A PONY STORY

First, an explanation:

After years of training ponies, and especially of starting many ponies on their new equine life, I've formed this story in my mind of how it might be in real life.  I hope you enjoy it!

If you are in Second Life, please IM me anytime with your comments on the story!

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THE FIRST DAY

It was a really pleasant afternoon, the first of what would be two relaxed weeks of staycation, with Katerina's birthday at the end.  Her wife Trina usually wanted to travel somewhere, but this time Trina really wanted to just enjoy being home, and Kat was totally fine with that.

It was time to check the swimming pool. Kat walked out back and opened the door to the utility shed, one of those cute little red-and-white prefab things with the barn roof. she bent down to the tub of chlorine tablets.  She was ready for the usual strong chlorine smell, but this time the lid came off in a blinding puff of smoke.  She gasped, and then.... blackness...

Coming around... the fog lifting... not sure just what happened at first but then remembered the sudden fog, the fumes, passing out...

She opened her eyes.  She was lying on her back, looking straight up at the ceiling of the little "barn" shed.  Someone had cleaned it all out; there were no garden tools or junk here at all. But hanging on the walls she could see horse tack... a bridle, a whip, some other things she couldn't recognize.

The shed door was split into top and bottom halves, like a lot of barn doors. Looking in and smiling at her through the top half was her wife.

And then, she suddenly realized that her arms and legs were spreadeagled on the floor.  Her ankles and wrists were cuffed and there were ropes leading to the corners of the shed. She raised her head and tried to ask "What?" but, as her head cleared, found that was impossible; some kind of rubber bar was fastened across her mouth, between her teeth.

"Good morning, Dear Katerina!  You've had a good long sleep there in your new home for the next two weeks."

Katerina shook her head to clear it, and tried again to get up, or to say something, but it was no use.

"I was searching our storeroom for something a few weeks ago, dear. And guess what I found?  A box with some big heavy boots with a base that looked like a horse's hoof. And a tail, and a harness, and a bridle, and another set of hooves for the hands and arms."

Kat shuddered... somehow she always knew this would happen, but she thought she would be able to control HOW it happened; the time and the place.

"So I did a little digging.  Logged into Google as you, and there are lots of searches on things like 'ponyplay' and 'human pony.'  I remember we saw a TV show about that many years ago before we got married, but I didn't make anything of it."

She stopped, and smiled down at Kat on the floor. "I guess it must have had quite an impact on you, because you have obviously been involved in it somehow for a very long time."

Trina opened the lower door, and knelt down.  "Don't worry, I'm not angry with you. I'm just glad that now I know about this side of you. And now that I do, I am going to give you the very best two-week birthday vacation you can ever imagine."

Kat could not believe what she was hearing, but she tried to smile through what she now knew was a pony bit in her mouth.

"I got some help cleaning out the shed and making it into a barn for you, Pony.  You can feel the straw under you.  You have your four hooves on your hands and feet already, but it is time to get you all tacked up for your first day as a pony."

"I am going to call you Ria. I found that on a horse-naming Website and like the sound of it. Do you understand?"

She tried to grunt a Yes, but instead just nodded her head.

"Now let's get you up."  Trina carefully untied the ropes and helped Kat to her feet.  She stood almost 7 feet tall now in the high pony boots, which forced her feet out almost vertically, in line with her legs.

"You've secretly worn these things before, I know.  So you may be a little unsteady at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to them soon."

As she got up, Katerina took a good look at her wife for the first time.  Trina was dressed in real "Western executive" wear... a form-fitting black suit, boots and cowgirl hat.  

"Step out of the barn, pony Ria."  She carefully took a few steps out into the sunlight, suddenly very conscious of her visibility.  Although the back yard was private, they could still be seen through openings in the fences around it.

"Now Ria, you are already in your hooves and bridle. And I have a very nice leather and steel belt around your waist that covers up your tuft."  She smiled and patted the small leather triangle that covered the place between Ria's legs. "Let's get you into your harness, and put your tail in."

Her head was still swimming as she did what she was told. This whole scene was such a shock, but wasn't it what she had dreamed of for 20 years or more?  It was as if her wife had read her thoughts...
And then she remembered, she had written this exact story; it was in a text file on her computer.  All Trina had to do was search for the word "ponyplay" and that text file would have appeared, along with all the photos and other pony fantasy files she had amassed over the years.  Trina DID know... everything!  And was she going to make this ultimate fantasy a reality?  The possibilities almost made Katerina faint.

Trina suddenly grabbed her arm. "Whoa there, pony! You should be able to balance on those hooves MUCH better than that!  OK, that's better," as Kat--that is, Ria--got her balance once again.

