Author's Note:

This is the second 'book' in the 'Pony Reality' series. Wider horizon beckon to Beauties new owner.

Synopsis

(Book 1. Pony Reality). A bored woman accidentally stumbles across an image of a captive ponygirl on the internet that initiates a sadistic desire to own such a helpless captive human equine for herself. Book one follows her growing interest in this fetish, then her plans and preparations as she moves from fantasy to the actual kidnapping of not one but two young women. One destined to occupy a stall in her stable, the smaller to serve as her lap dog (in more than one sense!) Book one terminates a few days after she has acquired her new pets and smugly thinking herself perfectly safe from any outside interference. An assumption abruptly shattered!

Chapter 1

"Do you mind if I come in and take a look?"

The words seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. The speaker was a tall slim blonde woman perhaps in her early forties but supremely attractive, willowy the sort that had 'ex-model' written all over her and not the cheaper page three 'tits and bums' end of the business either. Hair in a simple ponytail and dressed in expensive but scuffed brown heeled knee boots, tight fashionable ripped jeans and a baggy fawn sweater. If I had worn clothes like that, I would have looked plain scruffy, but she oozed cat-walk class turning scruff into sophisticated casual elegance. It seemed to be an irrelevant question because she was already inside and confidently crossing over to Beauties stall even as I stood rooted to the spot gaping open-mouthed at and then after her.

Beauty was animated, frantic, body shaking, chains rattling, stamping her feet, head bobbing about as far as she could. She was even vocal, although screaming incoherently into her bit she was managing to create an impressive amount of noise despite that devices impediment. The racket was slightly annoying, I thought peevishly. Evidently, my visitor was of the exact same opinion for she stopped before my excited pony and immediately lashed out backhanding one breast and then slapping the other full-on with the palm of her right hand.

"QUIET!" she ordered aloud. "Stop it at once you stupid animal. I am not here to set you free so get that notion out of your silly head right now!" She repeated the punitive action this time on just the right breast. "Clear?"

"Sorry" she turned to me flashing a wide apologetic smile. "Awfully bad manners on my part I know, but I can't abide disobedience and unruly behaviour in these creatures. I don't normally make a habit of talking to them either. Mind if I take a closer look at this fine animal of yours? I assume from her idiotic behaviour that she's untrained as yet, fresh from the wild perhaps? "

My dazed head responded automatically shaking from side to side to indicate that I had no objection, my mouth also opened but nothing came out other than something that sounded more like a gargling hiss! I was about to try again, but my visitor was already engaged in her examination of my ponygirl.

My world had abruptly come crashing down around my ears. How the hell? Who the hell, I mean? I'd been so sure, so damn sure and piss pot pleased with myself. The perfect crime, my god how clever I'd thought myself and now this? Yes, my heart was in my mouth, and the bottom had abruptly dropped out of my stomach...., and yet as I looked towards Beauties stall, those feelings began to quickly abate.

This blonde interloper seemed to know precisely what she was doing. Her hand delivered two more meaty slaps to Beauties udders in a manner that showed she would brook no misbehaviour whatsoever from her. The woman used that slim hand almost as effectively as I had earlier used my cane, leaving vivid imprints on my ponies quivering breasts that were now more red than white! There was not the slightest sign of hesitation as she chastised my captive pony. Nor was there any display of sympathy or outrage at the girl's predicament.

Now she had Beauties bridle in a tight grip twisting her one way and then the other. She would have been almost as tall as my pony without her expensive-looking heeled boots and was obviously well accustomed to handling such captive animals. Her free hand ranged all over squeezing, kneading, weighing, assessing as Beauty now frightened into silence, squirmed in helpless indignation in that firm grasp.

"Don't worry" she called reassuringly over her shoulder. "these proud udders will soon lose their colour though she'll be a mite sore for a few hours. Habit I'm afraid, most people flog their rumps raw. I have always found that a few flicks of my whip across the more sensitive parts of their anatomy is the most effective way of ensuring instant compliance when required!"

She roughly wrenched beauties head around. "No, you don't!" she snarled then called back to me to carry on the one-sided conversation. "Much less effort as well not that I don't regularly indulge myself employing cane and crop across such as these tempting meaty mounds from time to time. These beasts need constant reminders as to their status and who owns them!" she slapped Beauties rump hard, leaving another visible handprint. Her attention moved upward as she twisted the bridle, even more, making Beauty squeak and dragged her anguished face closer to her own. "Don't irritate me animal, I expect that I am vastly more experienced than your new owner and you can't even begin to imagine the sort of nasty things that I am capable of doing to you!" she hissed before turning to me again.

"How long have you had the beast?"

"Just a... not long, only a couple of days actually" I managed to stammer as I continued to gawp at this unexpected but supremely confident intruder.

"Uh-huh, thought as much, STAND STILL DAMN YOU!" There was another loud crack as palm met flesh producing a muted fearful pained squeal from Beauty, but I noted an abrupt cessation of movement at her left breast quivered under the harsh slap. Her head shot upwards, and she arched high on tiptoe in shock as her bridle was released and two sets of long fingers explored her most sensitive and private spots front and back. Her head turned towards me wide-eyed in a horrified mute appeal.

Evidently, I was already her protector? Strange, I thought. Obviously, my pony recognised which of her tormentors posed the more significant threat at this particular moment, and it wasn't me! Mind you; she was almost certainly correct I thought as I watched the strange woman crouch as she ran her hands down Beauties strong legs and calves before lifting and examining her feet. Hooves I should say because that's just what I was reminded of as I watched. It was a replica of a groom or blacksmith doing precisely the same with a real horse. Not that she wasn't in many ways a 'real horse' to my eyes now.

To anyone else, well almost anyone else she would appear as an attractive shapely statuesque girl confined by tight, uncomfortable bondage. To me and evidently to my visitor that fundamental reality was now overlaid by another perception, that of the captive human equine and it was clear that my visitor had neither surprise nor an ounce of sympathy for the girls' predicament.

The elegant blonde ceased her examination and stood upright smoothing down her jeans then gave Beauty a lighter parting slap on her left buttock by way of a farewell before approaching me. A rueful smile crossed her face as she was about to hold a hand out then looked at it recalling just where her fingers had been probing only moments before.

"There is a basin over in that corner" I nodded pre-empting her question. "It only has cold water, though. I didn't think it worthwhile to...." I trailed off under her amused quizzical expression.

"Quite right," She said with a glance back to the occupied stall. "No need to pamper the creature although if you intend to increase your stock substantially in the future, you might want to think of your own hygiene in terms of comfort and convenience" Her eyes briefly ranged around my building taking in the empty stalls and general clutter.

"Perhaps the kitchen over in the house?" I offered.

She nodded and smiled. "I think that would be more appropriate. One does get used to handling the creatures but..." she looked down at her hands and laughed. "Hardly very polite though to shake hands when you have ponygirl pussy juice and shit on your fingers! Anyway, I could murder a coffee should one be forthcoming."

We both laughed, and I led the way out and across to my house. My glamorous new 'friend' nodding her approval as I paused to close the stable door and set the lock and alarm. Neither of us thought to give Beauty a second glance as we departed although a thought crossed my mind as the lock clicked shut. I somehow knew that any chance, small as it might have been of my releasing my captive had vanished the moment this supremely confident woman had poked her head into my stable!

"That's perfectly fine" Mandy assured me as I passed her a mug of coffee and placed a plate with an assortment of biscuits on the kitchen table. "My husband is the one who's a total fusspot when it comes to coffee, me I'm a gal with simple tastes, hot, brown and wet, so instant suits me just as well as anything else. Lived on the stuff as a teen during my early modelling days" She selected a large chocolate biscuit, bit out a hearty chunk and munched noisily for a couple of seconds then swallowed and brushed a crumb from her lightly glossed lips.

"So, having apologised for this rude and completely unannounced invasion of your privacy, I should, of course, explain more. No doubt you are curious as to why I came and a whole lot more? I expect I gave you a teeny bit of a shock!"

My eyes widened "Teeny!" I protested indignantly, and we both laughed again.

"Well, I have already apologised for startling you. Truth to tell, once I peeped into your stable and confirmed my suspicions I was in two minds. Should I sneak away and then contact you via more conventional means or just barge straight on in? Well, as you noticed, I can be very direct at times, hence me sitting here with you now. These are gorgeous, absolutely delicious by the way". She finished her biscuit and promptly selected another.

"There is an elderly lady down in the village who bakes them. The Post Office puts them into small bags and sells them for her on behalf of a local cat rescue she supports, bit pricey but very good".

Even as I spoke, my mind drifted back a couple of hours to my recent drive to the post office and my earlier train of thought. Extraordinary. My carefully preserved awful secret was already out, and yet I now sensed no reason to fear my visitor none at all. "I'm all ears" I assured her, and of course I was. My visitor had introduced herself while she rinsed her hands in my kitchen sink, and then we'd shaken hands. Not immediately though because as soon as we had entered, she'd spotted Fluffy chained to the wall and rushed over to have a closer look at my frightened little puppy girl.

"Delightful. Quite delightful" was her opinion and so perfect for the role you have assigned to her. I did wonder when I saw the order for the puppy-suit, branching out in another direction?

My unexpected visitors' name was Amanda Montague-Smythe. Very pretentious isn't it she'd laughed and added to just call her Mandy, everyone else does. Except for her husband, she had confided. Always Amanda with him, a bit of a stiff-necked formal bastard, good family and all that upper-class rot, but rich, oh so filthy rich" she'd added with a wink, "old money too and a godsend to a vicious, sadistic bitch like me. You met him earlier!"

I shook my head and must have looked puzzled for she laughed again, nibbled on the biscuit and then enlightened me. "You met him at the end of your driveway doing his delivery driver impression no doubt with a horrendous East European accent. He really needs to work on that. Does a far better Chinese one but hardly looks the part!".

"That was him?"

"Umm...yup, I must call in at that post office when I leave and make my contribution towards those poor pussy cats, I'll take a half dozen bags home with me, very pleasing to the palate. We don't live all that far away so brought that big box over in the corner back from Germany with us and delivered it to your village post office. We keep an old white van handy for...Mmmm, let's say some deliveries or collections that are better kept as discrete as possible!

We didn't have your address, but I had a hunch it wouldn't be long before you came calling, so we had a bar meal in the pub and kept an eye out for you, or at least for whoever came to collect the parcel. You'll have noted that it was somewhat oversized and generously covered in that very visible thick reinforced yellow tape."

I nodded. "Almost blunted my knife hacking into it!" A thought occurred to me. "Suppose I'd been away, on holiday or something?"

"That was always a possibility. Its happened before when a friend or we have taken an interest in one of our customers, always of course one of the regular ones who order a lot of stuff from our more extreme range."

"Your customers?"

She sipped her coffee and nodded. "Uh-huh. A colleague of ours founded the business some five years ago; it was becoming increasingly difficult to purchase the sort of items we wanted, indeed needed through more...shall we say sources of mediocre bondage items? There was next to nothing available that would meet our stringent requirements for the tack we need to contain and control our stock. Plenty of 'play-acting' kit around but nothing of substance". I noted that she literally spat out the word 'play' with a good deal of contempt.

"My research and quite a few of my early purchases showed me that" I noted ruefully thinking of the money I'd wasted.

"Junk" she observed cynically. "Designed for Saturday night 'lovey-dovey' fetishists and similar amateur wannabe perverts. Try keeping 250 plus pounds of highly muscled angry wild stallion bound in that crap while you flog the skin off its recalcitrant rump! I wouldn't recommend it if you value your life!

There was a guy in Spain, a superb leather craftsman who used to supply a fantastic range of kit all made to individual order, but he was virtually a one-person business and when he passed away..." She paused and shrugged. "Well it was hard to find decent replacements, and of course the one thing you definitely don't want to risk is anyone asking questions as to just why you want stuff of a quality that would make Alcatraz or Sing Sings finest restraint items look weak! Any fool can make heavy and secure stuff but inevitably too damn heavy, clumsy and ugly. To do the same but make it light and easy on the eye, well that's an art!"

"So, you decided to manufacture your own items?"

"Correct, but please don't make us sound like a bloody car factory! Craft is a better word. Craft our own equipment to our unique specifications. A German friend with extensive business interests set up a small company. He discretely bought all the assets, equipment, contact lists etc. from our Spanish supplier and offered his sole apprentice a very lucrative salary. I understand that his relatives were happy to get shot of the old man's somewhat unorthodox leather business when they discovered that most of what he appeared to make and sell to tourists was just a front for his real business. Very conservative Catholics I believe she added with a laugh. "I can imagine their faces when they did a stock take" she chuckled again.

I frowned trying to get my head around all that she was saying. "So, you are telling me that this company, this company is just a sort of front for your....your organisation or whatever?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "Oh goodness me no, not at all. My German friend would certainly take offence at the very notion. Making money is the most important thing in his life..." she paused to consider then added. "well maybe joint equal with some of his more exotic little hobbies and of course the former pays for the latter". She stopped and then closed one eye in a mischievous wink. "When I say hobbies I'm not talking about stamp collecting either!"

I smiled. "Yes, I think I've gathered that. I take it that we are both on the same wavelength?" I nodded my head in the direction of my stable.

"Oh goodness yes, I didn't exactly arrive with a posse of police cars, all blue flashing lights and wailing sirens, did I?" Mandy laughed and then added. "But, of course, you want to know why and how I knew what I would find or suspected I might find over there?" This time she was the one to nod her head.

