Pony Ranch

Chapter five

“Comfortable?” Penny asked, looking up at me. 

I nodded somewhat hesitantly. “Yes,” I replied automatically, more a case of being polite rather than truthful, for I felt neither comfortable nor secure upon my lofty perch. I was experiencing one of those situations that I expect most people have encountered at least once. When you have looked forward to something for a long time, and yet when the reality finally comes, that eager anticipation is brought up short! 

We had spent a good part of the previous day trying several different saddles and accompanying sets of supporting kit on Beauty and then walking her about so that she got used to the additional equipment strapped about her body. Naturally, being a highly intelligent animal, Beauty hadn’t gone a bundle on the idea from the moment she first saw them. You didn't need to be an Einstein to figure out who would be using those saddles, stirrups and all the rest of the kit and caboodle and who would be wearing them!

Penny was the expert, so apart from doing most of the walking back and forth under her critical eye, I’d not contributed much other than helping with the harnessing as she’d fussed about adjusting strap after strap. Of course, Beauty had foolishly tried to register her objections to the whole process, doubtlessly being fully aware of our end goal, and so could hardly be blamed for her agitation. Not that either of us took the slightest notice, and Penny soon quieted the silly animal with her crop.

I was still at that stage where I sometimes experienced a slight twinge of guilt every time I chastised one of these animals, not that I allowed it to bother me. Besides, there was also that more dominant twinge of sadistic sexual excitement that considerably outweighed such minor twitches of conscience. I’d watch Beauty writhing and squirming against the reins in Penny’s hand as she applied that crop quite mercilessly to her pony bottom. 

Penny was just like Mandy when it came to punishing a rebellious animal, and I wondered if I’d go that way eventually. Sally and young Suzy were no different either when I came to think about it. I doubted any of them suffered the tiniest twinge of conscience, for it had become so ingrained and automatic. Unlike that second emotion, they all had that same sparkle in their eyes as they brutally administered whip, crop and cane. I grinned to myself at that thought. Hell, it was reassuring to realise that I’d be enjoying that same sensual sadistic thrill for a long time!

“You look so deliciously imposing mounted on her like that, darling!” Sally cut into my thoughts as she gave an excited little jump and clapped her hands together. “Beauty was born to be your big beautiful, strong beast. She’s perfect for the task!”

Unfortunately, the admiring audience was unavoidable. By accident or design, it was one of my diminutive lover’s days off from the medical centre reception, and Suzy’s presence was probably needed. It probably would have been the same anyway, for I suspected Sally would have made some excuse so that she could watch even had she been scheduled to be working. We’d spent part of the last two evenings perusing that German company’s website, the one Mandy had a finger or more than a finger in, looking at pony saddles and associated kit. Sally, I gathered, was thinking along similar lines for her Medusa.

The idea of us riding out together atop our respective beasts had seemed highly exciting and stimulating the previous night. I, for one, had carried that feeling into our big double bed later. Sally had enthusiastically reciprocated, for she was never one to have a headache at such moments! However, that had been last night, and now, this morning, I was the one who could have used a crippling migraine!

Part of my discomfort was now born out of worry. I knew Sally had far more experience than I had, but the thought of my sexy little lover atop that colossal hideous creature of hers worried me. No, more than that, it scared me, and that uncertainty must have been evident to the others.

“Are you okay, Honey?” Sally sounded concerned, and the expression on her upturned beautiful little face mirrored that. The tiny woman looked so far away. Remote, I thought as I peered down at her from my elevated position high on Beauties back. She wasn’t, of course, but it felt like that to me in my growing unease, and my unhappy mount wasn't even moving. Perhaps if Beauty hadn’t been quite so damn tall, but then she wouldn’t have been suitable, would she!

“Yup, of course”, I forced a smile. “It just takes a bit of getting used to, that’s all”, and then added as Beauty swayed a little. “For both of us!”

“It does feel a bit strange at first”, Suzy helpfully confirmed from one side where she had a firm hold on Beauties halter. “You probably didn’t feel it or not so much the first time you climbed into the saddle, but for us…” she paused, seeking a more acceptable term and failed to find one, so shrugged apologetically and continued “, us bigger people you feel a bit insecure, a bit top heavy swaying about atop a pony like that!”