Trina continued arranging the leather straps of the harness over Ria's shoulders and around her torso. (There was a leather bra incorporated into the harness that nicely cupped her breasts.)  Some other straps went down and around her thighs, and up between her legs.  There were a half-dozen buckles and Trina tightened all of these just enough to be secure but still comfortable.

"Feel good, pony Ria?  Just STOMP your hoof once to say Yes or twice for No."  Ria lifted one foot and stomped the ground once; it was amazing how good it felt to communicate like that!

"Now we have your tail, pony Ria. In that same box of pony things I found this."  Trina held up her old pony tail; it was made from a black wig attached to a wide black belt that she would wrap around herself in her private ponyplay sessions.  Ria blushed deeply.

"That tail is really old and ratty, pony Ria. So I ordered you a beautiful new one."  She stepped into the shed and Ria saw for the first time a long, shining black tail.  On the end was a rubber plug, and from the plug came a black tube with a bulb on the end.  she knew immediately what this was--an inflatable tailplug!  Ria shuddered, both in fear and excited anticipation.

"Pony Ria, from things you wrote and photos I saw, I think you really want this kind of 'real' pony tail," she said. "So, bend over and let's see how this works."

Ria did as she was told.  She bent over, putting her forehooves (could not really call them "hands" anymore) on the wall of the shed.  "Pony Ria, this harness has an opening at just the right place for the plug to pass through.  So RELAX now, and here we go."

Ria felt the plug enter her. She had a small plug of her own and it was always a moment of discomfort followed by a feeling of pleasure when she did it herself; it was far more intense now.

"Now pony, we don't want this to come out!  So I'm going to inflate it with the pump."  Trina squeezed the bulb several times, and Ria felt the plug grow inside her.  It was terribly uncomfortable, but hopefully she would get used to it.

Pleased with the fit, Trina closed the valve and detached the tube, leaving the plug inside and the beautiful tail cascading down behind her pony.

"NOW step all the way out, pony Ria!  Let's have a look at you!"

Ria stood up straight, and took her first few steps forward into the open area of the back yard. She felt the tail caressing her bare legs, her feet bent straight out, her hands compressed into fists inside the hooves.  She felt the bit in her mouth, the harness around her body.

She felt... wonderful.

"Now pony Ria, I have your reins in my hand.  Bend down a little bit so I can rein you."

Trina attached the two ends of the long leather rein to the steel rings on the bridle, just to the left and right of the bit.  Then she stood back and smiled.

"Come pony Ria."  She clicked her tongue twice; a sound that horsemen and women have used forever to get their animal to follow.  Ria knew exactly what the sound meant, and began to walk, slowly and carefully, raising each leg the way a proud pony should.

Trina led Ria slowly around the yard, and then stopped. "Turn right, pony."  Ria turned her body, and was amazed at what she saw.  Trina had hung a full-length mirror on the wall of the yard, and there she was--a completely tacked, hooved, tailed pony, with her wife/mistress/trainer at her side.

Ria squealed in delight, the best imitation of a whinny she could muster.

Trina gave a tug on one rein, turning Ria to face her.  "This is your life for the next two weeks, pony Ria. You will sleep in the shed, you will eat from a bag and drink from a pail. You will have that tail in except for your "morning constitutional," and I've made a place where we can take care of those things out away from our house."

"You are NOT coming in the house during this time, though. You have your shed, and the backyard,  And if you are good, I will have some other surprises for you!"

Ria whinnied again, and this time it did sound like a real whinny!  She stomped her hooves happily and spun around once, suddenly stopped as the reins wrapped around her neck.

"Be careful, Ria! You are REINED now; you can not just move about any way you like."

Ria settled down, gave a few quite happy grunts that meant to sound like a nicker. She stood up straight, and waited for her trainer's first command.

"Come pony. Let's just try walking you around the yard a bit."  

And that is what they did. Trina led her pony by her reins around the yard, stopping and turning, coming close to the edge of the pool to make her walk straight and accurately.  Ria did her best to always raise her knees high; that was hard but would hopefully get better as the days of practice progressed.

"Good pony!  Now I have to do some errands. So you can go back in your shed, or I can rein you over here in the shade, because the sun is hot."

Ria pointed a hoof at the shady area. Trina led Ria there, and tied the reins around a pipe.  Then she brought over the water bucket, and hung a bag of food (it was breakfast cereal, mostly oats) on the wall where her pony could reach it.

"Pony, I am going to remove your bit so you can eat and drink. But you MAY NOT SPEAK DURING THIS ENTIRE TWO WEEKS, do you understand?  If you break that rule then I will not be able to leave you like this; I'll have to take the food away, and only let you drink by putting your head down in the bucket, and you will not like that."

