The Widower

[TheLimey]

Chapter 7

John pulled off the main road onto a gravel track, and checked both his GPS and the email on his phone. This was the right way, he thought, and set off down the track, thinking about the conversation he had had with Marie.

He was going to where Lesley and Marie had gone all those years ago, where Lesley had gone many times over the years, to train as a ponygirl. A place that Marie now ran, where other women went to learn discipline, to be disciplined, and become ponygirls in their own right.

He'd looked further into things in the last few days, explored the whole idea of ponygirls, and what it meant. Images of women of all sizes, shapes and colours, all in various forms of harness, stomping down streets at fairs in San Francisco, pulling buggies around tracks or down bridleways, cartoons and comics of sweat soaked women pulling farm carts and ploughs.

On all the images of real women, he could see something in the faces of all of them. Pride, pride in what they were doing, in how they looked, how they held themselves. It was the very same pride Lesley would show after a good run. He could start to see why this sort of thing could be attractive to some people.

About a mile down the track, he started to drive along a high wall, intending down the right hand side of the track, and he could see a gateway across his path to the front a little ways away. Whatever went on inside the walls it was certainly going to be in kept secret from the local populace, as the place was well out of the way in one of the farther flung corners of Dartmoor.

He pulled up to the gate, seeing the driveway continue on the other side, past a large garden on the left, leading to a large Tudor house, the sort of thing a country squire would have owned in the past. Stables flanked the driveway on the right hand side, none of them with doors showing to the side along the drive.

He pulled the flask from his pocket and took a small nip, then wound down the window, to push the button on the entry system that was positioned by the side of his car. He noticed the camera up above the gate, and shrugged. It made sense, he thought, that they would have some security around the place.

The speaker under the button squawked into life. 'Equus LLC, do you have an appointment?'

John cleared his throat. 'Mr Richards for Miss Marie'

There was a slight pause, then the voice came back. 'Welcome Mr Roberts. Mistress is expecting you. Kindly park by the main entrance to the house. Someone will be with you there shortly.'

The gates swung open smoothly, and John drove through, noticing as he approached the house that the large front door was now open, and that two people had walked out. One was Marie, dressed in a white blouse, black jodhpurs and riding boots, which struck John as what must be a working uniform for the woman. The other woman was quite different. She was a willowy blonde, dressed in nothing more than a maids uniform, the sort of silly thing you'd expect to see in a bad sitcom sketch, but it shone in the light, and John realized as he drew up to park that it was latex.

Marie opened the door to the car. 'John. I was half expecting you to call and say you had changed your mind and wouldn't be coming.'

He got out and shrugged. 'I honestly thought about doing that last night...'

'Jane here will show you to your room for your stay. I presume you will be staying, as I suggested.'

'Yes.' He went to the boot of the car, and pulled out his bag, Jane holding out a gloved hand to take it from him.

'I'm sure you have questions already, so I've arranged for a light lunch in thirty minutes or so. When you are ready, Jane can escort you down for that.

-*-

The room he had been given was quite a change from the cottage, and would have given a good London hotel a run for the money. There was a large ensuite bathroom, complete with a free standing bath, and the room itself has solid oak beams supporting high ceiling, above a bed that could comfortably sleep a family.

The odd thing was Jane herself. He had followed her up the stairs to the room, realizing as they climbed that she was wearing some of the tallest heels he had ever seen. She had politely shown him the room, and then had stood inside the room just inside the door.

'Jane, you can go now.'

'Sir, I have been ordered to wait and escort you down for lunch.'

'Inside my room?'

'Yes Sir, Mistress was quite clear on that point. I am at your disposal.'

John shook his head. This was all a little too strange, but he was the guest, and so he said nothing else, until he had washed his face and freshened up. Only then did he say 'Lead on Jane.'

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 8

Marie was waiting for him in an atrium that had been added to the back of the house, looking over a considerable stretch of open ground, with what looked like an athletic track close to the house. Out on the distance, he could see the open moorland.

It was just the two of them over lunch, a spread of sandwiches and tea, Jane having served them before being dismissed, John's eyes following her as she left the room.

'She is quite delightful, isn't she?' Marie said, conversationally.

'At my disposal, she told me. What exactly would that include?'

'Whatever you wish, practically.' She stirred her tea, setting the spoon in the saucer. 'We do have another sideline in training females who wish to experience the classical domestic side of sexual servitude.'

'Did Lesley ever do anything like that?

'No. She submitted to discipline tasks that required her to scrub floors inside the house, but generally, we've found that someone interested in serving domestically is not interested in becoming a pony.'

John stood up and looked out of the window. He pointed with the sandwich he held in his right hand. 'If I'm right with my directions, isn't Lesley's cottage over in that direction?' He indicated the Moors beyond the track.

'Yes. It's a good 20 miles or so over the Moors to Rose Cottage.' She paused, then carried on. 'Why do you still refer to it as Lesley's cottage. It's yours now.'

'It's not. It's not somewhere I ever lived in, ever saw. It's got her fingerprints all over it, and none of mine.'

Marie changed the subject. 'We have access to the Moors over that way, but most of what we do here takes place either behind closed doors in the stable buildings, or behind the walls.'

'I still don't fully understand what you mean by training..'

'You'll see this in action, John, as we do have a few ponies in the stables at the moment, but essentially, we train the ponies as you would a horse. We train for strength, endurance and speed. We train them to obey commands, to run on a rein, to run in harness. We use discipline and rewards to keep the ponies focused.'

'Discipline? I saw an image of Lesley that looked more like torture!'

'Everything here is consensual. Indeed we interview people carefully before they are accepted, and make sure they understand exactly what they are letting themselves in for. Discipline is a part of that process, and just like a horse needs to be broken in, some of our wilder ponies need a sturdier hand than others.' She smiled at that. 'Lesley and I needed quite a bit of breaking, and Lesley developed a taste for discipline that she never lost.'

'And the rewards?'

Marie chuckled. 'What do you think? A more or less naked woman, often chained..'

John thought back to the times Lesley would come in from a run and fuck him, and the look on his face must have been quite obvious as Marie continued, 'I see you do understand. They get to orgasm.'

'Lesley trained on her own at the cottage, and yet she also came here?'

'Yes. As I said, she got a taste for the discipline, and she couldn't do that to herself. Also, she loved to run the Moors, so often she would warm up at the cottage, run to here, stay a few days, then run back.'

'And what about you? What are you getting out of this, Marie?'