“Big!” Sally glared at her, for Suzy was no Amazon. Nowhere near to being one, but I was experiencing what she meant. Sally would not have troubled even the smallest two-legged equine I’d seen so far, whereas us bigger girls needed big ponies and big ponies, especially in their hoof boots, were somewhat tall. Add our weight, height and elevated position, and the law of gravity took over. Penny had warned me that stability could initially be a problem for both pony and rider. Half the initial battle was working in harmony with the pony between your legs to ensure you both maintained that essential balance. Get that right, and once it became automatic for both beast and rider, everything else would flow from that. 

I shifted around on the small saddle, which did feel small, about a dozen sizes too small for my butt, but Penny hadn’t thought so yesterday. I’d wondered how many of them she owned, for she’d brought seven with her, and I knew they were not cheap. Apparently, they were just what she’d selected from a large stock as probably being the most appropriate. We tried them all on Beauty before she’d selected three and invited me to try by draping them over a strong fence rail and asking me to take a seat. The one I was now perched upon would have been my third-choice comfort wise, but after she’d added the stirrups and leathers and had me bounce around on the thing, she’d chosen that one to provide my first experience the following morning. I was glad young Suzy wasn’t about to shout Yee haw or something similar yesterday as I played rodeo rider on a fence rail!

Looking down at the young girl as she held Beauties head in a firm grip, I gave her a silent apology. So far, since we'd started, she’d kept as strong a rein on her sense of humour as her hold on Beauty. There was sympathy, not amusement, in the wink she threw at me. I gave her a tight little grin and looked at Penny. A part of me was hoping that she’d decide that was enough for one day, but given how early it was, I knew I was being foolish and impractical to think that way. Besides, backing out now would have been hugely embarrassing, not to mention seeming so ungrateful to Penny, Mandy and all the others. I also sensed that the door that had so unexpectedly opened into this exciting new world might get slammed in my face, perhaps never to be opened again.

“Ready” I nodded at Penny with a forced smile, and my knees squeezed hard upon Beauties ribcage.

Penny looked at me for a moment and then showed her gleaming white even teeth in a genuine smile of encouragement. “Don’t worry, Honey. A couple of times around the farmyard, and then we’ll swap you over to Chatterbox for a first run out. Walk on” she tapped Beauties rum lightly with the tip of her crop and nodded to Suzy.

My returning smile revealed my teeth, but they were gritted as Beauty staggered forward, and I swayed in the saddle. I felt neither happy nor comfortable, and my dreams of trotting triumphantly about mounted on the beast beneath me seemed to be fading fast. What was it Penny had said earlier? Loose and firm. Try and keep a firm grip on your mount, but also try and hang loose and be flexible. At the time, and given my excitement, it had seemed perfectly sound advice, but now I was unsure. How the hell was I supposed to do two entirely different things simultaneously? 

I’d envisioned myself sitting up as I was and looking so stately and imposing, the glorious Mistress mounted on her humble human equine for all to see—a visual statement of the vast gulf between myself and my beautiful captive beast. Fortunately, the ‘all’ consisted of just three people to watch me wobble around the yard on my unwilling ponygirl. That was a good word to describe my considerably less than impressive progress, for both of us wobbling and swaying awkwardly. Beauty on her hooves and me perched up on her back, hanging on like crazy and not in the least inclined to try letting anything hang loose! 

I couldn’t see Suzy’s face as she slowly walked Beauty forward, and Penny seemed both watchful and indifferent. In contrast, Sally’s face was hidden behind her plus-sized cell phone as she videoed my humiliation, presumably in full HD! I could imagine Mandy, Sarah and the other girls roaring with laughter if she sent it to them. The little bitch even had the temerity to give me an encouraging wave with her free hand as I passed.

My being on Beauty hadn’t been the original plan. I was supposed to be on Chatterbox, the aged docile mare Penny had brought with her specifically for me to cut my teeth on, or perhaps earn my spurs would be more appropriate. That was still the plan yesterday when Sally arrived home, and we’d knocked off after feeding and the usual routine of bedding the animals down for the night.

 Penny casually announced the change during breakfast, and the other two immediately agreed. ‘Kinda cutely appropriate’ was how Suzy approved it, and Sally agreed, adding her two pennyworths, saying that ‘it would never happen again, so it is a unique opportunity. It even sounded okay to me at the time, which only shows what a useless thing hindsight is when you are suffering what it could have helped avoid! 