Ria STOMPED and Trina reached up and removed the bit from her mouth.  The new pony smiled but stayed silent.

And Ria secretly ached for the moment that her trainer would return, and put the bit back in again...

Trina did return later that day.  She led Ria around the yard as the sun was going down, admonishing her to lift her knees whenever the pony got sloppy with her walk.  Ria tried hard to walk proudly, with knees up and head held high, but it was hard; her body was not used to this.

Finally Trina went inside and made some dinner.  She brought Ria out a portion; it was steak, green beans and baked potato.  "I cut it all up small and put it in this pail, pony Ria.  So you can get down on your hands and knees and eat it. I'll put the water bucket next to it."  Ria got down as instructed and ate her first hot meal as a pony. "I'm glad this is not for very long," she thought to herself. 

But something was gnawing at her; the experience should have been more unpleasant, shouldn't it?  And yet she found herself enjoying her first meal as an animal.

Ria washed her face by dunking it in the water bucket after drinking it, getting the mess off her lips and cheeks. And then she stood and waited patiently until her wife finished her dinner. Trina came out soon afterwards, took her pony's reins and led her to the shed.

"Bedtime for ponies now, Ria. But first, you will have to go out to to the area I marked where you can relieve yourself."  She carefully removed the strap between her pony's legs.  Ria blushed, but walked carefully out to the back of the yard where Trina had dug a small obvious hole in a private corner, out of site of any neighbors.  She spread her legs and had a long pee, and then turned and walked back to her wife, who fastened the straps once again.

Trina then carefully removed the bridle, admonishing Ria that she must NOT talk even without the bit in her mouth. She took off the harness as well.  "But all your real pony parts--your hooves and tail--will stay on you always, Pony Ria.  We will pull out your tail in the morning for a few minutes so you can go back to the private area again, but otherwise it is a part of you."

Trina lovingly spread the blanket once again, and Ria went into the shed and lay down on it. She wished her "Good night, pony Ria," and closed the doors on her pony.

THE FIRST WEEK

The next day, and for several days after that, Trina came out every morning to put Ria into her pony tack and brush out her tail.  Ria was usually already standing at the door with the top half pushed open, waiting for her wife/trainer.  Ria was very uncomfortable at first going out to the back to relieve herself, and it was embarassing when Trina cleaned her by shooting water from garden hose at her ass before putting the tail back in place and pumping it up.  But by the fourth day, even this was beginning to be part of the pleasure of her new life.

Trina exercised Ria around the back yard every day, and the pony's legs got stronger and better at walking with her knees raised at every step.  Trina also began to walk behind Ria, holding the reins and directing her by just a mild tug on the left or the right.  Trina taught Ria to start walking again when she gave the reins a shake, and to stop when she pulled on them both gently.

On the fifth day, after tacking up her pony, Trina took another set of leather straps off of a hook on the shed wall. Ria had noticed them for the first time the night before, but did not know what they were for.
"Pony Ria, I have a surprise for you. Today, we are going to go CARTING."  Pony Ria gave a bit of a start, but then whinnied excitedly through her bit.  "These straps are the harness that will fasten you to the cart. So let's go out to the front of the house."

Pony Ria was suddenly quite frightened, and she gave a low, frightened Snort. Going out front meant being in full view of everyone on the street!  She did not think she was ready for that.

Trina took the reins and walked in front of her. "Come, Pony Ria. It's time that everyone sees how proud I am of my pony, and how proud a pony she can be.  Oh, and let me adjust your blinders."  Trina reached up and folded the two flat pieces of leather forward, so that Ria could no longer see anything except right in front of her. Then Trina gave a tug, and began to walk, and Ria followed her trainer around the side of the house, and out the gate to the street.

And there, at the curb, was a small, light pony cart! It had a seat for one person, and two long bars came out to the front. There were steel loops that had to be for attaching the harness.

And there were several people around, attracted by this cart that had been dropped off during the night.  Pony Ria looked and saw--they were ALL people that knew her and her wife!  She almost turned and ran, but Trina held the reins firmly, and she smiled at her pony, calming her.

So Ria stood straight, and walked to the cart, and backed her body up between the bars. She stood still as Trina strapped the leather harness around her and attached it to the bars; she kept hers eyes straight ahead (the blinders made that easier) so she did not see all of the neighbors watching her, and she breathed long and low.

Finished, Trina climbed up into the cart. There was a whip on the seat, which she picked up and extended out straight, so she could just touch her pony's back with the tip.  Ria flinched; not knowing what it was.