Marie sat back in her chair. 'As Lesley found she enjoyed the discipline, and all that entailed, I found I enjoyed giving it.' She sipped her tea. 'I'm a lesbian John, a dominant lesbian. I found that I enjoyed the idea and then the practice of giving the discipline, and leading the training of the ponies far more than I did receiving it. I just moved into the other side of the equation. Eventually, the whole operation was left to me.'

John had one question on his mind. 'How on Earth do you get...,' he nearly said clients, but hen he corrected himself. '... ponies?'

'There's two ways.' Marie held up one finger. 'Firstly, the ponygirl is surprisingly widespread. I have contacts in the main fetish stores in the UK and Europe, and if someone purchased the right sort of gear, the shop will gently question them about their interest, and if they feel there is a good match, they get passed a card and a web address.'

'Then there are the people like Lesley and I. The tearaways, the troublemakers. Those with a talent for running but who won't knuckle down and apply themselves. If they are lucky, someone they know will point them in this direction, help them to turn themselves around.'

'Like your old Gym teacher...'

Like Miss Haine...' Marie nodded. 'I looked her up in the files once I started working here. She knew what this place could offer us, as it had done the same for her.'

John nodded and finished his tea. 'How many ponies do you have in the stable now?'

'Three actual ponies, including one regular visitor, and one new arrival that we are just starting to break in, and then there is Jane, of course. Not a pony, as I said, but someone who has a service fetish.'

Marie stood, and smoothed down her jodhpurs. 'I think we've talked enough. Time to show you the business end of things.'

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 9

John couldn't believe what he was looking at. He'd seen the pictures and video of his wife, heard her confession on the SD card. He'd talked with Marie, been given a brief idea of what the training involved. He'd even met Jane, who was being trained in an entirely different way.

But he still sort of didn't believe it. It was as if the last part of his disbelief was hanging from the precipice of the truth by its fingernails. And then they rounded a corner on his tour, and there it was.

'It' was a dusky Afro-Caribbean woman. She was tall, maybe six feet, with smallish breasts and long legs, encased in boots with heels that added even more to her height. Apart from he boots she was naked, except for her arms,which were held behind her back, held there by a long leather sleeve that was held by straps over her shoulders. The sleeve served to constrict and pull her arms in, and John knew, that if not actually touching, the woman's elbows were not far apart.

She was wearing a bit, held in place by a strap around the back of her head, holding down the shortish black curly hair that crowned her head. From one ring of the bit there was a long lead, the other end held by another woman, a blonde, wearing the same sort of outfit as Marie. This other woman was in the center of the circle that the Afro -Caribbean was jogging around at the end of the lead.

No, jogging wasn't the right word. As he looked, he could see that the woman was trotting, like a fine dressage horse, lifting each leg up with each step so that the knee was level with her hips. She faltered as she came around the circle and noticed both John and Marie there, and the blonde flicked out with some kind of whip, catching the Afro-Caribbean on the back of her thighs.

Marie looked over at John. 'John, meet your first pony, Joanne..'

-*-

They had started the tour by walking around from the back of the house towards the stables, and John could see that what he could see from the drive by the gate was just part of the set of buildings that made up the facility.

There were a couple of distinct wings to the stable building when seen from this side, though the main central part did indeed look just like stables, complete with the half doors you would expect.

'We have different styles of accommodation for our ponies here, depending on what they express a preference for, ' explained Marie, as they crossed to one of the half door stables.

"The wing closest to the house is more like cells,' she continued, 'for those who want a more.... 'restrictive' stay here.' John must have looked puzzled, as Marie stopped walking a moment and looked at him. 'There's a whole range of things covered by the idea of being a pony girl. For some, there's the idea of being a draught animal, often in some sort of coerced manner.'

'So they get a prison experience?'

'Yes. I have an ex prison officer on staff for them, though there is no one in that wing at the present.'

John nodded. 'Then Lesley liked what, the experience of being a race horse?'

Marie smiled back at him. 'Yes, she loved the race, either straight racing, or pulling a sulky. Occasionally, we have actual race meets here, and she was unbeaten in her time here.' John could hear pride in Marie's voice at that.

They carried on walking, reaching the open half door of a stable. Marie waved at it, and John looked in. If he didn't know anything about the place, he would have assumed it was an ordinary horse stable. A layer of straw on the floor, a trough for food and water. Only the chain dangling from the back wall of the stable was out of place, heavy steel, with a metal collar at the end.

Marie checked a chalk board hanging outside. 'Ok, Let me take you to the training sheds. There's a dressage pony being trained right now for certain.

-*-

John didn't take his eyes off the scene in front of him, but addressed Marie. 'This is the dressage pony?'

Marie nodded, 'Yes. Joanne is a good runner, but doesn't specialize in speed. She's much better at this sort of thing, precise stepping and so on. It makes for a good carriage pony.'

John cleared his throat, he was starting to get an idea of what was being suggested here. 'A show pony, then?'

Marie smiled. 'Ahh yes. She looks very smart in a white harness, with plumes and so on.' She called over to the woman holding the carriage whip. 'What do you think, Vicki? Is Joanne in shape for a trot this evening?'

Vicki didn't address Marie at first. Instead, she looked at Joanne, who was visibly putting more effort into her stepping. 'I reckon she's up for it, don't you?'

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 10

Marie turned to John. 'What about you John? There's a series of easy trails that we can drive a buggy along that cross from this property and onto the Moors, and then back again. We can run along one of them.'

John was still looking at the pony, trotting around at the end of the lead. 'What....? Oh... Yes, yes please.' He couldn't look away. There was a faint sheen of sweat on Joanne's skin, catching the light and highlighting the shape of her muscles.

'Go ahead Vicki, get her prepped for a quick jaunt. Can you have her harnessed in an hour?'

'Certainly! Come on, you, let's get you in harness.'

Joanne slowed, then stopped, Vicki swapping the long lead for a short one, leading her off past Marie and John. Joanne visibly looking at John as she went past.

'You might want to put blinders on her!' suggested Marie as the pair walked passed her.

'She might be quite a handful this afternoon, I'm afraid. She's rather excited to see you.'

John was surprised. 'Me? How does she even know who I am?

'Joanne? Oh, She works for the local Estate Agent. She's quite the source for gossip.'

-*-

They had toured a little after Joanne had been led away, Marie showing off the tack room, where harnesses were hung along the wall, names on signs along the top showing which pony had which harness. The hook for Joanne was empty already, as were a few others. There was a hook at one end, with a well kept harness set hanging from it. The name sign simply said 'Lesley'

John took it down, holding the leather up close, feeling how supple it was.