Of course, Penny’s idea sounded perfectly logical, so I’d also nodded and agreed with the other three. After all, collectively and even individually, they had vastly more experience than I had in pony training. Putting me a top Beauty first for my first mounted two-legged equine experience wasn’t bad. We were both saddle virgins, so we’d forever have the bond of that unique shared experience. Indeed, as I chewed my toast and marmalade, the more the idea appealed. I mean, if I mounted Chatterbox for my first experience, perhaps climbing aboard Beauty afterwards for the first time would not be quite the same, would it? 

‘Like two virgin lovers coming together for the first time’ was how Suzy put it. Interesting because Penny had discounted a suggestion Suzy had made that first evening as we ate supper in my big kitchen. Suzy had suggested that it might be quicker if Penny broke Beauty to saddle, spurs and reins, but Penny would have none of it, poo-pooing the idea altogether. Beauty was my pony, and I’d been the one to catch her. I had harnessed the creature and broken her to the stable, so I must be the one to mount and ride her for the first time. She’d evidently been thinking back on that the previous evening and decided to change our planned program for the first part of the day. 

My so readily agreeing to the change seemed somewhat foolish, the way I was now feeling as we started the third circuit. Moreso when Penny said, “A little faster, please, Suze,” and at the same time swung her crop a good deal less lightly than previously upon my precarious mount's sizeable rump. I saw her arm move out of the corner of my eye, and although it was by no means a hard blow, I felt Beauty jump under me. I’d braced myself for it, but I wasn’t prepared for my reception as her reaction transmitted through to me. Wowzer! I think I felt that more she had, and unlike my pony, I’d enjoyed that little fillip immensely. I instinctively moved my right hand and then realised it wasn’t holding anything, nor did I have my crop tucked through my belt. I couldn’t even remember where I’d left it, so I suddenly felt kind of naked despite boots, breeches and shirt. Perhaps unarmed might be a better way of putting it. Somehow, carrying a crop around ponies had become habitual since I’d acquired my big, beautiful animal. 

Why I’d left it behind, I did not know. Maybe a sudden bout of apprehension as we’d led Beauty into the farmyard, so it was probably somewhere in the stable. As I ascended the makeshift mounting point, I hadn’t noticed its absence. I’d swung myself tentatively into the saddle, grabbing the short reins with both hands as Beauty had bowed and staggered under my full weight. The sensation wasn’t quite what I expected, so I had clung on, white-knuckled like a non-swimmer gripping the side rail in the swimming pool's deep end. 

That sensation when Beauty jumped under Penny’s crop had been decidedly interesting! “Hey”, I shouted at Sally. “Put that bloody thing down. Get my crop, please. I think I left it in the stable when we saddled her.”

Sally pouted at me but promptly did as I requested while from in front, Suzy flashed a quick look over her shoulder and gave a sort of hicuppy giggle. 

I felt brave enough to let go of Beauties short reins with both hands as I caught the long slim riding switch Sally tossed up to me. It wasn’t even a subconscious act. I was fully aware of what I was doing because I now had another priority. The long crop wasn’t the one I usually carried, probably one from the collection of punishment implements that hung on a prominent rack where every animal in the stable could see them. It wasn’t so much a courageous act but more a case of sadistic eagerness overriding my feeling of instability as I stretched out and caught the implement. 

My left hand took up the reins again, even as the fingers of my right hand closed around the crop’s leather grip. Whether by design or accident, it was a good choice; I realised for my usual crop was shorter and thicker but far easier to carry in my waistband. This one was thinner, more flexible and far longer. Too long to have tucked conveniently into my belt like the other and carried about, but exactly what I needed to deliver a sharp flick to thigh, buttocks and breasts from my mounted position. I instinctively raised my hand.

“Wait!” it was a shout from Penny, causing me to halt the intended downward blow, and young Suzy answered my questioning look from in front.

“Okay, I can hold her”, Suzy replied, hearing the shout and instinctively taking into account my raised arm holding the crop, discerning my intention as she turned to look.

I felt foolish sitting there with my arm up like that, but Penny giggled and gestured to Suzy, who’d halted to carry on walking my reluctant mount. 

I suppose I ought to have felt guilty, but after so many months of pony ownership, I was long past such pointless emotions. Besides, Beauty was no longer a girl in my eyes, either was she. Without realising it, I’d reached that stage where the human and the intended animal had virtually merged into one. It was the animal I saw that existed within that human corporeal shell. An animal that belonged to me to serve for my pleasure and entertainment, and anything else was irrelevant!