"Pony, I can still use your reins.  But sometimes I might touch your right side with the whip to turn right, or the left side to turn left.  Also, I will CRACK the whip to tell you to start, or if I want you to go faster. Do you understand, Pony Ria?"   Her pony stomped her hoof to tell her trainer she did. "Perfect!  Let's go."

Trina cracked the whip, and Ria took her first tentative steps forward.  She went very slowly, feeling the angle her body needed be in to pull the cart on her high hooves.  Fortunately the streets were very flat; there were no hills at all in their neighborhood.

Soon Ria was moving confidently, feeling the gentle pull of the reins and letting them guide her. The cart moved slowly behind her, and she saw people look up from what they were doing with great surprise, but then immediately smiling as they saw how well this new pony was pulling her mistress in their cart.

At one point, Trina pulled the reins and they stopped in front of a small shop. She stepped out and went inside, returning with a bottle of water.  Trina lifted Ria's chin and poured some water into her mouth through the bit; although a lot spilled, it felt wonderful to have a drink.  Ria nickered gratefully.
In about an hour they were back home again.  Trina unharnessed Pony Ria from the cart and led her back inside the yard.  Ria needed to rest a while before dinner, but she could not help but nuzzle Trina as she removed the reins.  The pony lay down in the shed and slept for a while; it was another very special day.

THE BIG SURPRISE

By the middle of the second week, Pony Ria was deeply immersed in her new equine role. She slept comfortably in the shed, had no problems eating, drinking and "going out to the back" when nature called.  Trainer (Ria really thought of her that way now) took her out every day to exercise, and they made longer and longer cart trips through the town.  Trina always dressed well in her Western clothes, so they looked very good together. People often stopped and asked them to pose for photos, and Ria and Trina always agreed.  (You may have seen them on Instagram or Flickr by now!)

On Friday morning, Trina came out just a bit earlier than usual.  She tacked up Ria, brushed her tail, and lead her out by the reins.  But then she stopped and turned to speak to her.

"Pony, this is NOT going to be a usual day. I have a very special surprise for you."  

"Whinny?" Ria responded, tilting her head questioningly.

"This morning I am gathering up your tack, including a few new things you've not seen before. And I am going to put you in the back of our car (ponies can't sit in the seats) and take you to a RANCH!  A real ranch, especially for human ponies like yourself. We are very fortunate that they are having a 'Get acquainted' weekend, and we are GOING!"

Ria whinnied loudly and stomped her hoof.  This was a part of her long-time dream that she had really never thought would happen! To see and be with other ponies, after all this time of doing that only in her thoughts.

"So come, pony.  I've locked up the house and will take the last of your things from the shed."
Trina clicked her tongue and led her out the gate.  This time the car was there with the tailgate open; Ria climbed in back and pulled her hooves in, and Trina closed the tailgate over her. Trina had folded the back seat down so there was lots of room, even with the other pony tack and equipment, some of which was all wrapped up.

"Off we go, Pony Ria!  It will be about an hour, so get as comfortable as you can." And they drove off, quickly leaving town and heading into the countryside. 

They drove thru places they had been many times before.  But after about an hour, Trina turned at an unlabeled gate and pressed a button.  She said a few words to someone through a speaker, and the gate opened. They drove inside and up a long, curving driveway to an area where several cars and trucks were parked. Trina stopped the car, came around and opened the tailgate, and Pony Ria got out.

Ria was a bit unsteady at first from being cramped up in the back, and Trina held her gently as she carefully reined her.  But in a minute the pony was fine, and stomped her hoof to say she was ready.  Trina clicked her tongue and led her from the car, towards a big barn.

Coming into the barn, Ria's eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim light. But then, there they were, all around... PONIES!

This was so exciting, Ria's head was spinning. There were ponies of every description. There were male ponies and females.  (She knew from her online time that these were called Stallions, and Fillies or Mares.)

Trina was talking with a tall woman who appeared to be in charge, and Ria stood straight and patiently so everyone would get a good first impression.  The woman came up to her and smiled.

"Good morning, Pony Ria!  My name is Rachel, and I am the Stable Mistress here at Pretty Pony Farm!"  Ria nodded her head and stomped to let her know she understood.  "You tell me you've already trained her quite a lot," she said to Trina, who nodded and smiled.  "Let's get her right into her stall; and there is a bucket in there where she can do what I am SURE she has to do after the long ride."

Rachel walked to an empty stall; Trina followed with Ria coming obediently behind, and they went in.
"I'll leave you two alone a moment to get her relieved and settled.  My Grooms will be here in a few minutes with all the gear from your car, and your own suitcase is being taken to your room in the main house.  I'm glad you're here!  It will be wonderful weekend. And I understand this is your birthday weekend, right Pony?" Ria stomped and smiled thru her bit.