'I don't know why I kept it up there. She was never going to use it again.' Marie's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. 'That was her sulky harness, for pulling a racing cart.'

John's eyes were closed a moment, as he brought the harness up to his lips. 'Can you leave it up a bit longer?'

Marie had smiled then. 'Of course...'

-*-

Marie looked at John with an amused smile on her face. It was like a kid in a sweet shop.

'Now, what do you think of that?'

John turned to look at her. 'I don't know what to say.....I really don't...'

Joanne was in front of them, in harness, and already between the shafts of a light cart. John was amazed. The white leather harness was very similar to the one he had seen Lesley and Marie wear in the picture, but in the flesh he could really see what it did. The wide belt around the waist, the belt between the legs, neatly splitting Joanne's backside. There was a wide collar around her neck, which pushed her chin up. What was different was a second wider strap, shaped to cup Joanne's breasts, but leave the nipples bare, joined both to collar and waist by straps. Her arms were in a white glove, and if anything, it was tighter than the one she wore earlier.

Her head was wrapped in a series of straps, holding a bit in her mouth, and wide blinders either side of her face, which would keep her focused on the road ahead. Reins were attached to the bit, leading back to the cart behind her, the shafts of which were joined by strong chains attached to the waist belt. A further chain ran from the cart to the back of the waist belt, giving means for Joanne to pull the cart forward. On top of all this, Joanne had been carefully oiled until she was gleaming, from the top of the ankle boots to the top of her head.

John could see that Joanne was anxious to get away. She was literally trembling between the shafts, and Marie had to turn to the pony 'Easy, Joanne, easy.'

She turned to John. 'Shall we give her her head?'

John looked at the cart, which was a skeletal thing of carbon fiber and titanium spars and rods, low slung, with what looked like a pair of oversized mountain bike tyres to allow it to roll. 'Can she pull both of us in that?'

Marie smiled. 'I bet you're anxious to find out...'

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 11

Marie pulled back gently on the reins, and Joanne slowed her pace, the cart coming to a gentle stop at the top of a rise. 'Good Girl..'

John didn't know where to look. All around him was some of the most beautiful scenery he had seen in months, since before Lesley had become too ill to travel anywhere except the hospital. And yet, in front of him, was a stunning woman, close to naked, dripping with sweat as she pulled the cart that he was sitting in.

He jumped out of the cart and went to look at Joanne from the front. Her face and chest were flushed, and her chest was heaving as she recovered from the effort of pulling them along the trail, but her eyes were bright and behind the bit was a smile.

'She likes praise, and being touched, when she's doing a good job!' called Marie, who was climbing out of the cart herself.

John hesitantly reached out with his hand, rubbing Joanne's cheek. Joanne pressed her head against his hand, then pushed her chest out, shaking back and forth and making it very clear what she wanted.

'Marie laughed. 'Go ahead John. She's a terrible pony when she get's excited.' She reached over and tousled Joanne's sweat damp hair.

John moved his hand down, touching Joanne's left breast, running a thumb across a rock hard nipple, hearing the pony's breath catch for a moment. 'Good girl'.

Joanne stepped forward a little, until she was pressing her self against him. He could feel himself getting hard.

Marie loosened a couple of straps and gently pulled on the bit, letting the whole thing drop onto Joanne's chest. 'Thank you, Mistress, Sir..'

'I think she deserves a treat, don't you John?'

John's voice was almost a whisper. 'Yes....:'

This was all Joanne needed, Gently, carefully, she knelt down, the shafts of the cart touching the floor now, until she was kneeling in front of John, mouth open, her eyes pleading.

John needed no encouragement. He freed his cock from his trousers, and she leant forward, slowly taking it into her mouth, before pulling back, wrapping her tongue around the shaft as she did.

She repeated this, five, six times. John hadn't done anything except masturbate for months now, and he moaned 'Oh Christ...' as he came. Joanne pulled back as he did, leaving just the glans in her mouth, swallowing as he filled her mouth, until John felt his orgasm slow and stop.

Joanne gave his glans a final lick, then she let it fall from her mouth. She looked up at him. 'Thank you Sir.'

'Good Girl,' replied John, and he laid a hand on her face, feeling her push against him. Marie came up beside him. 'Good Girl, indeed.' She turned to John, and realized that he was crying.

'Are you ok?'

John kept his hand on Joanne's face. 'I haven't been with anyone since...'

'Sir...' Joanne was still on her knees, looking up at him. Marie nodded, and she continued. 'I met your wife once. She was very kind to a frustrated young woman, and helped her find herself. I know she wouldn't want you to shut yourself in. She'd want you to carry on and start anew.'

'Shush now, Pony...' Marie sounded stern, but she was smiling. 'She's right. Maybe that's why she never revealed this place to you herself. Everyone who comes here is changed by this place. Maybe this is Lesley's last gift for you. A place for you to change.'

Joanne stood, and Marie started to replace the bit. 'Let's go home.

 

[Migoz2]

Chapter 11

Marie pulled back gently on the reins, and Joanne slowed her pace, the cart coming to a gentle stop at the top of a rise. 'Good Girl..'

John didn't know where to look. All around him was some of the most beautiful scenery he had seen in months, since before Lesley had become too ill to travel anywhere except the hospital. And yet, in front of him, was a stunning woman, close to naked, dripping with sweat as she pulled the cart that he was sitting in.

He jumped out of the cart and went to look at Joanne from the front. Her face and chest were flushed, and her chest was heaving as she recovered from the effort of pulling them along the trail, but her eyes were bright and behind the bit was a smile.

'She likes praise, and being touched, when she's doing a good job!' called Marie, who was climbing out of the cart herself.

John hesitantly reached out with his hand, rubbing Joanne's cheek. Joanne pressed her head against his hand, then pushed her chest out, shaking back and forth and making it very clear what she wanted.

'Marie laughed. 'Go ahead John. She's a terrible pony when she get's excited.' She reached over and tousled Joanne's sweat damp hair.

John moved his hand down, touching Joanne's left breast, running a thumb across a rock hard nipple, hearing the pony's breath catch for a moment. 'Good girl'.

Joanne stepped forward a little, until she was pressing her self against him. He could feel himself getting hard.

Marie loosened a couple of straps and gently pulled on the bit, letting the whole thing drop onto Joanne's chest. 'Thank you, Mistress, Sir..'

'I think she deserves a treat, don't you John?'