“Steady”, Suzy cautioned with a giggle as Beauty tried to rip her head loose from the girl's grip on her bridle, then added a moment later, "Hey, cool it, quit trying to make her pull my damn arm off!”

It was an entirely different experience, and I was sold by the time that long whippy crop had kissed Beauties right rump cheek for the third time. If watching her hop about in her stall or on the leading rein when I applied the crop was fun, then this topped that by a wide margin. I’d flogged her mercilessly as she writhed on my punishment bench and whipped her rump good and hard when she’d been harnessed between the shafts of a ponycart, but this first experience of being mounted on her as leather bit into flesh took me to a new level.

Sitting loftily atop the big beast with my thighs clamped tightly around her, we’d almost become conjoined. Two becoming one but with a significant difference. Her squirming agony was my new ecstasy! That responsiveness as she squealed into her bit and jumped was so intoxicating as that involuntary movement transmitted through my greedily receptive body.

Suzy could have saved her breath because I’d already decided a fourth stroke was out of the question. Not so much because I wanted to give my beautiful animal a reprieve but rather for more selfish reasons of self-preservation. Poor Beauty hadn’t technically done anything to earn the three I’d given her, but then, of course, when had I ever needed an excuse to show the beast who was her boss, her absolute owner, and Mistress!

Just for one brief moment, as my arm rose and fell, I’d almost forgotten where I was or where I was seated. Beauties animated movement as the pain scorched her rump quickly reminded me as I swung crazily in the small saddle swaying in every direction and clinging desperately to the reins with my left hand. My thighs instinctively gripped Beauty so hard it was no wonder I could feel every movement of her body, big and small. Even so, I swung about for a second or two, so out of control that I thought I’d topple right out of the saddle. Perhaps both of us would go over as I sensed my mount equally struggling to maintain her balance. Strangely as we wobbled precariously in unison, I wondered just how tall we were. Beauty in her hoof boots and my height added on, creating that unstable topweight feeling!

We didn’t go over, and I had a brief vision of one of those western rodeo riders on a bucking bronc as things stabilised. However, I doubted if I’d presented the same picture of cowboy competence and ability. A shout of “Careful!” from Sally confirmed that as I caught sight of her worried face peering up at me.

“Okay, Suze”, Penny ordered. “Lead her back to the steps. That’ll do for the first outing on this beast. I’ll finish tacking up Chatterbox, and we’ll take a little run out while the sun is still out. Mind if I borrow Candyfloss? It might be best if I was on a less troublesome mount to accompany her on the first trip”.

“No problem, be my guest,” Suzy said, steering Beauty around and back towards the mounting platform. “Less troublesome is being over generous though when it comes to that docile old nag of mine!” she laughed and then abruptly halted as a thought occurred to her. Beauty obediently stopped, but my body didn’t; for growing in confidence, I’d started trying to ‘hang loose’ as they’d put it and promptly swung forward, almost unseating myself again.

“Hey!”

“Sorry”, Suzy called and then “Hoy, Penny! How about swapsies. You borrow Candyfloss and say I put your Goofy on a lunge line and give him a little exercise out here. A bit of sunshine won’t hurt him after all”.

Penny had almost reached the open doors to the stable when she spun around and stood for a moment, hands on hip, gazing at the younger girl before giving a short barking laugh. “No, the sunlight won’t hurt him, but the whip in your other hand most certainly will. I wasn’t born yesterday, young madam!” She paused as though considering the request, but I’d already seen that nasty smile on her face. “Hmm, I promised myself that no hand save mine would whip his rebellious hide till he was broken, but…” she shrugged her shoulders and turned back to the barn. “What the hell! I didn’t promise him anything, and at some point, he’ll get handled, whipped and ridden by those younger than you, so I suppose it’s a fair swap, and you’d probably have found a reason to whip him anyway at some point!

Suzy chuckled delightedly and pulled Beauty forward. We’d just reached the mounting point, and I was preparing to dismount, wondering which leg first, when Penny briefly reappeared in the stable doorway, wagging an admonishing finger at the girl. 

“But not too much around its private parts. I know you and ponyboys. In fact, leave that particular area well alone. I may want to breed him at some point, Missy. On the other hand, if I decide to geld the bastard, I’ll be the one to do it, comprendo!