"I take it that this visit is in some way connected to my equipment orders, but surely you don't spend all your time, err....?"

"Snooping?"

"I was going to say, taking such a personal interest in your customers, investigating them up close as it were!"

"No, of course not" Mandy laughed then frowned in thought. "Our little, let's call it a circle of, well not necessarily friends" she paused and then whispered. "Actually, there are a couple of people I positively hate and loath! Let's say our circle of acquaintances with similar unique interests is not particularly extensive as I am sure you can imagine."

"People with interest in Ponygirls, reluctant ones?" it was my turn to smile.

"Ponygirls, ponyboys, yes, but that only touches on one particular aspect of our members varied and perverse interests" she broke off then giggled " and of course 'reluctant' would perhaps be rather a mild adjective when it comes to describing the creatures we delight in owning" she gave an evil chuckle and reached for the biscuit plate again. "Very mild!" she repeated thoughtfully.

"Another, or a top-up", I indicated her mug and received a thumbs-up, and the now-empty biscuit plate was pushed in my direction as well. Yeah Gods, how the hell could she keep that trim figure with that sort of an appetite!

"Mmmm, lovely, thank you." She sat down again and pulled the steaming mug towards her. Little Fluffy was whimpering quietly in the corner no doubt on account of Mandy taking the opportunity to examine her in more intimate detail while I was busy with kettle and biscuit tin nor from the sounds had she spared her palm.

"As I was saying, our numbers are limited, and we can't exactly advertise for new recruits" she gave a short laugh. "Mind you; I am sure we would get plenty of suitable applicants, one only has to glance at the newspapers to realise how many nasty people there are in this world".

"Is that how you see yourself, nasty?"

Mandy pursed her lips and looked at me thoughtfully. "No, no not really. Different perhaps, superior, privileged. I suppose deep down one does not even think about or consider what you are doing. It becomes second nature almost natural. One does what one does, but without thinking about it overmuch because of the pleasure, you derive. Throughout history, there have been Masters', and there have been slaves and that has been accepted as a social norm. The owned and their owners. Those who wield the lash and those who suffer under it." She laughed, "Getting rather deep aren't I and nasty is probably another mild term. Evil, wicked, perverted, sadistic, perhaps even sick!" she paused and shrugged her shoulders adding quietly "but also completely natural and acceptable for me these days, normal and very satisfying in more than one way. But enough, such discussions are a complete no-no, very bad form in my circle!"

"Also unnecessary I expect."

"Quite. None of us are ever going to backtrack. The consequences would be unthinkable; I assume you took that onboard yourself when you decided to acquire that splendid creature housed out there in your stable plus that cute if terrified, little puppy bitch over there?"

I nodded my agreement. I understood her thinking. There was no way I was ever going to release either of my animals, no way. Nor would any other soul ever find out about them. That thought immediately brought me back to Mandy. No soul? I'd failed already on that score, hadn't I!

"Security is obviously of the highest priority." Mandy continued as if reading my mind "Naturally, we all have facilities that would rival, even exceed most Class A prisons. Unlike them, we don't have any namby-pamby liberal rules regarding the use of leg irons, chains, collars and the like, plus carte blanch to amuse ourselves as we wish and to ensure none of our stock is ever going to wander off and seek pastures new".

"That was one of the first things I thought about," I told her and gestured to a monitor mounted on one wall. I picked up a nearby remote and took her on a whirlwind tour of my farm. She nodded approvingly.

"Not bad but you were certainly not paying attention earlier were you. My husband noted the camera by your gate, so I swung a leg over your fence lower down. I'd strongly suggest getting that replaced with something more substantial plus audible and perhaps re-siting your gate camera, maybe adding one or two more as well. I can recommend a suitable company; they have some that have decent motion alarms that work very efficiently. Good enough to let a badger, fox or a cat pass but recognise something our size instantly.

I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns plus I wanted more information about her, about this so-called 'circle of friends'. I was feeling both excited but also a little angry at myself. I had thought I was oh so smart, so safe and yet my secret was no longer a secret before I'd barely even been able to begin and enjoy my ponygirls training! I felt a touch indignant about that also vulnerable and perhaps even a little afraid.

Maybe I'd let those feelings show for Mandy who'd been watching me closely suddenly chuckled and demonstrated once again that uncanny ability to read my mind.

"What's that expression people use" she pondered aloud "Ah, Rocket science, that's it, that's what they say. It's not rocket science nor black magic come to that, nor has your admirable security been compromised. You found our bondage equipment and accessories site on the internet did you not. You saw the various ranges, quite comprehensive now, growing both in items and profitability. The world is full of kinky people judging from the sales figures. Hermann is indeed one happy bunny. You will also have noted the significant price jump between our more normal ranges and the extreme range. It isn't just the quality of the product and craftsmanship, but the price is deliberately set very high.

"I noted that," I remarked a trifle peevishly.

That made her laugh. "Oh, don't worry honey, I think from now on you will qualify for items at cost or even free maybe in future. What made you buy in the first place though if I may ask?"

"Your marketing blurb was compelling, might even have been written for me plus everything I saw convinced me of quality, those pictures, it all just looked so ...so un-escapable!"

"That was the intention. A significant portion of the site is dedicated to just that range, yet only two per cent of our sales come from those products. Just a measly two per cent! It gets a tremendous number of hits as you can imagine but very few sales given the exorbitant prices. The profit from that low per cent is, of course, useful when compared to that from the other stock. You are right of course in respect of the quality and as for the pictures..." she broke off with a laugh.

"They were real weren't they," I said slowly, realisation dawning. "I mean they were not models, you could never see a face, not in even a single photo, not clearly and the way they were bound and posed or perhaps not posed. There was something about them, something you couldn't quite put your finger on, the look in those anonymous hooded eyes".

"Very perceptive" Mandy smiled approvingly. "Part of the last photoshoot for the recent update was done at my place featuring some of my livestock. Yours truly even features in a few pics although all you see is a booted leg or an arm holding a crop plus a couple of shots from the rear" she grinned. "I can still do a nice rear shot in tight pants. No action pics though and I had to restrain myself for almost an entire month to keep their hides in pristine, unmarked condition prior to the shoot. Bit of a giveaway if they'd been snapped in their normal state. My whip might have given photoshop a problem to remove" She finished with another wicked chuckle.

"So not many people order from your top end, reality range" I mused daylight beginning to finally dawn.

"Reality range, that's a good term. Nope, very few and so we naturally take an interest in those that do. Mostly they are one off's never to be heard from again or else they stick to the cheaper stuff with follow up orders. No, make that our more economical ranges, cheap we don't do. Maybe we are missing a bet there, but you have to draw a line somewhere. Either they are not serious players or perhaps just cheapskates. Neither is of interest. People who skimp on gear are likely to skimp dangerously elsewhere!" Mandy finished with a nod toward my security monitor.

"...and I placed more than one order, didn't I. Spent quite a lot in fact?"

"Sure did honey and so that trigged the green light-possibly worthy of a discrete little visit. Normally we use a specialist company, expensive but very good at ferreting out peoples naughty little secrets. Then your last order came in while hubby and I were over there on a routine visit and interestingly you had a whole range of precise measurements for the first time. Either you had found your self a willing partner and considering some of our gear they'd have to be 'very willing' or there was another reason?" she smiled and turned to look at Fluffy.

"Elementary, my dear Watson!" I muttered. "Do I get a gilded invitation to join this little club of yours...." I stopped briefly as a sinister thought struck me. "Or is there an unpleasant ending should you get blackballed?"

Mandy gave me a big beaming smile. "Possibly to answer the latter but so far that has never happened." The smile faded abruptly. "Well, not entirely true. Once we nearly had an unfortunate incident. One of our older friends rather foolishly became enamoured of a much younger woman, even married her, one of those ridiculous spur of the moment holiday romances. A cruise ship, a young dancer and a silly old fart! The greedy bitch wasn't interested in sharing his lifestyle, and it rapidly became apparent that her interest in him was exclusively confined to his numerous bank accounts. The stupid creature seemed to think that those more specialised little interests of his gave her an excellent reason to add a substantial bonus on top of what she already intended to take him to the cleaners for. Fortunately, he'd had the good sense only to disclose some of the less controversial aspects of his unusual interests."

"What happened to her? She wasn't...." I left the question open. I was curious but also feeling a little afraid suddenly.

"No nothing like that" Mandy reassured me then screwing her face up thoughtfully, added. "Mind you; she might have preferred it so. Officially the silly girl simply disappeared one fine day. Car was caught numerous times on the autobahn camera system but not where she intended to get off, never got off at any camera covered exit, just disappeared car as well! That company I mentioned earlier can provide a wide range of very specialised services. The family doctor, conveniently another established member of our little group testified at the inquiry as to the 'schizophrenic behaviour he'd been treating. Missing person, known behavioural, medical problems, the case still open on the books but effectively closed forever."

"So, what did happen to her" I repeated.

Mandy feigned a yawn. "Oh, I expressed an interest seeing she was a fit young filly, but Anton gave her to his daughter instead. They hadn't hit it off from the beginning. Sophie had made something of an effort for her father's sake, but new 'step-mummy' wasn't particularly receptive, a right little gold-digging bitch! All I know is that Sophie keeps her locked up along with various other toys in the basement of her villa. A lovely old place I'm told overlooking the Aegean. I know that she is still there, but beyond that, nothing. Sophia isn't given to gossip.

"Me neither" I assured her.

Mandy laughed again. "Don't worry. I think you are in a different league to that money-grabbing deluded little fool. Anyway, given that Robert and I live less than an hours drive from here, we decided to bring your last order over personally. The PO address was a bit of a nuisance, but Robert said he'd plant the idea that as it had urgent stamped all over it, they might like to call or text you. We simply sat in the window seat of the local pub with a bar meal and waited till you showed and Bob, don't ever call him that by the way, he hates it! He simply drove after you and caught you at your gate, serendipity my dear Sherlock."

I made a wry face. "OK. It's a fair cop; you got me bang to rights, ma'am!" We both laughed.

"Yes, well on a more serious note since we are talking of cops, anything untoward likely to interfere or deprive you of your ownership of these fine new animals?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Highly unlikely. Both illegal foreign farm workers. Nothing in the news, or local papers, nothing at all. I doubt if they have even been reported missing, or ever will be. Maybe there will be questions asked back in their home county at some stage, but by then the trail will have been cold for a long time".

Mandy nodded approvingly. "Illegals are so useful in that respect. One wonders whether Brexit will make it better or worse when it comes to adding to one's stock? I always...." Her phone beeped at that point interrupting, and she paused to check it then tapped out a brief message.

"Bob, Robert I should say, just checking up on me". I sent him a quick message before entering your stable. Mandy gave a quick laugh. "He's just making sure that I have not ended up occupying one of your empty stalls! You do intend to add more stock I assume?

Strange, I thought once more. Those silly casual thoughts that I had amused myself with earlier when I'd driven to the village to collect my parcel. Idle fantasy speculation yet now.....now not at all speculative as I looked at the serious face of my visitor.

I blinked. It was a question I was utterly unprepared for or hadn't even though about beyond those idle fantasy thoughts of an hour or two ago. Hell, I'd only just got Beauty and Fluffy and I had barely started breaking and training them. More? How many months had I spent thinking about and planning to acquire just one ponygirl and three-quarters of that had been mere masturbatory fantasy? More!

Mandy popped the remaining portion of her latest biscuit into her mouth and absently selected another, but her eyes never left my face with that questioning look in them. She was quite serious, and a sudden thought struck me. Was there some sort of ranking system maybe based on how many captive creatures you owned. Was I going to be bottom of the pervert league! Was that her concern? I remembered something from one of those tedious 'flip-chart' management courses a few years ago. Struggling to think of an answer during an interview, do the politicians favourite trick, turn the question around and throw it straight back!

"How many do you own?" I asked bluntly.

Mandy laughed and pretended to think even going so far as to pantomime counting upon her fingers. "Sixteen" she finally announced. "Sixteen jointly, I own ten and Robert has six".

Once again, I was conscious of my jaw-dropping as I stared at her in amazement. "Sixteen!" I echoed aloud.

"Uh-huh, ponies that is. You can add on another half dozen if you count the house slaves and pets as well".

She laughed at my expression. "Our little pile of bricks isn't all that little. Roberts ancestral home to be precise and runs to about forty plus rooms more or less. You don't imagine that I spend all my time pushing a vacuum cleaner, do you?"

I shook my head awed by the casual way she'd said it and trying to get my head around the logistics of such a setup and if every one of them was a captive, sheesh! I had to ask even though I knew what the answer would be.

"Of course, silly, why would we want it any other way? 'Willing masochists', don't be silly". She looked at my awed expression and laughed. "Do close your mouth dear before I tumble down that big hole as my mother used to say. I own ten, and my husband has six. We both have our individual preferences, of course. He likes nice cute firm butted young ponyboys to run as a pair pulling his sulky around the estate. There are various places where he can stop and play when he gets randy. Mind you I don't think he's ever got to the farthest one yet without having buggered one or even both of them en route!

Apart from the four colts he has also acquired two massive stallions, I mean massive as well, heavens the sheer size of those primitive beasts, all muscle and raw brute strength. Absolute monsters compared to his lithesome young colts. He must have worn out a good half dozen whips on that pair, and they're still half-feral. You should see the leg irons he's got on them; you could moor up a battleship with them.

"They sound dangerous."