Rachel left, and Pony and Wife/Trainer faced each other.

"I'll take off your straps now so you can go and use the bucket, Pony Ria."  Trina did so, Ria took care of things, and Trina buckled the straps up again.  Ria was surprised at how unembarassing this was, even in a new place, but she realized that ponies have to do this all the time.

"Now you get settled, and the grooms will bring your tack. I'm going to the house to unpack and freshen up, and then we are going to go and meet your new pony friends, and see what there is to do here!"

Ria whinnied excitedly, and bent her head to nuzzle her trainer.  "Awww... that is very nice, Pony Ria!  I'll see you very soon."

Trina left the stall, closing the gate behind her.  Pony Ria stood still a moment, almost crying with happiness that this was actually REAL. she shook her head to clear it, and stepped up to the gate of the stall.

Ria looked left and right.  There was only one other pony she could see, a pretty filly across the aisle and two stalls down.  The pony looked up; Ria thought she smiled (hard to tell with the bit in her mouth, but her eyes were smiling) and Ria tried her best to smile back.  Ria reached out her right hoof, and the filly responded by reaching out hers toward Ria; that was pretty close to a handshake.  Pony Ria stepped back into the stall and took a drink from the water pail, and settled back to wait for Trina.

About a half hour later, Trina returned. She looked very fresh, with her hair flowing smoothly down from underneath her wide-brimmed hat. "Let's go meet your friends, Pony Ria!" She attached the reins and led her out of the stall.  As they were about to walk by the filly, Ria whinnied; Trina stopped and turned around, seeing the young pony as well.

"Do you think it is OK if I take you out as well, pony..." she paused to look at the card on the front of the gate "...Willow?"  The filly stomped, and pointed with her hoof at the reins hanging on the wall.  Trina opened the stall, took the reins and attached them, and led both ponies out of the barn.

They were at a large fenced area, and there were about a dozen ponies inside it!  Some were with trainers or owners, and there were other trainers standing by the fence watching over everything.  Rachel spotted them, walked to the gate and motioned them all inside.

"I see you've met pony Willow. She has just been here a day, and her owner will be back for her on Sunday, so we're taking good care of her. I was going to come and get her out for some exercise, so thank you for bringing her!"  Both ponies nickered softly, and Trina smiled.

"Let's start your pony on the Whip Trainer."  (Pony Ria shuddered.)  "Don't worry!  The whip will never touch you, Pony Ria.  But you must learn to respond to the SOUND of the whip. And Trina, this is teaching you, too; you need to be able to use the whip well. It's fun to get a really good CRACK out of it!"  She turned to Willow. "Willow, as you already know the whip trainer has two ends, you will be the second pony.  You've had a little training on this already, and that will help. OK?"  Willow stomped her hoof, and they all walked out to the Whip Trainer.

The Trainer was a long wooden bar, balanced on a swivel in the center and with a leather loop attached to each end, forcing the ponies harnessed to it to walk in a wide circle.  Rachel walked to one end and attached Willow, then gave her a little pat on the rump and Willow walked forward, bringing the other end of the bar around to them.  Rachel then harnessed Ria, and they were ready.

"OK ponies!  I'll do this first so Miss Trina can watch. When I crack the whip ONCE, you both WALK.  Crack it TWICE and you STOP.  Crack it THREE TIMES and you walk BACKWARDS. Do that slowly; it's harder until you get used to it.  Do you understand, ponies?"  They both stomped their hooves.
She said, "Here we go then," and gave the whip a splended CRACK.  Ria started walking, realizing immediately that her longer legs meant she had to walk a bit slower so she would not pull Willow too fast.  After about a half-turn around the circle, the whip cracked twice, and they stopped.

"Very good, ponies! Let's try backwards this time." She very smartly let go with three fast whipcracks, and the two ponies started walking tentatively backwards.  Ria was glad she had done the cart work--she was able to back up very well, but she kept it slow for the much smaller pony at the other end.  "CRACK, CRACK!" and they stopped.

"Now you try, Trina.  Take the whip, bring your arm back just a little bit, and then forward as fast as you can, and STOP."  Trina followed the direction, and a very sharp CRACK echoed thru the air.  The ponies started moving as they had just been trained.

"Now stop them, Trina."  Trina did the same movement, twice in succession, and the ponies stopped in their tracks.

"Perfect.  Do that for a while until you all have the feel of it."  So Trina exercised the ponies for the next fifteen minutes, walking them around forward and backward, and stopping them anywhere she liked.

"Let's get some water, ponies. That was very good work. Trina, please un-harness your pony and I'll do Willow, and we'll take them to the water trough."  They detached the harnesses from the ponies and walked them to the trough, where both ponies bent down for a good long drink thru their bridles.