“Si, Senorita”, Suzy giggled and, at the same time, guided my right leg onto the top of the step, then steadied me as my left foot kicked free of its stirrup and joined its partner. The makeshift mounting step thingy they’d knocked together wasn’t the sturdiest of structures, but I felt like someone stepping from a small moving boat onto a solid jetty for a second. Suzy was muttering something about married unmarried to herself as I descended. 

“Single, I think,” I told her. “I believe Senora or something similar is the term for a married Spanish woman. How long has she been married anyway? I asked out of curiosity, looking towards the barn.

“No idea. She’s been spliced for as long as I’ve known her. Hubby is a real dreamboat hunk” she licked her lips, rolled her eyes appreciatively, and leaned forward to whisper. “Built like a Rugby forward or an American footballer and, according to rumour, even bigger where it counts. Mandy once told me that it would take an exceptional stallion to impress Penny!”

“Well done, good girl” I gave Beauty a couple of pats and took hold of the loose reins. “How does Mandy know?”

Suzy laughed and shook her head. “No idea. Let's walk her back to her stall, and then we’ll get ready for round two. Come on”.

*****

Round two, Suzy had called it, and fortunately, so far, the bout hadn’t resulted in a knockout, far from it. Timewise we must have been way past the standard ten or whatever number of rounds they have in a boxing match, and I felt I was winning on points. I’d heard that term used in sports programs and was beginning to appreciate its meaning. 

“So far, so good”, I beamed at Penny as we paused by one of the rest stops with its rustic picnic bench Tony’s guys had thoughtfully included when they built the paths around my tiny portion of the English countryside. 

“Not so bad, is it” she laughed and took a swig from a plastic bottle of diet coke, wiped the top on her cuff and passed it to me. 

“Nope” I shook my head and accepted the bottle, taking a couple of swigs and handing it back with a questioning look.

“Uh-huh,” she shook her head, interpreting my meaning. “No need to water these creatures. They’re not even sweating yet. All we’ve done is walk them around so you can get used to the motion. You’re looking a hell of a lot more comfortable now. Much more like a rider and less a cross between a sack of potatoes and a wooden dummy!”

“Be nice”, I chided. “But you’re right. I hated being up on Beauty and wasn’t over keen on those first few minutes on Chatterbox here, but after the first five minutes or so, it was becoming….” I paused and made a little gesture with one hand. “Well, kinda natural in a way, almost as if I belonged”, I chuckled, patting the mare gently on the head. “This one’s different, whereas Beauty was” I paused, trying to think of how to put my feelings into words.

“A bit like a coiled spring or firework with a dubious fuse. It’s going to go off at some point; only you don’t know when,” Penny offered. “Throw in that it was your first time atop one of the beasts, and that was a double whammy. My fault, but I just thought it appropriate that your first experience should have been on Beauty. Maybe that was wrong?”

I shook my head. “No, sitting here now, I don’t think so. Half an hour back, I’d probably have disagreed, but now I feel far more comfortable, and I’m glad I had my first experience with my big filly. Good for her as well,” I laughed and added, “or maybe not! I wonder what she’s thinking right now standing back there in her stall?”

“Probably thinking she’s way better off in that stall than out in the yard on the end of a certain little sadist’s lunge line!” Penny chuckled. “That girl might look like a little angel, but she can be an absolute savage sometimes! I’d intended that Goofy would be a somewhat changed animal by the end of this little trip. However, watching that enthusiastic blonde brat before we set off, that initial attitude adjustment may happen sooner than I’d thought!” she suddenly laughed and pointed to a nearby camera with her crop. “Okay for visual security, but I don’t think even Tony and his excellent techies can do much about hiding that noise! Sounds like she's pacing herself for once. Ready?”

I winced as another loud shriek sounded from somewhere to my right. Well, not somewhere, for I knew exactly where the noise was coming from, my farmyard. Goofy hadn’t been very cooperative as we’d watched Suzy drag him out on the end of that long line. I’d even been fearful as I’d watched the big angry stallion lunge at her. Was that why they called it a lunge line, I wondered. 

Suzy had merely giggled and nimbly leapt aside. She wasn’t wearing hoof boots and harnesses and handicapped by having her hands strapped behind her back, nor did she have a length of rope affixed to a high-posture collar. I’d never been to a Spanish bullfight or been inclined to do so during sunshine-seeking holidays in that country. Watching the giggling young miss skilfully skip about dodging those clumsy attacks reminded me of a tiny matador and a big angry bull! Just like a bullfight, there was only ever going to be one winner, and that was the one with a long whip in her hand. 