"Dangerous, I'll say they are. All our ponies are dangerous, even the most docile given half a chance would turn on us in a flash, so we make damn sure that chance never arises. That savage pair of animals, Sampson and Hercules could probably rip him to pieces with their bare hands in an instant! God, they literally radiate hate!"

"Why does he keep them then?"

Mandy smiled. "Why do any of us keep them. Power of course. Power and control, absolute and total control plus other things of course. Robert is not a very tall man, even in my bare feet, I can top him easily. Nor the most muscular. Don't get me wrong, he's no weakling, far from it and what he lacks in height is more than compensated by what nature endowed between his legs. Way too big and virile for me unless I am in the appropriate mood, but I'm fortunate that he has other tastes."

"His ponyboys?"

"Got it on one."

"So, what does he use the big ones for, racing?"

Mandy chuckled and shook her head. "Nah, way too big, too slow and too dam clumsy. No, like I said it's about power, power and control. There isn't enough of him to make up even half of one of them, yet he is the one in charge, the owner, the master, the tamer of wild beasts, and there isn't a damn thing those brutes can do about it. No doubt they are aware of the irony, named after legendary strongmen but he has also ensured that they are helpless and impotent. He uses them for manual labour, hauling huge logs or yoked to a plough or farm cart, meaningless tasks half of the time, but they have no choice but to comply, his whips ensures that"

I nodded, my eyes becoming distant as I took in what she was saying and various exciting images stored on my hard drive came to mind. Maybe Beauty would find herself put to work hauling some of that accumulated rubbish down to a suitable collection point.

"Of course" Mandy continued, "using a whip or whatever always gets one so randy" she paused to point over at little Fluffy, "judging from that animal's sore rump you will have found that out and presumably used the bitch to satisfy yourself. Bob likewise. He just loves to work those sweaty brutes to the point of exhaustion, beat one it until it is on the point of collapse, then unleash his enormous dick to sodomise the brute. The master and the mastered. The colossus humbled, humiliated and degraded by another great erect behemoth!"

"Size does matter then" I quipped.

"Sorry," Mandy apologised a few moments later after I'd mopped the table with several pieces of kitchen towel. My sense of humour had triggered hers just as she was taking a mouthful of coffee as she finished speaking and immediately spluttered everywhere.

"No harm done, my fault really for setting you off, but what about you, your ponies? Do you really have ten?"

"Yo, as they say in the cavalry. My tastes run more to speed along with grace, style and beauty as opposed to my husbands more basic preferences for brute force and buggery!" she admitted. "I have a couple of matched chariot pairs that I race. I love training two ponies to move as one, two fast leggy racing singletons and of course, dressage is my other passion. The grace and elegance of a beautiful pony performing a perfect routine to music and the crack of the whip. My interest in pairs extends to that area as well. My champion set, a pair of identical twins and my newest acquisitions still very raw, a mother and daughter set.

"Really?"

"Yes, going to be a bit of a challenge given the age but then that's part of the attraction. Fortunately, mummy was careless and got herself knocked up quite young, but I can see why, the filly is just eighteen and a real honey while the mare is only thirty-five and still looks good, almost like an older sister. I know they will thrill the spectators when in competition with the more usual performers. Still at the basic stage though and they both need to lose a few kilo's to look their best, mummy in particular. "

"That sounds so...so exotic and so..."

'Wicked?" Mandy laughed. "Give me a few months to whip them into shape, literally I might add. Get the routine perfected, the makeup right, and they will look as good as my twins, better maybe given the background. But yes, deliciously wicked!".

"Yes, but in a mind-bogglingly sexy way."

"Mmmm" Mandy murmured looking out of the window at something more in her mind than outside. "They will be divine performing in the show ring and goodness, oh so different. However it was a tough decision, should I add them to stable or house? I could have made good use of them in more intimate ways, imagine, an attractive mother-daughter combination in ones bed!" She finished with a sigh.

I frowned puzzled. "You still could, I mean...." I stopped as Mandy shook her head and made a flapping motion with one hand.

"No," she said emphatically, "I could not. I am not Bob, nor am I Elenor Braithwaite, she is my biggest rival by the way both on the track and in the show ring. A miserable sour-faced old hag I'd advise staying well clear of." She paused as her phone vibrated demanding her attention for a second time.

I waited while her long elegant fingers tapped out a response. "Robert again" she paused to glance down at the cell phone then tapped once to send. "Getting a bit impatient, he's like that. I remember our wedding night, god it was like getting hit by a freight train; fortunately, I have managed to slow him down a bit over the years...although I doubt his ponyboys would thank me for extending their misery" she grinned.

I gestured towards her mug and the biscuit plate she'd single-handedly emptied again. "Would you..."

"No, better not. I can't keep my Big Bob, don't you ever call him that either honey, not to his face. I can't keep him waiting any longer, not after a week in Germany away from his ponies, so boy will the unlucky ones get pounded tonight. I told him to pick me up at the bottom of your drive in about half an hour. Come on, let's go revisit your animal and I'll give you a hand with those ultra-expensive hoof boots you bought. Let us see how the splendid beast looks! Will, she appreciate your generosity I wonder?"

We both laughed as we got up from the table.


Chapter 2 (added: 2020/10/07)

Of course, Mandy had said it wasn't necessary, but I insisted. I suppose that in my mind, I was still a little uncomfortable about the whole business and the apparent ease my dreadful secret had been picked apart by this formidable woman. Anyway, if nothing else, good manners dictated that I should accompany my unexpected visitor down the drive to the entrance gate.

Formidable was probably not quite the right adjective but then what was? On the one hand, Mrs Amanda Montague-Smythe was friendly, witty, vivacious, extraordinarily charming and possessed an excellent playful sense of humour. Despite the brevity of our meeting, I found her company quite enchanting, and we seemed to bond immediately.

Poised, elegant and extremely attractive and although she'd admitted her modelling days were long behind her she could still have graced the cover of any top-class fashion magazine with her face and figure. Then, in contrast, there was the other side to her, the frightening, almost inhuman side. The casual way she talked about the human livestock, captive in the stables on her estate. Talked about cruel bondage, floggings, body piercing, branding and even castration. She had covered such topics in my kitchen and later in the stable so casually, almost indifferently just as other people might discuss the weather or the latest episode of their favourite television soap opera.

When we returned to the stable, I realised that my earlier summation had been correct. Wild animals instinctively possessed that sense of danger, the awareness of a threat yet to materialise, that sense of self-preservation. Interesting that Beauty who'd barely started her journey from woman to beast also seemed to display that same instinct. Maybe it was just as strong in humans just buried a little deeper, but Beauty had somehow known at once which of the two women posed the more significant threat to her.

Mandy wasn't the one who'd kidnapped her, stripped her, imprisoned her, bound and beaten her, yet she was the one who terrified my fine animal. Heavens, what were a few hand slaps compared to my cane yet it was Mandy she immediately focused on as we entered not me and backed against the wall of her stall.

"These were a good choice," Mandy said picking up one of the gleaming black leather hoof boots from its bed of tissue paper. Her slim fingers quickly slid down the zip and plucked out the various packing pieces. They mould beautifully in time, almost a second skin. Personally, I would advise getting her seen by our vet at some stage, we'll actually she's a nurse with some exceptional skills, or I should say was a nurse till they struck her off their little list for being somewhat naughty."

"What did she do?"

Mandy laughed. "Oh, I ain't a telling babe, that's up to her if she comes here. I use her a lot, we all do, and she earns a damn site more now than she ever did working in some rundown Victorian red brick hospital. The hours, the pay and the entertaining nature of the work is a hell of a lot better as she will tell you."

I thought about it; it made sense. "Useful, so I suppose you call on her if one of them gets sick?"

Mandy was getting the other boot ready but burst out laughing. "Sorry, that was a little unfair of me, don't take this the wrong way but you are a bit naïve, then again you are also still quite new to all this aren't you?"

"You know I am Mandy", I snapped back a little sharply.

My guest stopped what she was doing with the boot and turned to face me looking somewhat contrite. "You are right, and that was a bit mean of me, so please forgive me. I didn't quite intend it to sound like it came out" she gave a rueful smile and added, "I'm not sure that I am making it any better now though. Let me take a deep breath and start again, fair?"

I nodded and grinned. "Okay, pax, shoot."

"Janet, that's what she's called, lovely lass, tends to specialise in, well those minor and in some cases not so minor modifications that owners select to calm, individualise or enhance their ponies. Attending to animals that get hurt or become seriously sick is part of her remit, of course, and a very useful part when such need arises."

Enlightenment suddenly dawned, I'd read enough ponygirl books and stories after all. "Piercing, rings and all that stuff you mean?"

Mandy nodded. "That is a common task for her. You can add in the other 'stuff' as you put it, branding, minor surgical procedures" she paused to give a short laugh. "Minor to her but definitely not to the colts and stallions on the other end of certain procedures. Total body depletion is another of her specialities; she somehow gained access to a special and highly illegal chemical concoction that one of the major cosmetic companies was experimenting with before they dropped it. Nasty stuff, burns the roots away permanently, a very much at your own risk product. Takes a week minimum and the animal needs constant supervision from her because of the pain and potential side effects."

I blanched. "Sounds scary!"

Mandy had returned her attention to the boots and was busy with a little gold-coloured hexagonal key, twiddling it round fiddling with the removable toecaps and answered without looking up.

"Yeah, apparently the developer's research hit a dead end, so they ditched it. You can lose big time if the pony reacts badly, only one solution if it does burn up bad, they either recover quickly from the treatment, or they don't. If they don't well, there is only one thing you can do, and you might as well get Janet to do it while she's still on site. There are limits to being cruel after all!"

I was silent for a long moment as I digested the implications. "You aren't joking, are you?"

Mandy raised her head and looked me straight in the eyes and slowly shook her head. There was no hint of humour in her expression, and her mouth tightened a little then she put the boot she was holding down and folded her arms. She sighed and gave a slight nod in the direction of the stables sole resident without taking her serious eyes from mine.

"Joking! Hardly? A little late for your conscience to kick in though is it not? Not only have you taken the first steps, but judging from that animals bruised backside, the first mile or so of a journey down a very dark road. How far you travel is up to you, but there is no turning back, not now, not ever! How far you go and how dark the journey is, as I said, entirely up to you!"

"How far have you travelled," I asked her after another moment of silence, an awkward pause that seemed to last for ages but was no more than a few seconds.

"Far enough" she admitted then suddenly smiled. "I will also admit to taking the odd peek to see what lies ahead now and then. If it helps to put your mind at rest, I am aware of only two occasions where the application of Janet's greasy toxic mixture has resulted in that unfortunate consequence. True there are also a few that...well let's call them 'piebald' hairless animals around, but they can look quite entertaining to the eye. A certain lasting rawness on such portions of pony hide can even be a bonus!"

She picked the boot up again and continued "The owner of one distinctive but rebellious animal told me that the lightest flick of her whip upon such sensitive patches encourages the pony to respond in a manner that otherwise might take several hard blows to its rump" She broke off and laughed. "I wonder if there could be a market for a solution of 'rump sensitiser'? "

I must have still looked a little doubtful.

Mandy sighed again and shook her head slowly. "So, kidnapping, imprisoning, non-consensual bondage, whippings, branding, piercing, sexual assault and so forth, no problem! Something humane for a miserable creature facing perpetual agony you have a problem with, honey?"

"Sorry", I gave a rueful little smile, "being a bit silly. I suppose that depilation process though does sound very painful?"

"No pain, no gain as they say. Personally, I have not yet used it, mainly because I am loath to risk losing a valuable animal, but I must admit that I have not entirely dismissed the idea. No point for my racing stock but my pretty dressage ponies, maybe? Shaving, strips and defoliating cream can be so damn tedious!"

Mandy quickly glanced at her watch again then picked up the boots and nodded towards my discarded riding crop. "You might want to bring that persuader along...unless I've made you change your mind and you want me to drive her to the nearest bus stop perhaps?" her eyebrows rose questioningly, but the corners of her mouth twitched in silent mirth.

I returned the grin as I picked up the crop and deliberately gave her a very gentle tap on the nose with the flap. "As if, baby. Lead on!"

Predictably Beauty who'd been watching us reacted the moment we entered the stall, but of course, her restraints negated such foolish actions. As I had expected, she backed away into a corner making little frightened whimpering noises behind her bit while wide staring eyes flicked from me to Mandy, to the boots she was holding, and back again. I tried to give her a smile that was part reassuring and part pure evil devilry. Undoubtedly from the terrified look in her eyes, I failed on the first part!

I received a more formal introduction from Mandy to her husband, Robert, down by the gate. He was one of those men who though short in stature had an immediate aura of boundless energy about him that made him seem far more prominent. A sense of imposing presence that would have been overwhelming had he been much taller. He beamed a big grin at me and bowed taking my hand and kissing it like some old fashioned courtier. However, Mandy, standing behind him somewhat spoiled the magic of the moment by winking and pulling a funny face at me!

"Charmed my dear, charmed, absolutely and utterly charmed. Welcome to our delightful little circle of the dissolute, degenerate and the depraved" he glanced sideways at his wife his eyes sparkling with mischievous glee. "High time we added a bit of youthful glamour to our ranks, woefully short, alas we have far too many...."

"Don't even think of going there, darling" Mandy interrupted with false sweetness, "let alone say anything I might make you might regret later!"

"Not quite so youthful these days" I admitted ruefully, and no one has ever described me as glamorous, not even me!"