There was more training that afternoon.  Rachel took them to Dressage, where the ponies had to learn to walk complicated patterns in chalk lines on the ground.  They did carts together, and Ria again had to adjust her gait to match the much shorter steps taken by Willow.  They did well, and so Rachel introduced them to two more ponies, Flame and Blaze (they both had flaming red manes and were often paired for carting and other events), and hitched all four of them up to a big cart!  With the two more experienced ponies in front, they all pulled the cart with Rachel and Trina riding inside.  It was exciting!

And it was tiring. Ria could barely stand when they returned the cart to the parking area.  Rachel had Trina lead her to the water trough, and she took a very long drink.  Ria had to let liquid out too, and Rachel pointed the pony to a grassy area with some trees. Trina led her back to her stall and took her out of her harness and bridle, laid out the blanket on the straw and wished her pony Goodnight.
Pony Ria slept like the very tired pony she was.  It was a wonderful day!  Maybe the most wonderful day EVER.

LIFE AT THE RANCH

Ria awakened to the sounds of lots of movement around her. She wasn't used to anyone being nearby when she always slept alone in her shed, but she suddenly remembered where she was!

She excitedly got to her feet--well, her hooves--walked to the stall gate and looked around.

There were ponies and trainers everywhere, being tacked up, watered, led around by their bridles. She looked around for her trainer, or for Miss Rachel, and there they were, by the barn door. Ria whinnied excitedly and shook her head to be noticed, and the two women turned and smiled.

"You're awake!" said Trina as she walked over to the stall. "You looked like you slept well. Now we'll get you all brushed out and tacked up properly, and then we'll take you out to the trees where you can have a bit of privacy."

Trina took the harness off the wall and strapped it around Ria. Rachel had given her some good tips on how to do this more easily, and how to adjust the straps just right, and Ria felt more comfortable in her harness than ever. She whinnied happily. Trina then got the bridle and strapped it over the head and face of her pony, fitting the bit in place and fastening all the buckles.

"Come, pony." Trina clicked her tongue and led her pony to an area of the barn where there was a nice collection of brushes, along with a large mirror. Ria stood still as Trina brushed the tangles and burrs out of her mane and tail. She nickered softly; it might have been the most loving caresses she had ever felt in her whole life.  Trina also used a spray polish on all the leather straps, and Ria shuddered as her trainer polished the leather covers on her breasts and between her legs.

When Trina stopped and looked Ria over, the pony's hair, tail, and all her tack were gleaming. Trina exclaimed "Why Ria, I have never seen you look so beautiful!" And Ria, seeing herself in the mirror, stomped in agreement; she felt exactly the same way.

After Ria's "visit to the trees," and then being cleaned carefully with the hose and strapped up again, Trina returned her to the Whip Trainer for some review. They then went very close by where there was another walking circle; this one was the same size, but did not have the big rotating bar. "Pony Ria, Rachel said you should be able to walk this one accurately without having the bar to guide you. I am going to use the whip the same way as before, and you must try to stay right in the middle of the path. Do you understand?" Ria nodded her head and stomped, and Trina cracked the whip. Ria obeyed this and all the whip commands that followed, raising her knees high and holding her back and head very straight.

They went to the Barrel Racing field next. Trina and Ria watched as other ponies almost ran around a triangular course marked by painted barrels. Rachel came over and explained, "The ponies can not really run in their hooves. But for this one they do not have to think about raising their knees high up in the proper pony walk. We want them to have fun and just do the fastest walk they can, around all the barrels without ever touching one. They will learn how tightly they can turn their bodies... Look at that one! Flame, good work, pony!!"

Ria watched several, and then whinnied and gently nudged her trainer. "Ready to try this, Pony Ria?" The pony stomped once. "OK! Do over there and get behind the pony who has her turn next; you will go after her."

Ria walked over and got in line behind the pony. That pony was Willow, and that was one reason Ria wanted to go right then; she had not seen her today until now and wanted to greet her. Willow turned and smiled as Ria came up behind her, and they each nickered softly to each other.

Flame finished her run, and then Willow began hers. Willow's short legs meant she could not go as fast as Flame, but she looked strong and confident as she fast-walked all the way around the barrels course. She was panting when she got back to the start/finish line, but gave a loud, happy "Whinny!" that everyone around could hear!

Ria's turn. She stepped up to the line, took a deep breath, and tried to remember what the other ponies' walks had looked like. "Here we go, pony!" she said to herself, and started moving her hooves as fast as she could.