John's voice was almost a whisper. 'Yes....:'

This was all Joanne needed, Gently, carefully, she knelt down, the shafts of the cart touching the floor now, until she was kneeling in front of John, mouth open, her eyes pleading.

John needed no encouragement. He freed his cock from his trousers, and she leant forward, slowly taking it into her mouth, before pulling back, wrapping her tongue around the shaft as she did.

She repeated this, five, six times. John hadn't done anything except masturbate for months now, and he moaned 'Oh Christ...' as he came. Joanne pulled back as he did, leaving just the glans in her mouth, swallowing as he filled her mouth, until John felt his orgasm slow and stop.

Joanne gave his glans a final lick, then she let it fall from her mouth. She looked up at him. 'Thank you Sir.'

'Good Girl,' replied John, and he laid a hand on her face, feeling her push against him. Marie came up beside him. 'Good Girl, indeed.' She turned to John, and realized that he was crying.

'Are you ok?'

John kept his hand on Joanne's face. 'I haven't been with anyone since...'

'Sir...' Joanne was still on her knees, looking up at him. Marie nodded, and she continued. 'I met your wife once. She was very kind to a frustrated young woman, and helped her find herself. I know she wouldn't want you to shut yourself in. She'd want you to carry on and start anew.'

'Shush now, Pony...' Marie sounded stern, but she was smiling. 'She's right. Maybe that's why she never revealed this place to you herself. Everyone who comes here is changed by this place. Maybe this is Lesley's last gift for you. A place for you to change.'

Joanne stood, and Marie started to replace the bit. 'Let's go home.

Very nice. Powerfully erotic and poignant.

 

[Loinclothslave]

I am really enjoying the depth of character in this story, and only introducing a sex scene in the 11th chapter for the first time is singularly impressive, and I could easily read another 10 chapters of anticipation without needing sex scenes (although that’s probably not what you’ll do, the anticipation tease part is over I think)

Truly an excellent story, please keep going

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 12.

The dawn chorus woke John, as it usually did, but he felt.... different. He felt well rested, and he didn't remember waking up at any point in the night.

They had gone back to the stable on a slightly different route yesterday, Marie letting John sit with his thoughts for a while, until they reached the edge of the estate, where Marie had pointed out what she called the farm.

'We actually grow a little bit of our own food here, but mainly, this is here for those ponies whose fantasies lean towards being draught animals. Take a look...'

John followed where she was pointing, to where a naked woman was harnessed to what could only have been an old fashioned plough. She looked larger than Joanne, even at a distance, well muscled. 'How do you decide what role a pony is going to take?'

'Sometimes the pony chooses herself. Brigitte over there came over from Germany, and already knew what she wanted. She weight lifts in competition, so this is another way she has to build strength.'

She waved her hands toward Joanne, glistening with sweat in the shafts before them, legs still pumping. 'We test others, test them for endurance, speed and strength, and get a good idea of a match. That's why we trained Joanne here for this sort of thing. It's a part of the discipline part of the initial days here. I'll show you more of that tomorrow.'

John looked back at Brigitte, seeing the trainer walking behind the plough snap a whip she was carrying, Brigitte turning to the left in response.

That evening, after being given the chance to shower and change, John had eaten with Marie and Vicki, who it turned out was Marie's partner. There was a lot of talk of the ponies, and John felt a little out of the conversation, as names and who their response to training was going.

'How about Luci?' asked Marie at one point.

Vicki shook her head. 'I'm not certain. She's very fast, but dear Christ she's a pain in the arse. You'll have to deal with her. I don't have the patience.'

Marie nodded. 'Tomorrow.' She noticed John yawning.

'John, we'll get an early start in the morning, get some rest tonight.' She called Jane over, who had been serving drinks during the dinner. 'Jane, take John to his room, and give him a good massage....' John had started to interrupt, but she cut him off. '.... And don't take no for an answer Jane...'

John accepted that this wasn't going to go his way, and truth be told, John had no memory of the massage ending. He must have fallen asleep during the massage itself, which is why he was actually naked under the covers right now.

There was a knock at the door.

'Come in...'

Jane pushed open the door. 'Good Morning Sir!' She was carrying clothing draped over one arm, and a pair of riding boots in the other. 'Mistress has asked that you wear these today, and says breakfast will be in the atrium at 7:30.'

John looked over at the clock. 45 minutes from now. 'Thank you.'

Jane closed the door behind her and placed the clothes on a chair, and the boots to one side of the bed. 'Does Sir need anything else?'

John was about to say no, and send her out, as he was naked under the bed clothes, but then stopped. He was naked now, because she had massaged him last night.

'Jane, why are you here?'

'Sir, I am here to serve.'

He took another tack. 'What do you do outside of here? What do you do for a job?'

'Sir, I am a Solicitor in Oxford.' She must have seen the surprise in his face. 'I spend time here every year. It is... relaxing to not have to actually worry about anything except serving, Sir...'

He thought about how Lesley would come back from her trips here. Relaxed, focused. He was beginning to understand now. He got out of bed, and headed into the bathroom. In for a penny, he thought...

'I think I'll need some help in the shower, Jane.'

Her smile was well worth it.

 

[Oldmedic2]

Your writing is exemplary! I look forward to reading each chapter with great anticipation! Thank you for your talent and imagination.

 

[owned jade]

Chapter 12.

The dawn chorus woke John, as it usually did, but he felt.... different. He felt well rested, and he didn't remember waking up at any point in the night.

They had gone back to the stable on a slightly different route yesterday, Marie letting John sit with his thoughts for a while, until they reached the edge of the estate, where Marie had pointed out what she called the farm.

'We actually grow a little bit of our own food here, but mainly, this is here for those ponies whose fantasies lean towards being draught animals. Take a look...'

John followed where she was pointing, to where a naked woman was harnessed to what could only have been an old fashioned plough. She looked larger than Joanne, even at a distance, well muscled. 'How do you decide what role a pony is going to take?'

'Sometimes the pony chooses herself. Brigitte over there came over from Germany, and already knew what she wanted. She weight lifts in competition, so this is another way she has to build strength.'

She waved her hands toward Joanne, glistening with sweat in the shafts before them, legs still pumping. 'We test others, test them for endurance, speed and strength, and get a good idea of a match. That's why we trained Joanne here for this sort of thing. It's a part of the discipline part of the initial days here. I'll show you more of that tomorrow.'

John looked back at Brigitte, seeing the trainer walking behind the plough snap a whip she was carrying, Brigitte turning to the left in response.