"Tch, my dear, you do yourself down quite without valid reason!"

Any further conversation was cut short by his impatient wife, grabbing him firmly by the arm and propelling him towards the driver's side of the van and opening the door.

"In you get Sir Galahad, we need to get home, and this fair maiden has important things to do, you can play Prince Charming to your heart's content some other time." She slammed the door shut and raised her eyebrows to me in a gesture of mock exasperation before hurrying around to the passenger side.

As the engine started, her window slid down, so I moved towards the beckoning finger. "Now, don't forget my invitation. You have my number and call me if you have any questions or problems, we have excellent contacts. Please do keep in touch. I'll call you anyway in a couple of days."

"Thanks, I will" I raised my hand to wave as the vehicle slowly started moving forward. The half raised window suddenly slid down completely, and Mandy's blonde head reappeared even as her husband accelerated.

"Don't forget" she shouted back "Security, security and more security!"

I grinned and waved again and watched till the van disappeared around a bend in the road then hastily looked around to see if anyone had heard her bellowing about security at the top of her voice! Not a soul in sight, indeed I would have been surprised had there been. Food for thought, though.

Mandy had given me her contact at the security company they used. I would give them a ring tomorrow and have a little chat. Then again, how much did they know about her perverse 'interests' and captive pets? Mandy hadn't been very specific. Better perhaps to have a thorough chat with Mandy first, I decided before doing anything that might prove problematic all round!

I turned and walked back to my house deep in thought. Mandy's brief visit seemed almost surreal, likewise with everything she had recently told me about herself and the unusual world she and her husband inhabited. Unusual and yet seemingly perfectly normal to them! It sounded like life on a different planet, or was it? It seemed that I was now orbiting that same exotic body preparatory to landing! No, my Eagle had landed hadn't it, but I'd barely started exploring this exciting new world, a world whose fleetingly glimpsed vista's now promised so much.

Mandy' offers of help had been more than generous, but did I need it? Expert help for she was obviously far more advanced in all the essential practicalities of human equine ownership. Likewise, it now seemed that there was a whole group of similar sadists out there I could learn from, but the question was a simple one, did I want to accept?

Months ago I had sometimes idly wondered if such a collection of deviants could genuinely exist in the legalised, big brother, media intense world of today. A part of me still shied away from such contact, I was way too new to all this...this criminal perversion and already swimming in water deeper than I could ever have envisaged other than in my wildest fantasy. Swimming, hell, I was barely treading water as yet!

Water that had abruptly turned to ice, thin ice at that and ice that had just had been broken! I realised that a part of me was still in shock, cold shock! Mandy's visit had been so unexpected and left me feeling vulnerable and more than a little frightened. No, not so much scared as apprehensive. Perhaps, I thought, perhaps it was for the best. There were bound to be problems, complications, maybe medical ones, situations that I would be unable to deal with on my own but now, now with....

My thoughts became somewhat jumbled at that point. I stopped my slow walk to turn and look back down the path to a vehicle no longer there. To pause, to think for a moment, try to clear my mind a little. Spilt milk, no point in crying I told myself. The milk was spilt, the cat was out of the fucking proverbial bag or perhaps more aptly the stable door had been opened wide, and the pony bolted.

Not true though, my stable door was securely locked (still need to change the damn keypad number I remembered guiltily!), inside my harnessed Beauty was chained to the wall and only recently shod in boots that she could barely stand upright in let alone run away! Mandy's sudden arrival was likely to prove beneficial and highly useful in the long term. Likewise very entertaining and undoubtedly exciting to a fledgeling pervert if even a half of what she had told me was true. Her offer, though?

There were other factors to consider, as well. Embarrassment was one and my naivety another. I had always been an acutely, self-conscious person. While the prospect of brutalising Beauty in the privacy of my stable building did not bother me in the least, the thought of doing so with an audience disturbed me considerably. It was not a prospect my fragile sense of equanimity could comfortably contemplate.

Likewise, I had no wish to appear the completely raw, inexperienced fool. What if some of Mandy's other associates happened to show up at her place, unannounced, just like she had done! If I was going to make mistakes training my animal and being me, I knew I would; I could almost guarantee that! Doing so in private with only a 'captive audience' literally, in this case, one who's opinion as the recipient was irrelevant, was by far the better option.

By the time I had resumed my slow trek up to the farm buildings, I had made up my mind. Kind and well-meaning as my unexpected visitor's offer was by the time I reached the untidy farmyard I'd made my decision. Yes, I could take up the generous offer Mandy had made as we'd fitted Beauty with her new hooves, borrow one of her 'discrete horseboxes', pack a bag and take my ponygirl over to her estate and stable her there for a few weeks.

I had no doubt whatsoever that I would enjoy excellent hospitality at her house and estate, Beauty, of course, considerably less! A little vacation where we could both 'benefit' in vastly different ways from our host's unique experience and facilities. The idea was undoubtedly interesting, and my curiosity whetted from some of the things she had told me. Sixteen fucking captive ponies!

To answer that question, though. Did I want her help? Yes and no, more no than yes as far as Beauty was concerned for the immediate future. Yes, I would be happy perhaps in time to meet people with similar interests, to learn, to see other ponies. Yes, I would love that, I could think of a dozen, nay three dozen questions I already had, but for now, for my Beauty?

No, definitely no and thrice no again I decided. Beauty was mine and mine alone. I realised somewhat belatedly that I even felt a touch of resentment that Mandy had handled her and slapped her, slipped her fingers into those intimate parts that now belonged exclusively to me. I was the one who had planned, scouted and caught the beast and I would be the one to break and train it. Mistakes would undoubtedly be made but only in private, and the pony would never tell on me, would it? Not that such mattered one iota!

Damn it! Mandy's subliminal authority might have frightened her more than I did, but that would fucking well change and change pretty damn quick I resolved sub-consciously quickening my pace over the final stretch, my fingers already twitching.

Among the many and varied 'nasty toys' I had purchased were a couple of thick, yet flexible, lengthy bamboo canes. The cane was a fearsome yet straight forward instrument of torture and remarkable painful. I'd experimented on myself a couple of times but never to any great extent. A few relatively mild, clumsy swipes over one shoulder aimed at my bottom had convinced me as to its effectiveness as a vicious instrument of pain! That was with thinner, less substantial ones as well!

The stable cane! How many times had I read those words in ponygirl books and stories? That simple yet terrible implement of discipline, the enforcer of mindless unquestioning obedience, the 'Sword of Damocles' threat that hung over every captive pony! The stable cane, even as I thought about it, those words gave me a distinct thrill, and my fingers twitched even more.

I looked at my watch, tomorrow I would formally introduce my PG to its vicious bamboo bite. Mandy and her casual slapping hands and probing fingers would be but a distant memory for my Beauty by this time tomorrow, but my stable cane would not be nor the one who had used it so cruelly upon her. The one who would use it again and again and again.....!

My body gave an involuntary shudder for that train of thought suddenly made me feel as randy as hell, and my pussy juices responded likewise. Heck, why the hell had I been so silly earlier when Mandy had told me a few things that I'd found a little disturbing. Did I really give a fuck what happened to these animals? Was I that shocked in retrospect, no! They had, but one function in life and that was to serve their owners with absolute unthinking obedience. The fact that they had far less freedom than, say a battery farmed chicken was immaterial. That unlike those wretched captive fowls, they would fully realise the horror of their new lives wasn't!

That fundamental difference afforded a significant part of the fun for the likes of me, and Mandy didn't it? The growing sensation in my crotch confirmed the answer to that question, and my hand automatically reached downwards before I caught myself. Hellfire, Fluffy puppy! A soft wet pink tongue awaited my lustful pussy did it not? I now had a readily available solution for such hunger, and as a bonus, an appetiser, perhaps a leetle more corrective encouragement would be needed. Heaven!

The morning was warming up, not too hot as yet, one of those fine days where a complete absence of wind always made the temperature seem higher than it was. A good day to be outside enjoying some fresh air with the bonus of adding to the tan. Fine for me but of course if the weather forecast were correct, far less so for my big beautiful ponygirl who's white body would not enjoy the breathless heat as the day wore on unlike her owner.

I will admit to feeling a teeny bit guilty as I cast a glanced toward my labouring ponygirl while smearing copious quantities of sunblock over myself. Beauty's hide, I'd decided would forego such luxury. Sun, storm, sleet and snow, my captive might as well start getting acclimatised to yet another facet of 'animal' life!

There was a patch of flat waste ground conveniently adjacent to the stable, partly fenced in on two sides. I was thinking of converting it into a small coral, somewhere to leave Beauty to enjoy some fresh air on nice days instead of the stuffy stable fug. Conversely to harden her up a little on damp days! It would also allow her a tiny modicum of freedom to stretch her legs (suitably hobbled of course) while I was otherwise occupied. Need to get another camera fixed up though and make one hundred per cent sure there was no way she could work whatever latch I used. Even hobbled I knew that if I was inside say on my PC, that I tended to get too engrossed in things, the animal might have enough time to shuffle along down to the road!

A wicked thought struck me. Now that would be fun, wouldn't it? Ultra cruel but amusing, for me anyway! Suppose I 'accidentally' left the gate unlatched or even slightly open one fine day, let the silly beast desperately shuffle along as best her hobbles let her as she fled for freedom, let her get... I paused thoughtfully, hmmm, how far? Let her get a brief glimpse of the gate and public road; perhaps, let her have that brief moment of exultation, then pounce! I smiled grimly to myself and the beating I'd give her afterwards!

I could feel the heat of the sun on my cheek already. I'd keep an eye on her today of course, but a touch of the sun would not hurt her. In any case, a little sunburn would make her pony hide so much more receptive to those little encouragements I so delighted in applying! Life was undoubtedly tough for a ponygirl, and I was only beginning to realise just how tough. As for poor Beauty, I suspected her relative acquiescence of late probably owed as much to ongoing shock as my merciless whip and cane!

Contrasts, that was a word that often came into my head. Here I was taking my ease reclining on the garish but surprisingly comfortable cushions of a cheap plastic lounger, low table from the same budget garden furniture set conveniently to hand. A half-filled pitcher of chilled orange juice plus an empty plate with a few stray crumbs being the only remainder of the two fresh butter croissants upon which I had breakfasted. Propped conveniently to hand was a long carriage whip, the handle very light made up of a long black carbon fibre rod mounting a length of leather lash with a split leather tip.

Another recent expensive purchase. I'd picked that wicked baby up personally from a local specialist Equestrian shop along with a few other items. It was light enough to wield effortlessly with one hand, sufficiently flexible so that minimum effort produced maximum effect and long enough to deliver a painful kiss to Beauty without my having to leave the comfortable recliner. Lazy, I know, but then I wasn't the one who needed to exercise!

The girl who'd served me had seemed somewhat concerned when I enthusiastically gave it a few vigorous experimental flicks. 'Careful, no need to use it hard, just a very light gentle flick of your wrist madam will ensure the tip provides sufficient encouragement for the laziest horse. Anything else will be very painful for the animal.'

Good job she could not see me now I thought as I reached out and then with a quick flick of the wrist that wicked leather tip left a fresh livid red mark on Beauties bouncing right udder. The helpful shop assistant had been quite right. A mere flick brought an instant response, but my flicks were neither light nor gentle!

That sound of leather briefly kissing soft tender flesh was so delightful to my ear; likewise, the accompanying agonised squeal. I knew already knew that I would never tire of those complimentary sounds, and the practical necessity of rationing myself was already becoming a significant irritation!

Apart from that anguished squeal, the only other sounds to be heard were heavy breathing and her rythamic clumping footfalls. My Beauty was learning for no words had emerged from between those luscious panting lips of hers. The animal knew that if she wanted these precious moments to last when I slackened the ever-present bit in her mouth, she needed to curb any tendency to talk. Just one intelligible word, even one single unintelligible word uttered spontaneously would bring forth both a tightened bit and instant painful retribution!

It was what, eighteen, yes, eighteen full days now since I had waved goodby to Mandy and her husband at the gate. Eighteen long and exceedingly painful days for my animal as that fearsome cane I'd hung so prominently by the entrance to her stall had commenced its unending task. Just under three weeks of instilling obedience, I felt quite proud of myself. I was even proud of my Beauty although I recognised that her supposed acquiescence as yet was scarcely surface deep and that rebellion smouldered but a wafer thickness away. Pain and the cane had temporarily subdued the wild beast, but I knew this period of initial shock would not last. Inexperienced I might be but stupid I was not!

I waited a couple of seconds whip poised at the ready should further incentive be required, but Beauty had perked up immediately as the leather tip of my motivator kissed that oh so tender bruised flesh. I replaced the whip, lay back against the slanted backrest of my recliner and reached for a tall glass of juice; this training business was thirsty work.

Day numero nineteen then since my unexpected caller had scared the shit out of me! I had since spoken to Mandy twice over the phone, and she didn't seem the least bit put out by the decision I'd made to keep my ponygirls training entirely to myself. I'd even apologised for my selfishness. An unnecessary apology as it turned out.

Mandy had thought that very funny and assured me that she fully understood where I was coming from, even admitting that she so regretted that her first few pony's both male and female had been acquired fully trained. 'I feel quite jealous that you will get to experience something I never did, don't fret yourself about it, Honey. Enjoy, but make damn sure that fine animal of yours does not!' she'd finished with a wicked laugh.