Goofy obviously reached that same conclusion as he tried to dodge her whip, which, although she was merely flicking it, her skill and aim were sufficient to make every stroke that landed painful. His tactics quickly changed from aggression to passive retreat as he endeavoured to avoid that biting leather lash. A foolish move, for it, meant that young Suzy had him precisely where she wanted, and he began to run in a circle around her yet tethered by the rope in one hand and driven on by the whip in her other. Nor were the strokes from the braided leather mere flicks anymore, for every so often, her arm delivered one that made him yowl in agony, for she’d removed his bit before starting.

I made a mental note to ensure that unless we were inside, bits or gags should remain in place for audible security reasons. I passed the bottle back and nodded. “Does that bother you? I know I was a bit reluctant even to let Mandy’s girls handle Beauty when I first went to her place. A kind of jealousy, I suppose”. I replied, kicking my mount with my heels and flicking the reins lightly as I’d recently been taught. I was becoming accustomed to both the bobbing and the rolling motion as Chatterbox smoothly lurched forward along the path. Penny was instantly beside me but adding a flick with her ridding crop to urge the docile Candyfloss forward to ride alongside me.  

“Not so hard, is it?” Penny said as we both ducked under a low-hanging branch. I shook my head in response, thinking that it wasn’t so much the branch that was low as the fact that we were both elevated. No, it wasn’t hard once you became accustomed to the unusual position and the accompanying motion. The latter, I realised as I swayed in the saddle, adding rather than detracting from the unique experience.  

It had taken me about ten minutes to settle once we started moving, and I think that my unease and perhaps clumsy presence in the saddle had transmitted to the beast beneath me. A case of two joined bodies but neither rider nor mount yet moving in harmony, and in one sense, I’d felt quite detached from my mount despite the mare being gripped tightly between my thighs. My unease and perhaps that of my mount must have been noticeable, especially to the practised eye of my companion. 

“Keep it loose, Hun! Cut her a little slack. Remember those are reins, not handlebars and try not to crush her ribcage. Grip with your thighs but don’t try and dry weld yourself to the animal. Hang loose, Babe,” she laughed as she flicked her crop downwards, upped Candyfloss’s pace, and, because the path widened out at that point, skilfully performed two complete orbits of the slower-moving Chatterbox.

“Show off!” I’d muttered through gritted teeth, and she steered her mount next to mine and winked at me, but I did relax a little more, noting immediately that the mare beneath me seemed to feel and move differently. I’d glanced sideways at my glamour girl companion, who looked so supremely competent and comfortable atop Candyfloss, and that wasn’t the only difference.

I’m not a great one for dressing up, as I’ve no doubt mentioned before, but occasionally, I do get the urge. I don’t know that I made a conscious decision, but somehow, I felt my first real experience deserved something a tad better than my customary ‘farmhand garb,’ as Sally dubbed it. That was one area where we differed. Sally tended to dress way better or at least smarter and was rarely without a touch of makeup. Partly I suspected for self-esteem being so tiny and perhaps partly because of her job. Her wardrobe had already extended to the spare bedroom, and being an organised little madam, she had printed out lists of what was stored in which box or suitcase around the house. As she casually put it, the rest could stay at Mandy’s until we got something sorted out.

Suzy had winked and grinned at me across the table when she’d said that. She was managing perfectly well with the contents of a medium-sized suitcase, and I think we both had the same thought. What did my diminutive lover have in mind, a house extension? 

I did not doubt that she was a capable and efficient receptionist and admin at the medical centre, for she’d taken control of all the household finance stuff within a day or two of moving in with me. ‘Stoneage’ had been her surprised comment when she caught me turning the kitchen upside down, looking for my chequebook to pay a utility bill. Consequently, we were now direct debited on everything and financial ‘mission control’ resided on her cell phone along with all my other monetary details. 

Anyway, I had abandoned the tatty green rubber boots, the old jeans and the baggy sweater for something a little chicer. A pair of glossy black riding boots and a casual but stylish two-piece riding outfit in an eye-catching shade of royal blue. The tight, ultra-clingy, long-sleeved top and the reinforced lightly padded breeches were equally tight, prompting Penny's ‘nice ass’ comment when she’d handed me a standard black riding hat. 

