both were cremated and the ashes returned to the stable where a ceremony took place attended by more than 500 people, many of whom were either stable owners or who had spent time as one of Susan’s ponies. Ingrid was there, having been brought from the nursing home she was now living in, and spoke of the love Susan had for Starlight and how she knew that that love had been reciprocated. The ashes were then combined before being scattered over the exercise field.
Soon afterwards however, grooms and people who were going home after a time as ponies said that, late at night, they kept hearing what sounded like a buggy being ridden away and some of the grooms even reported seeing vague shadows as if someone or something was heading away from the stable block. Many of those who either saw or heard these things weren’t alarmed however, but simply smiled because they knew that Susan and her beloved Starlight were still together.