I did take the opportunity, though to ask a few questions and avail myself of some of her experience in this unique field. 'No, no, no, absolutely no, dear!' That had been her horrified response when I casually mentioned my ongoing indecision as to keeping Beauty's thick wiry bush of pubic hair as eye candy on my animal. Its texture sort of fascinated me. 'No, no, no, you must shave her at once and keep her shaved. I disagree entirely, every owner I know would, hair down there does not make her more of an animal, far from it!

If she is not going to be a show animal, then you can leave her armpit, legs as hairy as you like, strangely some ponies seem to hate that almost as much as being bald down below. Well perhaps that is a slight exaggeration, I loath all such hair both personally and on my beautiful ponies of course!'.

'Anyway', Mandy had continued. 'Basic hygiene aside, you will need full access to that animal's cunt for a variety of things. As far as your 'eye candy' goes then a far better treat for the eyes is to see a shaven glistening damp mons tightly split by a leather crotch strap. Additions of a penetrative nature behind the strap are of course optional both in shape and size' she had added with another laugh.

That had reminded me of something else that I'd read about in a recent kindle purchase about racing ponygirls. The first time I had come across any mention of the cruel act despite the extensive library of ponygirl literature I had accumulated. "Labia!" I had exclaimed a trifle loud as the thought occurred to me.

There was startled silence followed by a short chuckle at the other end of the line. 'Now, was that a cough, a funny hiccup, a eureka moment or something else entirely one wonders?' asked the cultured amused voice.

I ignored her sardonic schoolgirl humour. 'No you silly woman, I was reading a new story last night about ponygirl racing. One of the techniques they used to encourage them to get that extra spurt out of them down the final stretch was to methodically 'tenderise' the ponygirls beauty lips! They cane them and then rubbed a burning cream in to make them swell up and sensitise them.

'Ah, now I am with you. Yes, that is an advanced technique among some of us owners of racing stock, the ultimate booster switch as it were. A couple of flicks with the tip of your whip upon those swollen sex lips can work wonders upon a flagging pony nearing the finish line. The beasts will always produce that extra boost, anything to avoid further touches of the whip upon such swollen sensitive flesh!

I also use the same technique on my dressage ponies but for a different reason. One can pick up useful extra marks if done right, and they look so deliciously appealing both to my and the judge's eye. It's also a helpful aid toward encouraging the more recalcitrant or stupider beasts to greater effort and concentration during their training!

I am sure that by now you have discovered for yourself that the more sensitive a particular spot is then, the more responsive the pony is when you apply pain to that area. When you visit, I will give you a practical demonstration, one of those things that it might be better for me to show you rather than for you to experiment on your own. Sensitive flesh and all that. Not an area where you want to make costly mistakes, dear! Take your time the animal's not going anywhere is it so no need to rush, better to exercise a little restraint than make a silly mistake. You wouldn't want to have to go through the tedious business of acquiring a replacement after all!'

An intense involuntary shiver of excitement had rippled through me at that point, making me go weak at the knees. Consequently, I missed most of what Mandy said next, something about using ponyboys ball sacs in the same way - those that still had them!

I had taken her advice and shaved Beauty within the hour. Once again, my makeshift bondage bench came into play but with her face up and legs over the padded arm, splayed wide to provide me with easy access for what proved to be a thoroughly amusing task given the way she reacted to scissors and razor!

As befitted, her infinitely greater experience Mandy had been entirely correct. My Beauty presented a far more alluring and tempting sight once shorn of her protective bush to the extent that I felt quite silly in not exercising my razor much earlier. I then naturally spent the next couple of hours exploring this delicious new territory with fingers and my little pink buzzing vibrator plus of course delivering a couple of swats with the tip of a riding crop out of sheer devilry!

Mmmm that reminded me, I was due to give Mandy another call. I had compromised with a promise to drive over to her place for the day. Arrive at about ten, take brunch with her and Bob, Robert rather! Tour the estate, tea and home in time to feed my pets. I was looking forward to it. Pick a nice day she'd said so we can enjoy ourselves outside.

I was growing conscious of my need to consult with someone with greater experience. I was determined to transform my creature from person to pony, but at the same time, I didn't want to crush the animals strong spirit. That would be the challenge, to train it to think and behave like the animal I intended and yet not end up owning some sad, apathetic defeated creature with every ounce of character beaten out of it. It would take time I knew, but time I had in abundance, and with a little expert advice, perfectly possible, I believed. How would I find Mandy's pony's, I wondered, and my growing curiosity needed to be satisfied.

Today would have been good I thought closing one eye and half squinting up into the clear blue sky. Maybe another day this week, I was about to reach for my cell phone to check the weather app when a series of squeals and a very un-pony like expletive sounded to my left.

Beauty had stumbled and was desperately trying to regain her footing, recover her hoofs perhaps more aptly. Failed and shot backwards off the electric walker. Stupid, clumsy creature. It was by no means the first time she'd had that problem even though my improvised 'pony walker' was not set particularly fast. A part of me could even sympathise with her a little, trying to scramble up when you had no arms to help or balance you, and the ground insisted on moving was not easy. However, the ungainly beast had to learn to walk on its own two expensive hoofs, and I had both the time and incentives to ensure it would! I stretched out a hand for the whip.

A couple of light, encouraging flicks and then she was back in position frantically 'high stepping' as though her life depended on it. An interesting expression I idly mused as I settled back upon my cushions. Her life did depend upon me, and what would happen if I ever got well and truly pissed off with her? Food for thought!

I watched her until she settled back into a rhythm. I was tempted to add another couple of flicks to her hide but restrained myself. Her bouncing right udder was swollen and mottled with a variety of marks and bruises. Her left, I knew looked no better.

I'd given her the latest on her right flank and buttock, light, as they were the devastation my stable cane had wrought upon her rump, meant they were possibly more effective than my 'tit flicks'. Oh gawd, just so many tempting targets on the big beast! I was ever conscious, though, of my inexperience and Mandy's warning, the last thing I wanted to do was render the animal inoperative. Those udders, I sighed, oh just so tempting the way they jiggled and bounced, my hand strayed toward my crotch yet again, and a finger rubbed lightly against the target area.

I ran my eye over her taking in the delectable view as she pranced along in the required manner, the delightful wobbles of sweet pony flesh, gleaming black leather set against her pale hide already glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. The little half grunts she was subconsciously making, half-human, half-animal perhaps? Her legs were endeavouring to maintain the mandatory high stepping routine that my whips and cane had taught her. A ridiculous marching posture yet so pleasing to my eye, the motion also amplifying normal body movement so that everything jiggled and wobbled that bit more, erotically!

I looked up at the sun and gauged its likely movement against our relative positions. We were roughly two-thirds of the way down my weed and rubbish strewn farmyard so no problems with shadows, not until the latter part of the afternoon and by then we would both have had enough for the day. I made a note to fetch more suntan lotion from the house. I didn't want to arrive at Mandy's place looking like an overripe tomato, did I!

At least that big lump of expensive exercise kit was finally getting some use I thought taking another sip of juice and looking again at my improvised pony walker. A costly purchase a few years ago, half impulse, half considered and ultimately wholly unused!

Living in London, commuting by tube or occasionally bus, long days in the office, too much fast food, sandwich snack lunches, zero exercise, etc. Lying to myself that a walk in the park every Sunday morning compensated for the lack of proper exercise. Conveniently forgetting that a mere hour or so's walking was invariably negated by finishing with Sunday lunch at a convenient Macdonalds!

I was far too self-conscious to take to the streets and parks as a jogger so like many people I'd bought myself one of those 'fold-up' running machine and, like so many others I'd spent far too much on the wretched thing. Again, like so many before me, my initial enthusiasm and positive intentions had barely lasted a fortnight before the contraption was folded up, consigned to a dark corner and thence primarily used as a rack for drying semi-damp clothes!

I'd consoled myself with the thought that it was taking up too much space in my small rented apartment and better kept folded but never quite been able to rid myself of a slight feeling of guilt. Partly because of my laziness and more annoyingly to my mind, because of the cost! A hefty hike in public transport fares had initiated a more practical and cost-effective weight management regime anyway as I opted to arise a little earlier and walk part of the way to work!

Well, to cut to the quick, you now know precisely what bit of apparatus I was utilising as a pony walker. Seemingly in almost every PG book that I had ever read the captive animals spent time tethered to a rotary walker, single or with others as they learned to walk, prance and trot under the threat of a watchful overseers whip.

This device being five feet long when unfolded, very sturdy with a powerful motor and heavy-duty reinforced running track treadmill. I'd gone a bit overboard when I bought it, but now I was glad I had. Beauty's heavy steel-shod hoofs would soon have torn up a cheaper surface I suspected.

That was good news. Shit, the work involved if I'd had to remove those so sexy pony boots before each session didn't bear thinking about! I doubt I would have used it had that been the case. Those boots were now a part of my animal, as much a part of her as the legs constrained within and, on those long legs, they would remain till I felt she needed a new pair.

The walker was improvisation yet again. I was getting pretty good at that, albeit for an evil purpose I grinned to myself. Anyway, the fucking animal was costing me an arm and a leg in top-class harness and gear so a bit of sensible frugality wouldn't go amiss. I wasn't a 'Mandy' with a considerable estate and probably bottomless pockets to match, I wasn't a pauper either, but I'd been brought up to keep an eye on the pennies! Besides, I had two new pets to think about not just the one I had originally planned to acquire. Plus...

My thoughts were interrupted as Beauty stumbled again but quickly recovered. I eyed my stately ponygirl thoughtfully. Mmm, I must fix up that date with Mandy and soon. A little part of me was beginning to think long term, every time I entered the stable, those five cluttered empty stalls invariably caught my eye. Not just yet though, no, I had a long way to go with the animal over there first, but later, or sooner even?

My, I was getting ambitious, wasn't I? Greedy and ambitious. Foolish, maybe? However, there was a growing selfish practical need behind my avaricious ambition-a simple mathematical equation based upon pure sadism. There was only so much physical punishment I could inflict upon my two pets much to my growing frustration. Amount+Degree = Damage!

Increasing damage equalled frustration. In reality, it was the other way around there was no limit to what I could inflict upon my two captive creatures. However, I wasn't that stupid. I had to set myself sensible boundaries. The animals needed time to recover, time that irked me intensely as I was forced to suppress my escalating sadistic lust lest I go too far. It wasn't just irrational desire either, my two pets would try the patience of a saint at times, and I was no saint! If I bothered to keep a list of their demerits between a severe flogging and recovery, well, the list of accumulated penalties if applied, would likely lead to my killing the wretched creatures! I ran an eye over Beauty, I'd probably pushed those limits already in her case, and I knew before the day was out their elasticity would be further stretched.

If I weren't careful, I probably would kill the creature! No, that would be silly, very silly, I must never allow myself to go that far. What had Mandy said about 'dark roads'? However, and it was a big, however, I conceded to myself. No, it was a fucking enormous mega-fucking, giant-sized however! Two punishable hides ok-ish, four hides - good, six, six would be yowser fucking yowser! Six though, shit that would be one hell of a chore to look after let alone acquire.

I thought for a moment then took another sip of cold juice and stretched a hand toward the phone then abruptly changed my mind and grabbed at the whip. "You, lazy fucking animal, get those knees up, up, higher, thighs parallel to the ground. Step, step, step, step. Do it properly, or I'll fetch the stable cane and give your big fat rump a dozen fresh reminders! Step, step, you slothful beast!

Although it was still early in the day, I wasn't about to stand for any nonsense from the sullen creature. I'd felt for a day or so that she was beginning to backslide a little. I'd initially resolved to train her by example and action, so my words spoken aloud were as much an outlet for my irritation as for her benefit.

I emphasised the word 'step' with a series of whip flicks that genuinely would have horrified that silly shop girl. Two on the flank, two to the rump and the final two on that oh so tempting right udder. The fucking creature would learn unless she wanted a 'leather mastectomy' the lazy cunt! Inevitably the renewed crack and smack of the whip brought forth a foolish burst of audible anguish accompanied by a discernible string of foolish angry verbal filth. Stupid creature, I thought we had grasped that basic rule, evidently not.

Only to be expected at this stage, I supposed but still! Stupid fucking pony. Limits girl, steady I told myself as I stood up and glared angrily at the beast. "So, still want to protest do you, think you can disobey your owner, still think you have some rights, eh? Just a few little love taps and you want to open your big stupid pony mouth and think you can piss me off with impunity, eh? Fucking stupid animal! I show a little leniency, and you immediately take advantage, eh? Well, I will teach you otherwise. Time to muzzle that foolish mouth of yours for good, you stupid cunt of a useless pony!"

Better make that call to Mandy straight away I decided a moment later as I wrenched upon a roller buckle cruelly silencing the beast once more. That way we'd both get a day off, and then another thought struck me....sixteen fucking ponies and I remembered the way Mandy has so casually abused Beauty. Yeah, that elegant, rich bitch owed me, so perhaps I could extract my price on one of her ponies hides. Maybe even two!


Chapter 3 (added: 2021/04/30)

Yeah, gods, yet more endless frigging wall! Follow the yellow brick wall, sheesh. I seemed to have been driving alongside that high wall for ages. Old ivy, moss and lichen-covered crumbling Victorian yellow brickwork now capped with steel brackets and ugly razor wire facing outward. Mandy had suggested this final stretch of my route as a short-cut to save going through the village, which had a ton of road repairs going on. Do a Dorothy and follow the yellow brick road, she'd laughed. I seemed to have been driving down this track for hours and still no sign of an entrance to Oz! Just how fucking big was this 'little' place in the country' of hers?