“Just in case” had been her accompanying comment which wasn’t exactly reassuring. However, Sally loved the outfit and the hat, which she insisted set the whole thing off so beautifully! I must admit that I’d done a few twirls in front of the bedroom mirror, and I did feel good, so maybe I should start giving a little more thought to my daily appearance. I’d dressed up for Beauty a few times in those early days, hadn’t I?

Penny, despite the air of affluent glamour about her, was in the young Suzy camp when it came to the amount of clothing she’d brought. The difference was they’d still have photographed her for a Vogue cover even if she had been wearing that outfit all week and not a hint of makeup! Unlike the three of us! It wasn’t hard to see why she’d been snapped up at a young age by the modelling industry. I could have spent half a day in front of the mirror experimenting with face paint and wardrobe content and still come a very poor second to the scruffy tousled woman riding beside me. It wasn’t just about looks, either. It went deeper than that. A sense of style and presence that I lacked. Well, as they say, such is life, and I didn’t think I had much to complain about. Unlike some creatures, I thought with a smile giving the reins a twitch!

*****

“Okay, Honey”, Penny sounded concerned as she gracefully leapt from her saddle and rushed over to me. “Take it easy”.

“What happened?” I asked, rolling over and absently adjusting my riding hat back into place, which seemed to have failed in its prime function when needed. Then again, my fall from on high had been more of a belly-flopping nosedive than a head-first plunge. I tentatively checked that portion of my anatomy, which seemed to have survived my unexpected grounding, as had my teeth which had somehow managed to bite down on grass and dirt. “Yuk,” I spat a few times and accepted the proffered tissues Penny offered to wipe my mouth and face.

“You kind of fell off”, Penny replied.

I gave her a baleful look and “Kind of!” I plucked a strand of grass from the corner of my mouth. “I don’t think there was much kinda about it!” A thought struck me, and I looked over to where Chatterbox was standing perfectly still as if nothing untoward had happened. I felt the urge to go and look the animal directly in the eyes, for with that posture collar forcing her head up, I couldn’t see her face from where I was sitting. Besides, right at that moment, with my bottom firmly planted on mother earth, I felt decidedly secure, and I was in no mood to alter that situation.

“Did she throw me?” I asked, still looking at the animal standing there so innocently

“Nope”, Penny chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. “You just fell off mid-sentence. We were trotting nicely along, and you were telling me how easy you were finding it and then, well, it wasn’t quite easy! Don’t worry, it happens now and then and fortunately, the dirt is pretty soft,” she finished poking it with the toe of her boot.

Yeah, I thought still taking an inventory of various body parts. Maybe for poking with the end of your expensive made-to-measure boot! But not so much when you’re in free fall mode minus parachute from on high. Well, perhaps not that high, I conceded and decided to accept the offer of Penny’s outstretched arm as I rose gingerly to my feet.

“The good news”, Penny smiled, “is, as I said, that it doesn’t happen very often”.

“Um,” I growled, eyeing her somewhat moodily. “And I suppose the bad news is that it does happen!”

“Of course, it does, to all of us, silly. But it adds to the fun. I mean, it’s no different to four-legged riding in that respect, but fortunately, it's nothing like as fast. Are you feeling okay now? Nothing broken or bent?”

I flexed myself and stomped moodily around in a circle. “Just the odd bruise both bodily and to my pride”, I muttered, bending to retrieve my riding switch and then eyeing Chatterbox speculatively.

Penny noticed where I was looking and guessed my thoughts. “Well, you can use that on her if you think it will make you feel better. I won’t mind, but it wasn’t really her fault, you know! Come on. We aren't far from the house. Suzy’s had enough fun, so let’s walk back while Goofy has some hide left on him and put the kettle on”.

I looked ruefully down at the besmirched front of my outfit and was fair-minded enough to concede the point. Penny had suggested upping the pace from a steady walk to a trot. After the first few moments, as Chatterbox accelerated and I’d once again gone from immediately clinging on to hanging loose, I’d found the sensation even more enjoyable. The motion was more acute, but I was learning to balance myself and go with the flow when suddenly the flow had gone one way while I had taken the opposite route. 

Despite the giggles from Suzy and Sally during dinner, I conceded that the fault had been primarily mine. A mixture of inexperience and overconfidence on my part converged just at the wrong time. As Penny subsequently pointed out, I was the one holding the reins after all, and I was the one who should have been paying attention to where we were going. The woman was right, of course. What would have happened if Chatterbox had been wearing a training blindfold that rendered her sightless? I’d run Beauty a couple of times like that back at Mandy’s place, harnessed to a cart so that she had to follow the reins obediently.