That evening, after being given the chance to shower and change, John had eaten with Marie and Vicki, who it turned out was Marie's partner. There was a lot of talk of the ponies, and John felt a little out of the conversation, as names and who their response to training was going.

'How about Luci?' asked Marie at one point.

Vicki shook her head. 'I'm not certain. She's very fast, but dear Christ she's a pain in the arse. You'll have to deal with her. I don't have the patience.'

Marie nodded. 'Tomorrow.' She noticed John yawning.

'John, we'll get an early start in the morning, get some rest tonight.' She called Jane over, who had been serving drinks during the dinner. 'Jane, take John to his room, and give him a good massage....' John had started to interrupt, but she cut him off. '.... And don't take no for an answer Jane...'

John accepted that this wasn't going to go his way, and truth be told, John had no memory of the massage ending. He must have fallen asleep during the massage itself, which is why he was actually naked under the covers right now.

There was a knock at the door.

'Come in...'

Jane pushed open the door. 'Good Morning Sir!' She was carrying clothing draped over one arm, and a pair of riding boots in the other. 'Mistress has asked that you wear these today, and says breakfast will be in the atrium at 7:30.'

John looked over at the clock. 45 minutes from now. 'Thank you.'

Jane closed the door behind her and placed the clothes on a chair, and the boots to one side of the bed. 'Does Sir need anything else?'

John was about to say no, and send her out, as he was naked under the bed clothes, but then stopped. He was naked now, because she had massaged him last night.

'Jane, why are you here?'

'Sir, I am here to serve.'

He took another tack. 'What do you do outside of here? What do you do for a job?'

'Sir, I am a Solicitor in Oxford.' She must have seen the surprise in his face. 'I spend time here every year. It is... relaxing to not have to actually worry about anything except serving, Sir...'

He thought about how Lesley would come back from her trips here. Relaxed, focused. He was beginning to understand now. He got out of bed, and headed into the bathroom. In for a penny, he thought...

'I think I'll need some help in the shower, Jane.'

Her smile was well worth it.

I so love your story so far. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Thank you very much for sharing

 

[TheLimey]

I so love your story so far. Can't wait for the next chapter.
Thank you very much for sharing

Thank you so much...

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 13

Marie was smiling as John walked into the Atrium. 'Don't you look the part!'

John looked down at his clothes. White shirt, stone coloured Jodhpurs held up with brown leather braces, and brown riding boots. 'I feel a little ridiculous, to be honest.'

Vicki nodded. 'I agree. Marie, is this really necessary?'

Marie looked across the table to her partner. 'Necessary, no. Is it something I feel may be good, yes.' Vicki looked less than pleased, so Marie continued. 'Look, it was fine with Joanne yesterday, she already knew that John was going to be around. Hell, it was her big mouth that let us know he was finally in the area. However, for other ponies, having a strange man walk around dressed however he wants is going to be a little odd. Dressed like this it looks like he actually belongs here, and gives him a little authority. I'm just glad the local place had something fairly close to his size.'

Vicki didn't say anything more, so John sat down, picked up some toast and started to spread marmalade on it.

'John, you're going to see the discipline side of things today. I'm going to spend time today with Lucinda.'

'And good luck to you,' butted in Vicki, drawing an unhappy look from Marie.

'She's new, I take it,' said John, as he poured a coffee.

'Yes. Right now, she's kicking back against the rules we insist upon for all newcomers.' She turned to Vicki. 'Where is she now.?'

'In the cell, chained and gagged.'

'Good. Hopefully a night there will have done her some good....'

-*-

Marie set a quick pace across the ground, heading beyond the stables to a low building a few hundred yards away, John following on behind, hoping the new boots wouldn't end up giving him blisters before the end of the day.

She stopped, and turned. 'Look, I sorry Vicki is a little...abrupt. She wasn't exactly on board with the idea of bringing you here.'

John nodded. 'I can imagine I'm a little disruptive.'

Marie waved him off. 'Don't worry. I'll bring her round.' She smiled and clapped her hands together. 'Ok, Lucinda, Luci, as she prefers. As you guessed, she's a new pony, and she's been passed on to us through an old friend, who thinks she needs some discipline. She's a little older than most girls we get, in that she's thirty, but she's got such a great talent for running.' John and Marie we're walking again now, heading to a door set in the side of the low building. 'She might be better than Lesley was, and that's high praise.'

'Ok, but Vicki thinks she's not worth it, right?'

'Lets put it this way. She's the hardest nut we've had to crack for quite some time. Headstrong, mouthy, disobedient, she's got it all in spades.'

'What did she do?'

Marie looked over at John. 'You're not so slow are you.... Ok, total honesty. A little bit of credit card fraud. The friend who passed her on gave her a choice. Come here and get some training, really use the talent for running, or go up before the bench.'

They had reached the door, Marie opening it up with a key. She walked in, whilst John hesitated. 'Your friend, she wouldn't happen to be a police officer, would she?'

Marie's voice rang from inside. 'Probation service... Are you coming in or not?'

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 14

The door in front of John would have looked impressive in any Victorian prison. Black metal, with multiple bolts that could be shot to lock it shut, with a pair of access hatches set into it at head height and towards the floor.

Marie pulled on the top of the two hatches, then flicked on a switch placed to the right hand side of the door. 'Take a look,' she said, stepping to one side.

The cell behind the hatch was bathed in the light of a single bulb, set high in the ceiling. There was no bed, no chair, nothing for comfort at all. Close to the back wall, which was only 10 feet away, he reckoned, was Luci.

She was facing away from the door, curled up, so he couldn't see her face. What I could see was a head of honey blonde hair, a well muscled back with a tattoo of a compass rose between her shoulder blades. She had a collar around her neck, and I could see a chain going from it to the wall. Her hands were cuffed behind her back, and I could see a wide metal belt around her waist, with a strip of metal going down between the cheeks of her arse.

'Is that a..'

Marie anticipated the question. 'A chastity belt? Yes. Remember, orgasms need to be earned.' She pointed to a stop valve set into a pipe running vertically by the door. 'Turn that on, it's time to wake up sleeping beauty here.'

John reached for the valve, guessing at what would happen. Sure enough, as soon as it was turned, a shower in the ceiling of the cell turned on, and the chained woman in the cell in front of home started to struggle, as a rain of cold water dropped onto her. He watched as Luci pushed herself into her knees, then stood, moaning behind the gag all the time, backing herself to the wall opposite the door, facing it.