After entering her address in my cell phones sat-nav, I'd also looked on google maps. Yes, that was a fair old slice of the countryside she and her husband owned. Bought or inherited, I wondered. Interestingly it was marked on the map as an 'experimental farm and agricultural research establishment'. What sort of experimenting and research went on there then, I'd wondered.

Another hundred yards and I emerged onto a more substantial country road where a right turn and another half-mile of old wall brought me to the imposing entrance gate and attendant gatekeepers lodge. The suggested route probably had been marginally quicker, it had cut a substantial loop of the main road off my journey, but at my customary conservative snail pace down that dubious narrow farm track, any time saved had been minimal. Still, following that seemingly endless wall had given me some idea as to the size of the place. Google maps were good, but I was the sort of simple person who needed to see something to get a proper idea of scale.

I'd got it all right, and I was already feeling a little awed and overwhelmed as I drove up to the big wrought iron gates. Hell, I'd bet there were a few small countries, not much bigger! I was just wondering what I should do, was there some sort of a bell or something to ring? I could see a very obvious camera perched atop a stone pillar. How did one come calling at a private country estate, especially one that I knew harboured secrets as this one did! Should I open the car window, smile and wave at that camera? I glanced at my watch; I was a little early, which was me all over; I hated being late for anything, always had. I lowered the window.

I looked at the camera, looked around, then dubiously back at the camera. Maybe I should get out and see if the gates pushed open but thinking back to Mandy shouting about security as they'd driven off. That seemed a little odd! I was pretty sure that pushing would have no effect whatsoever. Should I give her a call?

"Heya", the old nail-studded door to the lodge flew open, and a figure bounded out. A pretty girl with curly red hair and a mass of freckles ran over to my car. "So sorry", she apologised frantically, trying to tuck her chequered shirt into the waistband of her tight jeans. "I was on the bloody loo" she giggled and covered her mouth with one hand. "Last nights curry from the village takeaway. Not just the ponies 'trotting' today' she laughed!"

I smiled. I liked her instantly; she was about nineteen or twenty, pert and very pretty. "My fault," I said, giving her my name. "I believe that I am expected, but my eta is a little out, on the plus side."

"No problem, I was waiting for you. My names Madeleine, Maddy for short." She gestured back to the old gatekeeper's lodge with a thumb over her shoulder. "My turn for gate duty today. Boring," she added, drawing the word out and grimacing. "They like to have someone down here all the time, though. Give me a sec, and I'll pop back in and press the release button. There's an infrared thingy that lets us know when someone approaches, but as I said, I was otherwise occupied."

She turned toward the building, took a step, then stopped and turned back, looking slightly anxious. "I wasn't really late, was I? I mean, it wasn't my fault that I wasn't out here instantly, was it?"

"No, I said, a little surprised. I think you seem to have had a good excuse." I smiled, nodding to her still dishevelled shirt not fully tucked back into her waistband.

Maddy nodded and gave me a rueful little smile. "All the same, you'd be doing me a massive favour by not mentioning it to..." she jerked her head, and her voice dropped to a whisper", to Madam up at the house. She gets so het up about visitors and security. I don't think this would be a big deal, but you never know. Sandra got six whole weeks in the stalls last month because she somehow fucked up big time and let the wrong guy in! Luckily there is a no vehicle rule without an escort, so he got stopped by the inside barrier. Mega balls up anyway, and so now, sheesh, I can't even take a crap without worrying!"

I smiled. "I won't drop you in it", I promised. "What did you mean by stalls, extra cleaning duty?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Hardly", she giggled ", Madam has...well she'll tell you. My orders were to send you straight up, so I'd best do that instead of gossiping through the gate. Just drive on up the road a short way you'll come to a wire fence. You can park your car on the gravel area near the gate, and someone will collect you and escort you to the house. I'll see you later, I expect."

"Thanks" I closed the window, waited for the gates to swing open, waved and then proceeded up the narrow drive, rounded a bend by some trees and saw the heavy wire fence topped with yet more coils of razor wire immediately ahead. As instructed, I pulled into the gravel area and switched the engine off, looking about curiously as mine was the only vehicle there. Apart from the small parking area, the wire fence, green painted iron gates, and another camera, there was nothing else to see. I got out and looked about.

The narrow road disappeared from view around another bend with woods on either side. The trees stretched in both directions with a grassy area between them and the old boundary wall that I had driven along stretching away into the distance. My view was blocked by trees and scrub in the other direction. Big was the thought that immediately popped into my head. It had looked impressive on Google maps but now on the ground, yup, big with a capital B!

My place being an old farm with some outbuildings and a bit of land, was way larger than the average bog-standard three-bed family semi-detached, complete with double parking space plus minuscule garden, but this, wow! This was on a scale or perhaps more aptly, way off the same scale altogether!

My eye caught movement on the bend over by the far trees; it seemed that I wasn't to be kept waiting for very long. I heard the rhythmic sound of metal striking tarmac accompanied by the rattle and clatter of wheels in the distance. As I listened, the sound grew louder, a sharp crack and a woman's shout, then a second and third crack.

Show off, I thought to myself, nor was I at all surprised as the vehicle rapidly came into view. I'd been almost sure Mandy would greet me in some such fashion. She'd told me that her modelling days were long behind her, but I'd sensed a touch of the exhibitionist, plus her interest in dressage hinted at a strong sense of showmanship. That coupled with her evident eagerness for me to visit her estate, ostensibly to learn more about handling and housing human equines. True, but I also knew that she would love showing off to someone totally new to her exclusive little world!

The carriage or trap came on at a rapid pace preceded by that rhythmic sound of steel horseshoes on solid ground, and I espied the tall slim figure of Mandy seated on the driving seat dressed all in innocent virgin white. As if! The headband holding her blonde hair was white, likewise her knotted shirt top, belt, tight white leggings and glossy heeled knee boots. She was wielding a long single-tailed carriage whip and seated in the high driving seat. The trap wheeled smartly to one side and came to an abrupt stop a dozen feet away as Mandy hauled sharply on the reins shouting 'whoa', to the four ponies harnessed in front then waved to me, "Just a sec, honey."

As I said, I wasn't surprised to see her mode of transport, but I was a little surprised by the ponies hauling it given her expressed interest in ponygirls. A quartet of males drew the small, four-wheeled trap, human ponies, harnessed in two pairs, one in front of another. They made both an impressive and somewhat exotically strange sight to see four such creatures together in the flesh. Mandy raised her whip, and three times her arm flexed, and the whip lashed out its tip, landing with precision on the rump of the front right-hand ponyboy. He jumped and squealed mutely into his bit as three fresh bleeding welts on his rump joined several fresh ones among the myriad of older ones marking his hide.

Mandy jumped down and grabbed me, giving me a quick welcome kiss, her eyes sparkling before turning and pointing to her team. "Not bad, eh?"

I nodded, eyeing my first ever for real ponyboys. They were all young so far as I could see from their physiques, but something was a little odd about them, which puzzled me for a moment. Mandy pulled me forward for a closer look. She still had the whip in her hand and used it to tap the pony, who'd just felt its bite across its bleeding rump, making the pony flinch.

"Stand still, Poppy", she commanded, sharply reaching up and grabbing its bridle and twisting it around to look at him. "This one ", she hissed ", has yet to learn its place in our world, and if it doesn't, I'll geld it, and it can join my ponygirls" she shook the bridle hard. "It won't find life under my whip anything like as soft as under my husbands! It had better behave, or the half dozen it's going to get later from Miss Judith's cane will become a dozen or more! So what do you think?" she asked, letting go of the bridle and joining me as I surveyed them.

I realised that she'd just taught me my first lesson. I remembered her remark about rarely talking to them as she was examining my Beauty. She might have addressed me, but the bulk of what she'd just said had been as much for that ponyboys ears as mine.

I shook my head in admiration. "Amazing, absolutely amazing; I can't believe I am actually standing here looking at them. Why Poppy, though?" I asked as the question occurred to me.

Mandy shrugged and laughed. "Why not, no, but seriously, calling them after flowers is Bob's way of taking his ponyboys down another notch or so on the scale. That and his weird sense of humour!" she shrugged her shoulders again, "Mind you, being a pony is about as low as you can get anyway, so the name is ultimately immaterial". She chuckled and added. "Lookee here though, see how flushed Poppy here has suddenly gone, so maybe it does have a demeaning effect."

"Poppy is new then?"

"Uh uh, Bob got a call about six weeks ago. One of our, well, someone we know with a knack for being in the right place at the right time had got her hands on a fresh piece of merchandise, just his type if he was interested."

"And he was, of course!"

"Never turn a gift horse down", Mandy chuckled. "Not that he was a gift. Pricy, but Bob's happy. Nineteen, cute, fit, leggy but not muscle-bound with an ass just made to feel the cane across the outside and accommodate a big cock deep inside, how could he not? Come take a closer look, and feel free to touch. Nothing like a handful of helpless captive pony flesh to get your juices flowing as you know by now".

Mandy reached up with her gloved hand to grasp and savagely shook the ponies bridle. "Behave yourself, pony, or else Miss Judith will think her birthdays come early!" She turned back to me, beckoning me forward. "Young Judith just so loves it when she gets the opportunity to thrash a ponyboy, and she's had her eye on Poppy here ever since he arrived".

I was only too eager to do as she asked. I wanted hands-on experience, after all, did I not, and such was my prime reason for being there. Mandy smiled at my evident eagerness as she transferred her hold on the bridle to me and stepped aside while I took command of my first Ponyboy.

He was young; I could see that as I twisted the bridle towards me to get a better look at the animal. Frightened, outraged brown eyes glared at me in frustrated anger. I was already familiar with the expression, for I'd seen that same look of helpless rage in my Beauties eyes many times already. It moved me no more than hers had, nor did the underlying desperate plea to help him have the slightest effect.

Inevitably I felt my body respond the opposite way as I exalted in that familiar deliciously erotic surge that made me tingle. He might be a lean, powerful young man, but he was also a helpless captive colt trembling with apprehension at the smaller female who gripped his bridle slowly, forcing his reluctant head down to her level. I noticed his eyes constantly flicked from me to Mandy and felt a spurt of irritation, so I shook his head savagely from side to side and tapped him sharply on the nose with two fingers of my other hand.

"Don't worry about your beautiful Mistress pony; I am the only one you need to concentrate on for now, just me unless you want me to add a few more strokes to Miss Judith's birthday present as well!" I added as an ominous afterthought.

Mandy sniggered while the creature I was holding shuddered in fear, his eyes suddenly pleading rather than impotently threatening and an involuntary muted noise emanated from behind his bit. I wouldn't swear to it, but I suspect the translation would be along the lines of 'no, please no!'

I ran an appraising eye over the other three ponies, who were all standing straight and still apart from their heaving chests. Silent other than deep laboured breathing as they attempted to get their breath back. Mandy had must have run them at a gallop all the way to meet me and by the look of the fresh marks on all four rumps not spared her whip!

All four were similar in physique, broad of shoulder slim of waist, very slim, I noted, which was probably the result of those leather corsets which appeared to be an integral part of their harness. It was easy to see that Poppy was the newcomer by the paleness of his skin compared to the other three animals' tanned hides; also, their legs were noticeably more muscled and better developed.

I could see several of the ponies trying to twist their upper bodies to see us. As my eyes moved downwards, I could see that each ponies' penis was also heavily restrained, fitted inside what seemed to be a hard pink plastic sheath, which forced the organ back between its legs. The obligatory tail also jutted from the rear of each beast plugged, of course, into their anus. Judging by the soiled legs of two of them, whatever retaining plug they used was of the hollow variety that allowed free passage of pony shit as and when it needed to come out, bypassing the animal's natural ability for self-control!

"Steady", I admonished as I ran an appraising hand over his body. "Steady boy, stand still, or you'll regret it!" I promised. Like and yet not like I mused as I groped quivering pony flesh. I wasn't referring to that exciting feeling of empowerment but more to substance. I'd already lost count of the number of times my hands had roamed over Beauty, but there was a slightly different feel to this pony. Not quite as soft, I surmised a definite masculine feel instead of my Beauties feminine softness. Or was that merely my imagination?

I released him and took a couple of steps backwards, frowning as I did so; something wasn't quite right. "They all look, at least the other three look a little, a little misshaped somehow," I said, unintentionally speaking my thoughts aloud. Something was odd, not quite right. I turned to look at Mandy, not quite sure how to put my thoughts into words, not realising that I already had.

Mandy smiled. "Yup, you're not wrong, Honey, a subtle difference that gets less subtle the longer they are in captivity. You can always tell the real long termer's. The creatures lower half develop significantly while the upper atrophies to a certain extent. Arms become virtually useless, and their chests lose all their muscle structure.

"Sort of dead from the waist up, you mean?"

Mandy laughed." Kind of like that. I've seen male ponies that have been in captivity for twenty years and more. They have huge chests like Tarzan, lung development due to the frequent physical exertion they endure, yet if you look closely, only the musculature of a nine-year-old. It comes from the long term inability to use the arms and upper body. It doesn't seem to affect females to the same extent, fortunately. Something to do with their udders, I expect!"

Mandy lept nimbly back up on to the driving bench and patted the cushioned seat beside her, inviting me to climb up. I needed no second invitation and, for the first time in my life, enjoyed the thrilling view of four pony rumps all harnessed, helpless and ready to feel the whip as needed or desired by the driver.