It was exhilerating! Somehow her body knew what to do; how to stay balanced, how to turn, just how high she should move her legs. She even found herself moving her forehooves; lifting the arm opposite the leg to keep herself in balance. She realized she had been learning these things very deeply for nearly two weeks now; they were a part of her. She was a pony!

Ria finished her run, and there was applause from all around. "Congratulations, Pony Ria!" exclaimed Rachel. "That may be the best First Run I have ever seen on barrels! You are a NATURAL, ponygirl!"

Other ponies and trainers gathered around her, the trainers all complimenting her and the ponies nickering and whinnying happily. Even Flame came up close, and nuzzled Ria gently to show her recognition of Ria's accomplishment. And then Trina worked her way through the crowd, attached Ria's reins, and gave her the biggest hug Ria could remember. Ria's eyes filled with tears of joy; she was truly realizing her deepest, fondest dreams.

Rachel turned to Ria. "Pony, are you ready to try a cart race? We know you've had lots of carting practice at home, and now that we see how good you are at fast walking, let's see how you can do on our racetrack. Trina, of course, you will be her driver; you know her better than anyone and she knows exactly how you control her." Ria stomped, and Trina nodded her head and smiled.

Rachel lead them...and the whole crowd now, to the carting track. "Now let me see," she said as she looked around, "I need another female pony about the same size as Ria so the contest will be fair." A pony raised her hoof. "Jewel! Yes, you should be perfect! You've also been training on carts for a while, but this will be your first race too." Jewel stomped and nodded, and her owner/trainer, a lovely woman about the same size as Trina, led her forward by the reins. "I'm Serena! Very happy to meet you and your pony, Trina." "And the same here, Serena," replied Trina. "I'm so glad you and your pony are here!"

Rachel motioned the four to two identical carts; the ponies backed into the bars and their owners harnessed them. After an inspection and a little adjustment by Rachel, the ponies knelt down to make it easier for their owners to climb into the carts. Then they stood up again and Rachel directed them over to the Start line.

OK ponies and trainers! This is a figure-8 course, so there is no advantage to being in the left or right lane. You MUST stay in your lane or you will be penalized. Understand? The two owners nodded and the ponies stomped.

"OK then. On my mark!" She paused and looked around, and the ponies and their drivers tensed up in anticipation. "Ready, Set, GO!"

The two ponies started moving immediately, both a bit unsteady for the first few steps but quickly hitting their stride. They stayed very close around the first turn and the second, but then Jewel began to pull ahead. Ria noticed that Jewel was taking steps a little longer than her own, and even though she was taking fewer steps, it was moving her along faster. Ria tried to adjust her own gait and almost stumbled, but she caught herself. "Are you OK, pony Ria?" called out Trina, sounding concerned. "WHINNY!!" called back Ria, as she adjusted to the new rhythm.

Jewel had gained a pretty good lead as Ria was trying to make the change, but Ria was now slowly catching up with her. They had already crossed the center of the figure-8 course and had less than halfway to go to the finish. Ria breathed hard, focused everything she had, and her entire mind was filled with the image of herself being a pony; it gave her strength she never knew she had before.

As they rounded the last turn, Ria was nearly caught up to Jewel and Serena once again, and they crossed the finish line literally nose-to-nose.

The crowd burst into applause as the ponies slowed and stopped, panting hard after their efforts. Their owners climbed down and hugged each other tightly, breathing hard and congratulating each other on having such wonderful ponies!

Rachel came up between the two ponies and grabbed one of each of their forehooves. "THE WINNERS!" she yelled, and the crowd cheered. The two ponies bowed, extending one leg straight and bending the other one as they bent at the waist. (Ria had seen ponies do that before, and had practiced it in her stall.)

Rachel turned to Ria. "Pony, you changed something halfway through the race. I saw you almost fall, but then when you caught yourself you were moving much more smoothly, with longer strides. It is good to see you are able to learn by watching other ponies, and you have the kind of control of your body that lets you adapt very quickly! You could be a champion pony if you want to put your mind to it."

Pony Ria stood proudly, as straight as she could, taking this all in. It WAS wonderful how she was able to learn and change her walk so fast; nothing in her life had ever really brought out that skill before. Rachel's recognition gave her a lot to think about.

Trina and Ria finished up the day with a long, relaxed cart ride around the farm. There were trails that went back into the trees; it was quiet and beautiful. In a remote glade in the forest, Trina pulled up on the reins, stepped down from the cart, and came around to the front of her pony.

Ria nickered softly, and nuzzled Trina. She had never been so deeply in love with her wife before; the feelings were just overwhelming her, and she was tearing up, the drops flowing down her cheeks and being absorbed by the straps of the bridle.

