Pony play is probably one of the most spectacular forms of BDSM, most certainly to the outside world, but ever since the drawings of John Willie and Eric Stanton ponies have captured the hearts of millions in the BDSM-world.

What makes pony play so spectacular and appealing are especially the grace and beauty aspects of it, and that is predominantly what pony play is all about. Don’t be fooled by the beauty of what you get to see in pictures and movies and during shows. Pony play is exceptionally hard work and mastering the grace, beauty and perfection takes many years of – often daily – training and very likely a whole life, tailored to becoming a beautiful pony. Without the grace and beauty the entire thing doesn’t really work. It’s a challenging but very demanding situation, for the ponies as well as for their trainers/owners and something that cannot be mastered without a lot of dedication, sometimes hardship and sacrifice. Much like athletes, by the way.

It doesn’t come easy
Being a pony is physically and mentally demanding. This requires a very healthy and well trained body and following a good fitness or aerobics program is actually a must for every pony (ballet lessons help), as well as probably a very strict, healthy diet. A couple, deciding to enter into pony play will probably have to set aside several hours per week to allow for training and depending on just how spectacular you want your pony to be, also quite a bit of money.

The beauty and grace do not come easy. Full swing pony gear is expensive, sulkies – if you are into these – that are fit for use by human ponies need to be made to order and very often the same is true for boots. And, most ponies are usually required to wear their hair long (to allow for a pony tail) which again requires extra time and attention. So, look before you leap.

Total interaction
What is true for all forms of animal role play, is especially true for pony play: it requires intense and long time teamwork by both the pony and the owner. The dressage, the shaping of the body, learning to be, move and present yourself gracefully, the physical and mental training all require pony and owner to be – and increasingly become – a team. What you get to see on pictures and in videos is usually the result of that teamwork and that also is exactly where the appeal is to those, whore are into pony play.

Another appeal of pony play is that it allows to set clear, identifiable goals for both pony and owner which – as opposed to more general BDSM-forms – allows for a step by step approach with identifiable, over seeable steps. To many, this simply makes it easier to strive for perfection and allows the pony (sub) especially to set a set of benchmarks to monitor herself and her progress. This again appeals to many, not so much subs, but women in general, simply because that is the way women are.

The basic requirements
Of course, as always, nothing is carved in stone and you personally decide exactly what you are going to and and how far you are going to take things. That, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t a few basics that you need to try and incorporate if your pony situation is to be a successful one.

* Physical beauty - Let’s start with the hardest bit first. What (and who) is beautiful is a very personal perception. When it comes to pony play the idea is to bring the very best out of the sub – bring out what she can be like. This, to quite a few women, will be revealing in itself. Pony play is next to impossible without a very high level of personal care (something that pony owners should be aware of). To most really successful ponies regular visits to beautycentres is a more or less normal part of life, as are regular visits to the hairdresser. They are likely to follow several fitness, aerobics or ballet classes a week in order to maintain both their physical beauty as well as their athletic skills. Self-awareness and self-respect (in high doses) are a must for any pony, since without it she will simply not be able to present the pride and beauty needed.

* Diets - The average pony will be used to a diet, that allows her to stay in shape and maintain her body as best as she can. Again, what you are looking for is the optimum she can display. A model-figure isn’t an absolute requirement (that all depends on your personal situation) but the idea is that the pony should look as great as she possibly can. This again requires every day attention and a life, partially dedicated to being a pony.

* Athletic abilities - One thing pony and owner will have to think about, before setting up a training scheme, is what exactly the pony will be trained for. Different things require different abilities. If you are planning to have her pull a sulky, she needs excellent athletic abilities because even a very well balanced sulky is not easy to pull for anything over ten to fifteen minutes. Racing is a totally different story. Another thing is the question if she will be a two-legged or four-legged pony (most prefer two-legged), since these require different training and (for the four legged situation especially) extra work outs. What most pony owners will do is that they will create a situation where the pony – even in every day life – is trained for psychical fitness. Such things may incorporate: walking whenever possible, using stairs instead of elevators, biking instead of taking the car and in general a pretty active, health-oriented lifestyle.

* Gear, equipment and clothing – You will HAVE to set aside some funding for your pony play. Presentation is everything and pony gear does not come cheap. Most of it – especially if you are planning to be really exhibitionistic (as most ponies and owners are) – will have to be custom-made. Corsets, boots, harnesses and especially the halter and bit will almost always be custom made. While a lot of this gear is available off the shelf, most of it doesn’t really fit, is impractical or simply designed by people without any real knowledge about and affection with pony play.

* The owner – Being a pony owner is anything but an easy route. Ponies are high-maintenance. They should be. And owners will probably have to learn to think differently in quite a few areas. While the owner is the center of attention for the pony, to the outside world and especially during presentations, almost all attention will be focused on the pony and the owners come second. Ego-driven dominants will often be unable to handle that situation and it DOES require some adjustments in most other cases.

The above article is a reprint from our information/educational site Kink Culture.
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