From the front, John could see how Luci could be compared to Lesley. The same small high breasts, the taut abs, the long muscled legs. He could see she had an oval face, surrounded by now wet hair, and her mouth was held open by a red ball, strapped in place.

Marie reached for the valve, turning it off. 'Let's see what mood she is in now...' she said, pulling back on the bolts holding the door closed. 'There's a fridge around the corner. There should be a bottle of a green liquid in there. Can you bring it?'

The bottle was exactly where Marie said it was, and by the time John had brought it back, Marie had the Luci released from both the cuffs and the gag, and Luci was my massaging her jaw.

'Who's that? Luci's accent wasn't English, Mid Atlantic, he thought.

'This is Master John. He'll be observing your training today.'

'Huh... Can I have that bottle, John?'

'That's Master John,' said Marie.

'Master John...' The sarcasm was obvious, and John had to turn his head so she couldn't see his grin. She was certainly mouthy.

He passed it over, and got a 'Thank you,' which he was certain he wouldn't have got if Marie hadn't been glaring at Luci. This was going to be an interesting day.

-*-

'You can see it, can't you?' Marie gestured at the scene in front of them.

Luci was in front of them, running round and round a circle on a sandy floor. She was wearing nothing except a collar, to which was attached a line that dangled down from an arm above her head, that came out from a central mechanism. The thing was designed to keep a pony moving at a rate set by the arm, or risk stumbling. Luci had been running now at the same pace for over 30 minutes, and apart from a sheen of sweat, looked like she could carry on like that for a good few hours more.

'Yeah, she's running inside herself.' He turned to Marie. 'I think she's bored.'

Marie raised an eyebrow. 'Bored? Go on, Mr Pony Trainer..'

John ignored the sarcasm. 'She's very much like Lesley. She loved running, but loved finding someone she could 'race' against, even if that person didn't know it was a race. She'd come back from those runs absolutely dying to tell me about that, even moreso if the person gave her a run for her money.'

Marie nodded, but still looked sceptical. 'So...:

'So put her up against Joanne. Harness them, give them carts to pull, and let them race along the paths you took me on yesterday.'

'But Luci there has never pulled a cart, she won't win.'

'No, and you can punish her when she doesn't win, but you can then offer a rematch. I reckon she'll train like hell then.'

'Hmm....' Marie looked thoughtful. 'There is a training rig we could fit her with, and get her used to a cart today.'

She grinned. 'It might be worth a try...'

 

[Migoz2]

Chapter 14

The door in front of John would have looked impressive in any Victorian prison. Black metal, with multiple bolts that could be shot to lock it shut, with a pair of access hatches set into it at head height and towards the floor.

Marie pulled on the top of the two hatches, then flicked on a switch placed to the right hand side of the door. 'Take a look,' she said, stepping to one side.

The cell behind the hatch was bathed in the light of a single bulb, set high in the ceiling. There was no bed, no chair, nothing for comfort at all. Close to the back wall, which was only 10 feet away, he reckoned, was Luci.

She was facing away from the door, curled up, so he couldn't see her face. What I could see was a head of honey blonde hair, a well muscled back with a tattoo of a compass rose between her shoulder blades. She had a collar around her neck, and I could see a chain going from it to the wall. Her hands were cuffed behind her back, and I could see a wide metal belt around her waist, with a strip of metal going down between the cheeks of her arse.

'Is that a..'

Marie anticipated the question. 'A chastity belt? Yes. Remember, orgasms need to be earned.' She pointed to a stop valve set into a pipe running vertically by the door. 'Turn that on, it's time to wake up sleeping beauty here.'

John reached for the valve, guessing at what would happen. Sure enough, as soon as it was turned, a shower in the ceiling of the cell turned on, and the chained woman in the cell in front of home started to struggle, as a rain of cold water dropped onto her. He watched as Luci pushed herself into her knees, then stood, moaning behind the gag all the time, backing herself to the wall opposite the door, facing it.

From the front, John could see how Luci could be compared to Lesley. The same small high breasts, the taut abs, the long muscled legs. He could see she had an oval face, surrounded by now wet hair, and her mouth was held open by a red ball, strapped in place.

Marie reached for the valve, turning it off. 'Let's see what mood she is in now...' she said, pulling back on the bolts holding the door closed. 'There's a fridge around the corner. There should be a bottle of a green liquid in there. Can you bring it?'

The bottle was exactly where Marie said it was, and by the time John had brought it back, Marie had the Luci released from both the cuffs and the gag, and Luci was my massaging her jaw.

'Who's that? Luci's accent wasn't English, Mid Atlantic, he thought.

'This is Master John. He'll be observing your training today.'

'Huh... Can I have that bottle, John?'

'That's Master John,' said Marie.

'Master John...' The sarcasm was obvious, and John had to turn his head so she couldn't see his grin. She was certainly mouthy.

He passed it over, and got a 'Thank you,' which he was certain he wouldn't have got if Marie hadn't been glaring at Luci. This was going to be an interesting day.

-*-

'You can see it, can't you?' Marie gestured at the scene in front of them.

Luci was in front of them, running round and round a circle on a sandy floor. She was wearing nothing except a collar, to which was attached a line that dangled down from an arm above her head, that came out from a central mechanism. The thing was designed to keep a pony moving at a rate set by the arm, or risk stumbling. Luci had been running now at the same pace for over 30 minutes, and apart from a sheen of sweat, looked like she could carry on like that for a good few hours more.

'Yeah, she's running inside herself.' He turned to Marie. 'I think she's bored.'

Marie raised an eyebrow. 'Bored? Go on, Mr Pony Trainer..'

John ignored the sarcasm. 'She's very much like Lesley. She loved running, but loved finding someone she could 'race' against, even if that person didn't know it was a race. She'd come back from those runs absolutely dying to tell me about that, even moreso if the person gave her a run for her money.'

Marie nodded, but still looked sceptical. 'So...:

'So put her up against Joanne. Harness them, give them carts to pull, and let them race along the paths you took me on yesterday.'

'But Luci there has never pulled a cart, she won't win.'

'No, and you can punish her when she doesn't win, but you can then offer a rematch. I reckon she'll train like hell then.'

'Hmm....' Marie looked thoughtful. 'There is a training rig we could fit her with, and get her used to a cart today.'

She grinned. 'It might be worth a try...'

Nice.

(Heads up: in the 4th paragraph, you have slipped into the first person.)

 

[TheLimey]

Nice.

(Heads up: in the 4th paragraph, you have slipped into the first person.)