Trina was crying, too. "I love you so much, dearest Ria! I love the pony you, and I love my dear Katerina just as much. I want BOTH of you with me, always! You and I will find the best way to make that happen. Does that sound good to you, my beautiful pony?"

Ria smiled through her bit and nodded, and stomped her hoof very gently. She was so filled with joy and love, and the knowledge that this weekend living as her pony self would not be her last.

GOING HOME

Ria awakened on Sunday to find a crowd of trainers, grooms and ponies all gathered around the gate to her stall. As she opened her eyes and sat up, they all joined in a chorus of "Happy Birthday To You!" It was such a thrill when they came to the line "Happy Birthday, Dear Ria!" and she whinnied and stomped with joy, and they all cheered for her.

Trina came forward with a box wrapped in bright paper. "Ria, I told you I had something special for your birthday. Let me unwrap it for you." She set the box down, took off the paper, and pulled open the flaps; then she reached in and pulled out a pair of gleaming black thigh boots with hooves.

Ria neighed; she had never seen anything so beautiful.  "Ria, I had these made just for you, and I am so glad they came in time!  The ones you got yourself have been wonderful, but these... they are taking my breath away."  Ria nodded; they were having the same effect on her.

"Sit over here, and I will change your old hooves for these new ones." Ria sat and extended her legs. Trina carefully unfastened the old hooves and pulled each one off her feet. It was the first time in two weeks that Ria had been free to bend her ankles, and she did not bend them very much; they had become quite accustomed to being stretched out in that position.

Trina removed the thin nylon socks that Ria had been wearing. "These new hooves are super smooth inside, Pony Ria. They should feel perfect over your bare feet." Ria nodded and smiled, as her trainer pulled the hooves over her feet. There were buckles around the ankles to hold them securely, and then soft shining leather ran all the way up her legs, way above her knees, with another buckle at the top. The hooves were perfectly smooth and round, gleaming black, and there were real hard-rubber horse shoes at the bottom.

"Rachel explained to me that the hard rubber ones are much better than steel for walking on our concrete streets at home, Pony Ria. But they can be unscrewed and replaced with steel for when we come back here to the ranch. You DO want to come back here, don't you pony?" Ria whinnied VERY loudly and nodded her head, and Trina smiled broadly.

"Now stand up and let everyone see how beautiful you are, my dear pony." Ria stood and everyone smiled and applauded; the new hooves gave her a tall, powerful look that really did take everyone's breath away.

"Now it is time to take you home, my pony. But let's take one more walk around the ranch first, so we can say a proper goodbye to all of our new friends."

Trina and Ria took more than an hour to see everyone, walking all around the ranch one last time and seeing what they were all doing. Trina got the information of how to connect with the ranch community online; she knew these beautiful people and ponies would soon be like family to her and her pony. Rachel told her that some of the ranch members got together informally off the ranch, with the ponies meeting each other as humans. But she explained that not everyone felt comfortable with that, and that either way was just fine.

Finally Rachel walked Trina back out to their car, with Ria following reluctantly at the end of her reins. Rachel gave a big hug to Trina, and then an even bigger one to Ria, and then they helped the pony into the back of the car.

"Don't cry, pony," said Rachel. "We'll see you again soon I'm sure. And you will always have your dear trainer Trina caring for you as well"

They closed the car; Trina got in and waved, and they headed for home.

EPILOGUE

From that time on, Ria was an integral part of the life of Trina and Katerina. The loving couple continued living in their neighborhood, and their friends became even closer, having been invited to be a part of this very intimate piece of their lives. Katerina became Ria several times each month, and even began taking friends out in the cart for little errands. Trina and Ria became fixtures at parades in town; there was always a place for a cart pulled by a beautiful pony!

And over time, other people began to realize that there was something missing in their lives as well. Someone might see the two of them, and whisper something in Pony Ria's ear; Ria would smile and motion for them to come sit in the cart with Trina. These brief meetings sometimes led to the trying on of a bridle and hooves, and, when it was possible, to the birth of a new human pony.

Of course, they returned at least every few months to Pretty Pony Farm.  Ria became a well-known cart racing pony, and they were introduced to ponies and trainers from other ranches around the state; there were even competitions and friendly rivalries!  (Sometimes there were even some budding romances as unattached fillies, mares and stallions or their owners were attracted to each other.)  They made lifelong friends at the farm; seeing some of them socially in the towns around their home.

Trina, Katerina, and Ria lived the rest of their lives happily in balance; each of them expressing the total of what they were inside: loving partners, trainer, and pony. Life was good.

And Ria whinnied softly and laid down in her barn, and went to sleep.

THE END

(but there is also an ALTERNATE ENDING for this story!  Just click here to read it.)