“Well, that sharp bend was nearer than I remembered,” I indignantly defended myself, and with a certain amount of justification, I felt. Not only did the track narrow, but the bend was two-thirds of the way to being a complete U-turn and not something you could tackle at pace. Well, perhaps you could if you were an experienced rider and had been watching where you were going. 

“Kinda jumped out at you unexpectedly, I suppose”, Suzy giggled, waving her fork and promptly adding, “whoops, sorry”, as several pieces of macaroni cheese detached and flew across the table, two of which affixed themselves to Penny’s sweater.

The woman said nothing remaining totally impassive, not a single twitch nor said a word. We all watched in silence as, with slow fastidious deliberation, she removed the first one and then the second placing them side by side on the edge of her plate before picking up her knife and fork. She scooped up some macaroni but paused before putting anything in her mouth. “You haven’t seen inside my van yet, have you, girl? I think you should pop over for a visit before you go to bed for an informal little chat”.

Penny calmly resumed her meal without so much as a glance as Suzy, who’d suddenly gone all quiet and then she giggled and rolled her eyes at Sally and me and made a quick downward motion with her palm flat and giggled again.

“No big deal, as I said at the time,” Penny said, picking up the thread again and blatantly ignoring the giggly young blonde. “You were swaying about a bit too much. I know I said hang loose, but I didn’t mean that loose.  Chatterbox has no will of her own and responds to the reins, and you were not using them, so when you ran out of path, she reacted instinctively and at the last second. You were already off balance and leaning in the wrong or right direction, depending on how you looked at it, and off you went. You actually did pretty well, managed to get your feet out of the stirrups and made a pretty good landing. Remind me to thrash Chatterbox tomorrow, though!”

“It didn’t feel all that good at the time”, I muttered and then, “Why thrash Chatterbox? It was my fault for not looking where I was going. I fell off. She didn't toss me or anything!”

Penny was staring thoughtfully at her plate as though undecided whether to continue and then made the same decision the rest of us had made. Sally’s Macaroni cheese was fantastic, but she seemed to have forgotten that we were four and not fourteen. Penny arranged her cutlery neatly on the plate, sighed and sat back in her chair. “Excellent, Sal but way too much, but it won’t go to waste” She smiled and nodded towards the door. “Nothing ever does when you have ponies to feed!”

“Chatterbox, why?” I reminded her.

Penny shrugged and then tapped her forehead with a slim finger. “Ponies don’t think, not ever. I thought that tendency had been beaten out of her long since. Evidently not, so I shall deliver a painful reminder first thing tomorrow so you might find her even more docile when we resume”.

I wondered how much more docile the mare could get, and my question still stood or did until Suzy seeing the expression on my face, chipped in to provide the obvious answer.

“Your mount made a decision that wasn’t it's to make. The animal has been trained to obey reins, whip, boots and spurs, and simple commands. In the absence of guidance from you, it should have run straight into the bushes, tree, or whatever not decided off its own bat to abruptly make that turn. Okay, perhaps if you had not been on her, but you were. Self-preservation is not a viable excuse” she shrugged her shoulders and arched her eyebrows, flashing me a wry smile. “In other words, it disobeyed, so it must be punished, simple!”

I thought about that, for it seemed a bit unfair. If I’d been riding a real horse and it had reacted in the same manner, no one would have thought anything of it, would they? A simple case of the beast using its brain to assess and deal with a potentially threatening situation. Yet to do likewise with a human equine, a vastly more intelligent animal despite its years of captivity and helpless situation, was absolutely forbidden! I understood why, of course, but it seemed a little unfair, but then again, I smiled to myself. Was anything fair for those wretched creatures we kept in such appalling conditions only a few yards from where the four of us enjoyed a vastly differing life?

“Technically your fault, Honey,” Sally said, returning from the other side of the kitchen, holding the tall coffee cafeteria in one hand and a plate of homemade chocolate muffins in the other. “Maybe I should give you a thrashing later on as well”, she winked at Penny causing young Suzy to chortle gleefully as she also gave our elegant guest an even broader wink. Somehow, I didn't think that invitation to visit Penny's camper van held much terror for the irrepressible young blonde.