Got carried away... That's what you get when you use your own name for a character...

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 15

Marie reached for a small hand held walkie talkie she had in her pocket, whilst walking towards a door on the far side of the room. John heard part of the conversation before she disappeared through it. 'Vicki, can you bring the training....'

'You don't look...the type to be training ponies, John,' Luci called out as she carried on round and round.

John took a gamble. 'I'm not. But I was married to one of the fastest ponies this place ever produced.'

'Yeah? You're a dark horse, John.'

'So are you, pony. How does an American end up here?'

'Oh, I came to the UK to windsurf. Waited around Newquay to get the best of the conditions, but misjudged how expensive things were. I swear I was going to pay her back, but I guess my roomie wasn't too pleased I borrowed her credit card.'

John moved closer to the circle of Luci's movements, seeing how her hair was starting to hang wetly around her face, how the sheen of sweat was now showing beads that ran from under her arms, and off her chin. 'So you were given a choice, deportation or here, correct?'

'Yeah. I've been a bit wild in my past, seen a few Folsom Fairs. Thought it would be a better thing than being put on the first flight to JFK. Didn't know it would be...'

'Quite so dull.' John interrupted her sentence. He could see Marie at the door again, who had paused a minute to listen to the conversation. 'I've made a bet with Mistress Marie that you couldn't beat one of her best ponies...'

'A bet...what sorta bet?'

Marie walked in now, holding a harness. 'A race. One thousand pounds, I believe. He thinks my pony Joanne will beat you pulling a cart across the moors. I reckon you're faster than that.'

'And what do I get?'

'Marie smiled. 'If you win, you get orgasms my dear. I know you want one. I can see the proof running down your thighs' She was right, John thought, seeing Luci's inner thighs wet with more than just sweat. 'And you get out of this place. Out of your cell, into more comfortable surroundings.'

"And if I lose?'

'And if you lose, I get to whip that insolent little hide of yours.'

-*-

Dinner that evening was lively.

'I can't believe you"re going to go through with this.' Vicki was more incredulous than angry, but she still wasn't happy. 'What makes him the expert now?'

'Vicki, I wasn't certain about this myself, until I saw the results this afternoon. She worked harder than she has done since she got here, once she got the training cart behind her.'

John nodded. 'She certainly seemed to put in the effort.'

He thought back to the afternoon. They had put Luci in the training harness, a simple wide belt that the shafts of the cart could be hung from. They had put a bit in her mouth, which Luci accepted surprisingly easily, then attached her to the cart, cuffing her hands to the ends of the shafts. They walked her over to the running track then, and had her run laps, over and over, until Luci was dripping with sweat, her chest heaving as she fought for her breath.

'There is one fly in the ointment, you realize, don't you?' Vicki had a serious look on her face. 'She could win..'

Marie smiled. 'No. It'll be the first time in a real harness, pulling a racing cart for Luci. It's not easy. Joanne had the advantage of knowing the route.' The smile grew wider. 'And we'll make sure, by adding weight to the cart, and having John drive it'

John nearly spat wine across the table. 'Me? I don't know how to do that!'

'No, you don't, so you'll do a bad job of it.' Vicki was amused by this idea.

Marie gave Vicki a significant look. 'Vicki is right, you don't know how to do it, but this looks like an ideal time to try.' She sipped at her wine. 'You're not going to say no though, are you? The idea of a pony under your control has quite an allure now, I bet?'

John was still surprised by the suggestion. 'Surely you're going to give me some training as well?'

Marie nodded. 'Here's the idea. Vicki takes over the training of Luci tomorrow.You and I work with Joanne, and you get the crash course in pony driving!'

John smiled wryly. 'Do you have to call it a crash course?'

 

[twonines]

Got carried away... That's what you get when you use your own name for a character...

Don`t worry about it, this is brilliant, imaginative writing by any measures.

 

[TheLimey]

Chapter 16

John clambered into the racing sulky, and settled himself into the seat. This thing was simply built for speed, the seat little more than a skeleton of carbon fiber, matching the rest of the sulky. Marie passed him a long carriage whip.

'Remember, hold this in your right, and the reins primarily in the left. You can grip the reins partly with the right hand, but you need to keep a good grip with the left. Try it now.'

John grabbed the reins, and pulled to the left. Joanne, already harnessed and between the shafts, felt the pull on the bit, and pulled her head around to the left. John repeated this in the other direction, and Joanne moved her head around to the right.

'Good. Now, when she's running, she'll actually steer in those directions.' She moved up to beside Joanne, and indicated an area on Joanne's right shoulder. 'You can reinforce that pull with the whip. Flick the end in around here, and that'll also show you want the pony to turn.'

John gave the whip an experimental flick, and watched as the end curled over Joanne's shoulder and onto her chest, bringing a stifled cry of pain from the pony.

'Easy, John. Less extension with the arm. Just flick the wrist.' John tried again, and this time the end of the whip landed pretty squarely in the area Marie had indicated. Joanne tossed he head a little, and Marie reached for the head harness. 'Easy, pony easy....'

'Try alternating, left and right.'

John did as he was asked, and after a few flicks, he started to think he was getting the hand of it.

'Good, John. Now, to get a pony moving, you can treat her like a horse, with verbal commands. Gee up, walk on, that sort of thing. You can also use the whip. Flick it again, aiming for that very nice arse you have in front of you.'

The whip flicked out, and unlike the first time, John judged it well this time, catching Joanne with a good stroke that made a satisfying crack as it hit her backside.

'Good, good.' Marie smiled. 'I reckon we can try a spin around the track here. 'She leaned into Joanne, adjusting a strap on the harness, and whispering something to the pony.'

When Marie stepped back, John gave a quick command. 'Walk on...', but Joanne refused to do anything except toss her head back. 'Walk on...' John repeated himself, more forcefully, only to have Joanne stamp her right foot.

Marie was grinning. This was planned, John realized, and he flicked out with the whip, catching Joanne square across the arse, and she started to move forward.

'Once round at a walk, then get her up to a trot and then back down again to a stop!' called out Marie as the sulky set off.

John couldn't help but smile. Not much more than a couple of weeks ago, he had no idea any of this existed, that his wife had been a human pony, and now here he was, driving a pony himself. He wished now that Lesley had shared this with him, though he didn't truly know how he would have reacted if she had said 'Oh by the way....'