Four healthy and fit young men, but for all their apparent strength, all four were tightly controlled and restrained, helpless to do anything but what their driver wished. Their arms were pulled firmly behind their backs, encased in a tight leather glove that reached their shoulders and was secured with buckled leather straps. The reins which Mandy held were attached to large silver rings at each end of the ponies' bits; tall leather collars held their heads up and appeared to minimise side-to-side movement. Large blinkers attached to a web of straps across the upper part of the head further limited the animals' field of view to straight ahead, while a heavy brass ring hung from the nose of each onto their upper lips.

Mandy shook the reins and picked her whip out of its container where she'd briefly stowed it. "Walk on", she commanded and at the same time cracked the whip over the ponies heads. The animals leaned into their traces, and with a slight lurch and instantly moved forward.

"Still too slow that one", she muttered, and the whip flicked out, catching Poppy on a patch of bare shoulder flesh, making him yelp against his bit.

"Do the armbinders ever come off?" I asked, looking at the backs and harnessed arms in front of me and thinking about what she had said about physique.

Mandy shook her head. "Nope, never bar some medical emergency. Don't believe all that silly stuff about removing arms you sometimes read in fiction or see in artwork. Utter nonsense, could you imagine the cost, never mind the health risk of losing your animal. Pure fantasy, as I said. Besides, that sort of stupidity makes a pony lose the will to live, kills any spirit they may have. A pony without any spirit is a total no-no so far as I am concerned.

I have an old pony that's been stabled for almost a quarter of a century. She'd been in harness for a dozen years when I got her. It would take you half a day to count the whip marks on her hide; I'd bet," Mandy laughed. " Outwardly as docile as pet hamster yet if she ever got loose and had a chance to get her hands on me! I can still see that look in her eyes at times."

Mandy paused and cracked the whip over her team's heads, then chuckled. "Mind you, if the animal is fool enough to let me see that certain look in its sad eyes, it earns the wretched creature a few more marks on its hide!"

We rounded a bend, and the trees on one side gave way to some open fields. Mandy pointed with her whip. Sally has got Sampson and Hercules hard at it over there. Bob sends his apologies, by the way. Leastways he would if he knew you were coming. He'll be sorry to have missed you, but he's taking the cure as he calls it.

"Where is he. Cure, not ill, I trust?"

"Hang on a minute, let's swing through that gap in the fence and run down and say hello to Sally. Whoa, whoa ponies, whoa, you fucking useless animals. Now walk on, move!"

Mandy flicked out indiscriminately with the whip and hauled on the reins dragging the team round to the right, and we moved through the gap in the wooden fence that had once contained a five bar gate. The rotted remains of which I saw laying to one side. We veered round to the left and headed for the distant figures at the bottom of the long field.

"Hang on", Mandy cautioned. "This might be a bit bumpy, and this thing doesn't have the best shock absorbers", She laughed and added." Actually, it doesn't have any-a bit of primitive springing, and that's about all. Four-wheel or should I say four horsepower drive, though" she laughed.

I grabbed the seat and the rail on my side as we lurched over the rutted ground. "Mandy was cracking the whip hard and not just in empty air. She was seriously flogging the ponies to greater effort, not for speed but merely to pull us over the rough terrain."

"Got to keep the lazy bastards moving", she muttered, "otherwise we'll bog down. GO ON, PULL. PULL YOU LAZY FUCKERS OR I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE!" The whip cracked again and again on helpless bare skin.

Jeez. I thought to myself as bleeding stripe after stripe decorated the skin of the ponies pulling us. Compared to her, I really am an amateur! It was an awesome spectacle and looking sideways as she so effectively flogged her team to greater efforts also erotically stimulating. The beautiful woman in the crisp white outfit so totally in control of those sweating, straining captive beasts!

We lurched onto smoother ground, and Mandy eased off, panting slightly from her energetic use of the whip. Judging by the laboured sounds emanating from those in front, they would be grateful both for the absence of whip and slowing of pace. Mandy must have thought the same.

"We'll take a breather down there with Sally, let the bastards get their breath back. Bob needs to run them a bit more. Less bum fucking and more leg work. "She shook the reins, and they picked up the pace again. "To be fair," she added, "they usually work in pairs harnessed to a lighter single-seat sulky and Bob, as you've seen, is no heavyweight. This is a lot weightier than it looks, especially two up, plus they are not used to pulling it".

I grinned. "So they have an excuse, poor dears."

"Mandy snorted. "No fucking excuses. I'll have Sarah, my head girl, by the way, harness them to this every day till Bob gets back and run the fat off them or strip it off them with her whip! My fillies would have managed better than these pathetic pampered colts!"

I was a little taken back by her anger. I wondered if, having gone to a certain length to impress me, she was feeling a touch letdown. I looked at those bleeding rumps in front and was stirred enough to change the subject.

"You were saying something about Bob just now. Is he ill?"

Mandy shook her head. "No, not as such. His back plays him up every so often, or so he says, and he feels the need for a bit of warm sunshine. Lumbago, my fanny! Some friends of ours in the West Indies own a small private island. There used to be a plantation there, and they still run one. A very traditional one, if you get my meaning." She emphasised the point by holding up the whip. "They keep a varied selection of skin colours in the old slave quarters to work the fields, so you could hardly call them racist, but there's always at least a couple of cute young black bucks available for Bob. Plus, he's got some business interests over in that part of the world".

"Two birds with one stone, then."

Mandy laughed. "Yeah, business and buggery! Still, José and Madeleine also set an excellent table and have an enviable wine cellar. They're retired and run the place mainly for their private amusement but take several paying guests. There are certain people who lack their own facilities or for various reasons prefer to keep certain 'unusual' interests ultra-private. They are prepared to pay handsomely for the privilege of playing 'overseer' to those who have to toil under both lash and the hot sun!"

"Another case of two birds with one stone then", I quipped, making her laugh again as we approached the little group at the bottom of the long field. "Whoa, whoa ponies. Easy, easy now," Mandy called, hauling the reins and bringing us to a standstill some way short of our destination and turned to me.

"I should perhaps explain first. Sally is a cousin of Bob's, and you'll notice that she is very diminutive in stature, shall I put it that way. Bobs relatively short, at least heightwise, but fortunately not else where as I once told you. It runs in his family. Not exactly dwarfism because they are all perfectly proportioned but some form of inherited growth hormone deficiency. There is a complicated medical name, but I can never remember it. A Sensitive subject, so it never gets mentioned. Sally alas is one of the more extreme cases".

I nodded politely. " I understand," I told her. I didn't and wasn't sure where she was going, but it was evidently important, so I encouraged her to elaborate with a gesture. Mandy smiled and continued.

"Poor Sally had a terrible childhood. Her parents tried to give the poor dear as normal an upbringing as possible, but she was terribly bullied to the extent that she went through several nervous breakdowns and even tried to take her own life on two occasions".

"Oh, the poor woman" I turned to look at the three figures, two very large and a smaller in a carriage of some sort and then back to Mandy, still puzzled as she immediately realised and promptly joined the dots for me.

"Status and power," Mandy said. "Poor Sally has been jeered at, called a midget, a dwarf, a mistake, a dolly and, well, you can guess. The poor kid soon developed a massive inferiority complex. There was even a time when she had to be briefly institutionalised for her own safety.

I turned again and looked at the two massive figures. "Hercules and Sampson I said, recalling what she'd told me in my kitchen. I think I know what you're getting at, Mandy. Therapy. Payback time!"

"Exactly. No need for me to give you chapter and verse. Sally is about ten years younger than me but looks a lot younger because of her size. She's very happily settled now and works as a receptionist in a local medical practice but comes over here when Bob is away. You just worked out why.

"She looks after his ponies."

Mandy shook her head. "Nope, my girls do that; they do almost all of the routine stuff with them anyway in the stable. Everything bar punishment and abusing their ponyboy cunts! Those are exclusively for Bob alone. No, he entrusts his two gigantic work beasts to her tender care, and as you'll see, it is not exactly tender!" Mandy chuckled and gave the reins a shake. "Walk-on, walk-on".

I looked with renewed interest at the threesome we were approaching. Two huge ponyboys were slowly dragging something along the ground. Behind that, a small two-wheeled carriage followed; apparently self-propelled or was it attached to whatever it was, they were both straining themselves to pull.

"Hiya Sal, working them hard, I see."

Sally responded with a brief wicked laugh. "When did I ever do easy with them, Mandy?" she looked across at me curiously, and Mandy did the honours and explained my presence. Sally flashed a lovely smile at me and nodded in approval, saying that Mandy was one of the best when it came to owning two-legged animals such as them. She nodded again, but this time toward the pony team in front of our trap.

I smiled back. "You have your own two well under control, I see".

Sally was a tiny, almost child-sized woman but very attractive, I thought and, as Mandy had said, perfectly formed in every way. I could understand people calling her a 'dolly', for I had to stifle an immediate urge to pick her up and cuddle her. I was immediately aware, though, that I had said something wrong, for she stiffened and flashed an angry look at me.

"Those two are not ponies, my dear. There is nothing graceful or elegant about these two over-sized clumsy, dumb brutes. There is nothing noble or noteworthy that might be pleasing to the eye or worthy of compliment unless you're a fan of such unkempt stinking monstrous creatures. Primitive beasts they are, and as such, they will be treated." She regarded me thoughtfully for a moment and then flashed that beaming smile. "I'm sorry, you are new, so I should apologise, but don't let these hairy muscle-bound animals fool you for one second. They are only under control because of the restraints placed upon them and the fact that there is no escape from my whip, none whatsoever." She smiled again and gestured with the long flexible thin stick-like implement she held. "I may be small, but the force is with me, my dear, voilà!"

The way she used the French word was cute, but there was nothing remotely cute about the simple method she employed to emphasise the word. That long thin black rod she held was swiftly drawn back, bending like a fishing rod; it was so flexible then flicked forward almost faster than my eye could follow. Once twice to cut into the skin of her two 'beasts'.

That vertical whip, or whatever it was, looked pretty damn nasty. Its end curled around each rump cheek with a vicious biting caress that left a bloody welt as it sprang back. The two huge men jumped where they stood and immediately made loud, but at the same time, indistinct muted howling sounds that added to the animalistic element.

"Ring gags", a laconic voice from beside me noted then elaborated. "Loose one. Sally likes to hear them respond loudly to her little acts of encouragements but does not want to hear any coherent objections they may foolishly have to such actions! Note their lack of harness as well."

I looked at the colossal writhing pair and could see what she meant. It wasn't just the lack of harness either, for the more I scrutinised them, the more Sally's insistence on the term beast became apparent. On the end of Mandy's reins, the ponyboys were clean, appealing, stylish with their uniform Mohican hairstyles, smooth-shaven young masculine oiled bodies and brilliant, polished leather harness. A certain chic about them to delight the beholder's fetish loving eye. Stylish, classy, elegant even in total contrast to the two brutes on the end of Sally's reins.

They wore no harness and were entirely naked apart from some badly scuffed heavy-looking knee-high hoof boots and the obligatory device restraining their captive manhood. The latter being black plastic or metal tubes protruding out from their groins like the bowsprit of an old sailing ship. The bulbous purple-red hued heads of their circumcised cocks poked out of the end of each tight tube. They swayed seemingly almost as separate entities like two thick dark, steemed protruding flower buds as their owners wriggled and stamped their booted feet in angry, pained rage!

Their heads and hands were pinioned by a massive old fashion wooden oxen yoke that forced them to adopt a forward-leaning head down position, and it looked exceedingly heavy. A substantial steel collar also circled their necks with sturdy chains leading to similar steel bands around their wrists. Similar bands and chains hobbled their legs and would allow them only enough leeway to take relatively short steps. That would be an additional burden, no doubt, as they endeavoured to pull that peculiar object behind them.

They were also very shaggy, sweaty, dirty and unkempt, unlike the pristine ponyboys. Both of them sported great tangled tufts of unsightly body hair that enhanced their animalistic aspect. Their hair was a matted ragged mane hanging down their backs, crudely hacked off at the front and sides likewise their short misshapen beards. The tails dangling from each rectum were stiff with congealed excrement, much to the delight of the many flys that were tormenting them. Both of them had angry red-rimmed eyes that glared at me as I looked with undisguised hatred. The sheer venom in them that I found rather frightening. Mandy must have sensed this, for she laughed and put her hand on top of one of mine reassuringly.

"Don't fret yourself, Honey. Those filthy beasts may look like they want to kill us; indeed, I'm sure they'd do just that without a second thought, but they've no chance, plus Sally's got them well in hand, haven't you dear?"

The little woman gave a tinkling laugh. "Sure have. These two fuckers know who calls the shots and keeps them on the straight and narrow. We don't dare deviate by so much as a single millimetre, do we animals?"

I watched in fascination as the tiny yet so confidently controlling woman casually knotted two sets of reins to the conveyance, then swung herself down. I doubted if she was much over four feet tall, maybe even an inch or two under that. I noted that she had to swing herself over the side and used the sizeable spoked wheel as a ladder to reach the ground. Once there, she took a long thin whippy riding crop from a slot and walked up to face those two huge captives who towered above her, helpless, impotent as to satisfying that seething rage within them.

Sally said nothing, nor did she do anything for a few moments, merely standing there calmly looking up at the two brutes and casually flexing that wicked-looking crop between her hands. I looked back to the two-wheeled carriage taking in the overall scene. A pretty white parasol was fitted to protect her from the sun, and on a tray, she could swing back and forth a variety of items for her convenience. A cell phone, a tablet computer, an empty plastic sandwich pack along with a couple of cans of soda and a bottle of sun protection oil. There was a small plastic Tupperware lidded box with something wriggling in it.