React is what John had to do next, as he realized that Joanne was continuing to play with him, and was happily continuing straight on as the track started to turn. He pulled on the left hand side of the reins, but Joanne stubbornly carried on straight, until John was forced to give her a couple of flicks with the whip. This got her turning and soon they were rounding the curve and heading down the straight section again, Joanne seemingly taking heed to what John was having her do.

As they passed Marie, who looked like she was very amused by the whole proceedings, John called out 'Trot Joanne' and gave her a light flick across the arse. She responded well, kicking up her legs, setting off at a light trot for another run round the track. John still needed to give her the whip at the corners, but as he pulled back on the reins at the end of the second circuit, and gave a clear 'woah girl' command, Joanne pulled up a halt fairly close to where John had wanted.

Marie caught up with them quickly, rubbing Joanne's hair. 'Good Girl.'

She turned to John. 'Not bad. You didn't panic when she didn't do as you expected, and you've a good grasp of the whip.' She stepped back again. 'Let's see how you handle things at speed.'

-*-

John jumped out of the sulky, and went up to Joanne between the shafts. 'Good girl, Joanne, good girl.' Joanne, her sweat slick chest heaving as she started to recover from her exertions, wore a big smile, even behind the bit in her mouth.

Marie came up to John's side, and indicated a couple of buckles on the head harness Joanne wore. 'Loosen those two and the same on the other side John, let's get the bit out.'

John did so, and Joanne gave a bright 'Thank you Master' when the bit was removed.

'How did John do, Joanne?

'Pretty well, Mistress. He could use the reins a little better, a little more guidance from those, but he handles the whip well, once he got the hang of it.'

'I'd agree John,' said Marie. 'For a trained pony like Joanne, they should be steered with the reins rather more than the whip.' She undid a couple of extra buckles, and removed the harness even more, letting it hang onto Joanne's chest. 'So saying, when you drive Luci tomorrow, the whip will probably be the best tool you have to keep her going on the right direction.'

'But that's for tomorrow. For right now, time to show you how to look after a pony after a good run.'

 

[owned jade]

Chapter 16

John clambered into the racing sulky, and settled himself into the seat. This thing was simply built for speed, the seat little more than a skeleton of carbon fiber, matching the rest of the sulky. Marie passed him a long carriage whip.

'Remember, hold this in your right, and the reins primarily in the left. You can grip the reins partly with the right hand, but you need to keep a good grip with the left. Try it now.'

John grabbed the reins, and pulled to the left. Joanne, already harnessed and between the shafts, felt the pull on the bit, and pulled her head around to the left. John repeated this in the other direction, and Joanne moved her head around to the right.

'Good. Now, when she's running, she'll actually steer in those directions.' She moved up to beside Joanne, and indicated an area on Joanne's right shoulder. 'You can reinforce that pull with the whip. Flick the end in around here, and that'll also show you want the pony to turn.'

John gave the whip an experimental flick, and watched as the end curled over Joanne's shoulder and onto her chest, bringing a stifled cry of pain from the pony.

'Easy, John. Less extension with the arm. Just flick the wrist.' John tried again, and this time the end of the whip landed pretty squarely in the area Marie had indicated. Joanne tossed he head a little, and Marie reached for the head harness. 'Easy, pony easy....'

'Try alternating, left and right.'

John did as he was asked, and after a few flicks, he started to think he was getting the hand of it.

'Good, John. Now, to get a pony moving, you can treat her like a horse, with verbal commands. Gee up, walk on, that sort of thing. You can also use the whip. Flick it again, aiming for that very nice arse you have in front of you.'

The whip flicked out, and unlike the first time, John judged it well this time, catching Joanne with a good stroke that made a satisfying crack as it hit her backside.

'Good, good.' Marie smiled. 'I reckon we can try a spin around the track here. 'She leaned into Joanne, adjusting a strap on the harness, and whispering something to the pony.'

When Marie stepped back, John gave a quick command. 'Walk on...', but Joanne refused to do anything except toss her head back. 'Walk on...' John repeated himself, more forcefully, only to have Joanne stamp her right foot.

Marie was grinning. This was planned, John realized, and he flicked out with the whip, catching Joanne square across the arse, and she started to move forward.

'Once round at a walk, then get her up to a trot and then back down again to a stop!' called out Marie as the sulky set off.

John couldn't help but smile. Not much more than a couple of weeks ago, he had no idea any of this existed, that his wife had been a human pony, and now here he was, driving a pony himself. He wished now that Lesley had shared this with him, though he didn't truly know how he would have reacted if she had said 'Oh by the way....'

React is what John had to do next, as he realized that Joanne was continuing to play with him, and was happily continuing straight on as the track started to turn. He pulled on the left hand side of the reins, but Joanne stubbornly carried on straight, until John was forced to give her a couple of flicks with the whip. This got her turning and soon they were rounding the curve and heading down the straight section again, Joanne seemingly taking heed to what John was having her do.

As they passed Marie, who looked like she was very amused by the whole proceedings, John called out 'Trot Joanne' and gave her a light flick across the arse. She responded well, kicking up her legs, setting off at a light trot for another run round the track. John still needed to give her the whip at the corners, but as he pulled back on the reins at the end of the second circuit, and gave a clear 'woah girl' command, Joanne pulled up a halt fairly close to where John had wanted.

Marie caught up with them quickly, rubbing Joanne's hair. 'Good Girl.'

She turned to John. 'Not bad. You didn't panic when she didn't do as you expected, and you've a good grasp of the whip.' She stepped back again. 'Let's see how you handle things at speed.'

-*-

John jumped out of the sulky, and went up to Joanne between the shafts. 'Good girl, Joanne, good girl.' Joanne, her sweat slick chest heaving as she started to recover from her exertions, wore a big smile, even behind the bit in her mouth.

Marie came up to John's side, and indicated a couple of buckles on the head harness Joanne wore. 'Loosen those two and the same on the other side John, let's get the bit out.'

John did so, and Joanne gave a bright 'Thank you Master' when the bit was removed.

'How did John do, Joanne?

'Pretty well, Mistress. He could use the reins a little better, a little more guidance from those, but he handles the whip well, once he got the hang of it.'

'I'd agree John,' said Marie. 'For a trained pony like Joanne, they should be steered with the reins rather more than the whip.' She undid a couple of extra buckles, and removed the harness even more, letting it hang onto Joanne's chest. 'So saying, when you drive Luci tomorrow, the whip will probably be the best tool you have to keep her going on the right direction.'

'But that's for tomorrow. For right now, time to show you how to look after a pony after a good run.'

Absolutely love your story!