The long sets of reins led forward to two small brass nose rings on each creature. I'd read about that evil control technique. A small cable was carefully threaded up one nostril, through the sinuses and down the other nostril. The rings were attached to that small cable's ends and could cause incredible pain at the merest tug. No wonder Sally was ultra-confident of her control. I doubted that she even needed that vicious long flexible, whip, sick or whatever that I'd seen her use.

It was also obvious now what task she'd had them labouring to perform. That odd-looking device between carriage and team was some sort of plough, and she'd got them opening up long straight deep furrows in the turf. God, the ground was so dry and hard. I looked at the parasol and soft drinks upon the tray and then the plough and thought of the back-breaking labour they must have to perform to drag that thing through the ground. No wonder the sweat was running off them, and I could smell the stench of their stale body odour from where I sat.

Sally, I noticed, was still regarding her two enormous charges with a thoughtful expression on her sweet face. Somehow, she managed to look like a pubescent teenager and a beautiful mature woman at one and the same time. Her wardrobe though I suspected, was indeed very much of the junior miss variety. Shapely legs thrust into beige cowboy boots, faded denim shorts with embroidered pockets, a very skimpy tank top that barely covered her midriff. I'd guess from the amount it displayed almost certainly designed for a young girl, not for a woman with substantial cleavage, albeit on a diminutive scale. A wide-brimmed lacey cotton summer hat sat atop her shoulder-length blonde hair.

"I love her; she's an absolute angel", I whispered to Mandy. I'd been going to add something like 'perfection in miniature but prudently decided against it.

"Adorable, we all love her, so" Mandy agreed as we watched the tableaux played out before us. Sally, I surmised, was also evidently a bit of an exhibitionist by her actions. Conscious of her audience not counting the ponyboys, of course, other than perhaps making them thankful for small mercies. I doubt that they'd have wished to exchange even their miserable lives for that endured by the two behemoths in Sally's charge.

The contrast between those two and their tiny Mistress was so incredibly mesmerising, like the legendary elephant and the mouse. Or in this scenario, two elephants and one mouse but oh so sexy a mouse. A very confident mouse, a very dominant and assertive mouse and most clit tingling of all, a cruel, calculatingly sadistic mouse that stood quite fearlessly before those two hulking monsters!

Sally flashed another smile at me then, still flexing that crop, barked out an order "Present!" I watched fascinated as the two beasts slowly and with evident reluctance stilled their bodies and made some effort of standing erect or attempting to as far as those heavy yokes allowed them.

"She's added extra weights to those yokes today", Mandy whispered gleefully. "What a little demon she is!"

"Wicked", I added, making a mental note that Mandy had actually said 'little', so maybe I needn't tread so carefully trying to be 'politically correct.' Was that the proper term, I briefly wondered, or was there some height-related equivalent. No matter. I returned my attention to the sexy little demon!

It was, as I've said, fascinating. Those two huge, what were their names? Sampson and Hercules both standing so stiff and subdued before their tiny tormentor, and yet you could literally almost feel the suppressed rage that filled the two creatures that was barely under their control. Even sitting some yards away, it was so tangible, so intense. Had I said that I felt one hundred per cent safe just at that moment, it would have been a complete lie.

"Notice their red eyes?" Mandy asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yes".

"Pepper, she loves the visual effect, so she treats them before bringing them out. I'll bet she added another irritating little concoction to their rectums as well via their tail plugs." Mandy whispered. "She spares them not one jot! I'll bet they pray for Bob's return every night!" she chuckled. "See that little plastic box on her convenience tray?"

I nodded. "I wondered what that was"

"Bugs", Mandy replied.

"What?"

"Bugs, you know insects. Every so often, she will hop down and pick up a nice juicy worm they've turned up. Maybe a slug or a spider or something. Extra protein, she calls it, and she'll pop it into a mouth through the ring gag, and they better swallow it unless they want to feel that whip!".

My God, I thought as we both turned to watch Sally step forward, no longer flexing that ominous crop but tapping the end flap up and down upon the palm of her left hand. I sensed what was coming next from watching the two Beasts who were attempting to lean backwards as far as possible, those sizeable plastic tubes bobbing obscenely in front of them. They both knew exactly what the little dominants next move would be.

One-two, one-two. The crop swung hard, fast and accurately-two stokes down upon the bulbous heads poking out of those black tubes and twice up. I noticed that the restraining device that provided those tubes catered for their big swollen balls, each held captive by a stainless steel ring-no prize for guessing the target of the little Madam's upswing strokes!

Sally didn't even bother herself looking at the animated creatures clumsily dancing in agony, loudly giving full if distorted voice to the searing pain that wracked their exposed genitals. Her absolute authority had been impressed upon them once again as it had on many previous occasions. She spun on her heel and flounced back to the carriage, one small hand holding her sun hat as a gust of wind caught it.

We watched as she swung her self back up into her seat, arranged the tray and adjusted her parasol. She smiled at us and raised a can of soda in mock salute before taking a drink, then took the reins in one hand and her long slender whip in the other. The reins shook, making the two beasts squeal once more, and that whip flicked up and down, twice, adding yet another stipe to their scarred rumps and eliciting even more agonised cries. "Hup animals, hup, another hour of sod breaking and then I think a nice little trot to cool you off to finish our nice day in the sun, hup, hup!" That merciless flexible whip lashed out twice more.

"Walk on, walk-on" Mandy shook the reins she held and cracked her whip but only in the air over our ponies heads. I looked back as the sound of flesh being bitten by that punishing rod sounded twice more. The two beasts were bent almost double as they strove to start that plough she'd got them harnessed to moving again. I sensed as much as saw the effort they must have to use, and there was no way Sally would ever spare them from that long stick-like lash of hers.

We bumped back on to the path picking up the pace as Mandy shook the reins again, and this time used her whip upon the lead ponies rumps. One-two! I reached for the rail again just in case. "That long sort of whip thing she's got? "I queried.

"One of Bob's brilliant ideas. She finds it hard to use a whip-like this" Mandy cracked hers and caught the unfortunate Poppy on the rump, making him jump and almost lose the pace as he squealed into his bit but managed to maintain his footing. "Short-range, crops, canes and such no problems" She paused and giggled. "She might need to stand on a box, of course, but in that trap, as you noticed, she's quite well back from those meaty rumps she needs to flog and flog hard if those brutes are to perform as she requires".

"I looked back at the now distant threesome. Was that wicked tool of hers being used again?" I wondered. "Silly question I told myself thinking upon the state their hides were in and her attitude towards her reluctant charges!".

"Some sort of thin composite rod", Mandy elaborated. "Fibreglass or maybe carbon-fibre, Bob could tell you. It's ultra-light, thicker at the base than the upper end and bends so beautifully. A mere flick of her wrist and the force at the tip is quite considerable. Did you see the way it bites into their rumps or wherever?"

"Hard to miss", I noted.

Mandy laughed. "Yeah, she's very well practised. The amount of effort is minimal for the damage she can do with it. Poor Bob usually has to leave them stabled when he returns from his little jaunts until they're recovered enough for an outing. That doesn't spare them his cock, though, if he fancies one of the ugly brutes," she added with a giggle.

"I wonder which rod they prefer! I quipped. "Hey, steady on!"

"Sorry," Mandy said, laughing. "That was funny-lost concentration for a second. Let's pick up the pace" the whip cracked again, and another pony squealed.

The trees were fast approaching, and I turned again for a final look. I liked little Sally; she stirred something deep within me. She might be childlike, but it wasn't that that appealed to me.

"Hup, hup", Mandy called and cracked her whip again. "Hup Hup", the whip flicked out again, but this time she did not crack it. Instead, with four quick consecutive, practised flicks, the tip kissed four pony rumps eliciting more muted squeals of pain. The trap picked up speed as the ponies accelerated. I noticed that Poppy still seemed a fraction slower than the other three, but Mandy let it go this time.

"Cantering," Mandy observed. "Not a bad speed. I'll keep this pace and then put them to a short gallop for the final stretch."

I was hanging on to the rail as the trap bounced along. It seemed to me we were already going at a pretty good pace and said so.

"Mmmm, could be better. Look at their legs, Poppy is not stepping correctly, and it's out of sequence with the other three ponies. It tends to crop the speed and affects the smoothness of the ride quite noticeably.

"Are you going to whip him?"

"Nope, or rather yes but not me. And not now. Hard to correct once one loses the rhythm with an inexperienced pony. A well-trained team could correct themselves, especially with a bit of additional encouragement from the driver's whip. The only thing I could do now would be to stop and then start them again, but it's not worth the effort as we will soon be at the house."

I saw some tall ornate chimney pots peeping over the trees in front of us as the path snaked in that direction. Mandy cried out again, and her whip repeated the four quick flicks producing an instant acceleration as her team responded. Those hoof booted legs were really pumping as we flew over the ground and took a corner almost on one wheel. Mandy laughing gleefully, and me hanging on to my seat in fear of an imminent capsize of the lightweight vehicle!

There was the red brick and white stone house in front of us, but the trap didn't slow. We shot across the gravelled forecourt and through the old narrow coach arch into the courtyard area beyond where Mandy skillfully swung the trap around. She savagely hauled back on the reins, which in turn stretched the corners of the ponies' mouths, causing them to lean back, digging their feet into the gravel, trying to slow and relieve the painful pressure on their mouths immediately.

"Whoa, whoa, ponies, whoa!" she shouted, bringing us to a sliding halt. "Home", she announced with a beaming triumphant smile and added with a laugh."First time I've galloped through that arch with a team of four. Just for a second, I thought I'd misjudged it!"

A tall willowy attractive blonde girl came running out from the nearby building. Like Maddy, she wore a blue and white chequered shirt and tight blue jeans, although in her case, the shirt was casually knotted about her midriff and displayed a generous cleavage. The sleeves were rolled up, and I noticed her arms, although slim, were decidedly muscled. Her long blonde hair was caught up into a single pleated pigtail that hung halfway down her back with a small white bow at the end.

"This is Judith", Mandy said, waving a casual hand in the girl's direction and introducing me. "One of my stable girls and our resident part-time vet when she's not skiving off playing in some damn tennis tournament or other."

That explained the glasses and the rather studious air she had; I thought as I shook hands and was surprised at her firm grip. "Vet?" I queried.

Judith laughed. "Hardly, just finished my fourth year at Uni. I work here in the hols, and Mrs Montague-Smythe has been kind enough to sponsor my tennis tournaments. She's always teasing about the vet bit, although a nurse or some such would probably be more useful here."

"Her mother was a friend of mine", Mandy explained. "Don't do yourself down, dear. Your veterinary skills are just as useful."Mandy winked at me, then laughed and added, "Not to mention that excellent forehand and backhands your arm can deliver. A joy to watch, and I'm not talking tennis!" Mandy grinned and gave me another mischievous wink.

"You like working here then, Judith?" I stopped and added a little sheepishly," Actually, I suppose that is rather a silly question" it was my turn to laugh mainly to cover my naive embarrassment.

"Not at all, ma'am. The work is undoubtedly very unusual but so very rewarding. The ponygirls here are so adorable, and I could spend hours just stroking and grooming them. Plus, it's such fun when they are naughty, especially the new ones!" this time, she was the one to wink. "Will you need these beasts again later, Madam?" Judith asked respectfully, nodding toward the traps motive power.

"No, I don't think so. We'll go and have some refreshments and then take a tour of the stables. I've arranged a picnic lunch, and Sarah already knows which ponies to get ready. You can water these animals and then put them back in their stalls. Oh, and talking about naughtiness or perhaps downright pigheaded stupidity, Poppy was way below par. String him up to the beam, and when we visit, you may demonstrate that arm of yours for us."

Judith was clearly delighted, and as we walked towards the big house, I looked back to see her holding Poppy's bridle, leaning close as though telling him something. What was the beam, I wondered? Also, was it my imagination, I wondered, but did I detect a distinct difference of tone and attitude between the softer way she spoke about the ponygirls and her reference to the ponyboys as beasts! Perhaps her birthday had come early as Mandy had said! That prompted the question I'd meant to ask.

"Sally, is she married or anything, boyfriend...or even girlfriend?"

Mandy paused and looked at me speculatively. "Good question and I can't give you an answer because I don't know. Fascinating little body, isn't she? Not married, and as far as I know, no boyfriend and has never mentioned one. All my girls naturally adore her. Of course, they are all either bi or lesbian. I've never seen her get over friendy with any of them, though. As far as her sex life goes, all I can tell you is that she keeps several sizeable vibrators by her bed" Mandy laughed and added, "Maybe she shares that characteristic with my Bob; her toys are certainly large."

She paused and cocked her head in the direction we had just come from. "I suspect that they'll get some use tonight after today's little excursion, I shouldn't wonder! Come on, let's have a coffee and a nibble. I'm so silly; I should have asked you to bring some of those delicious biscuits with you."

I smiled and tapped my shoulder bag. "No problem, I was never a scout or a guide, but I came prepared".

Mandy led the way into her vast, well house would be quite the wrong term for such an imposing dwelling. I looked back, recalling the eager look I'd caught in Judith's eye and remembered how Poppy had quailed earlier at the mention of Miss Judith. The stables promised to be fun indeed!