Running Free

Lucky Lizzy screeched loudly through her golden bit gag as Trainer Janine flogged her ass repeatedly and harshly. A leather flogger fluttered in Janine's hand and loud, hearty thwacks echoed out as she punished the blonde mare for falling behind Coal Corvid again. The poor rookie mare had fallen behind three times now and her ass was marked with dozens of crisscrossing red lines from the flogger for each punishment session she'd delivered.

"Tighten down those noises, mare. Your presentation is everything. It's all you have."

The blonde flinched as the experienced trainer chastised her and taught her in one string of words. And then the flogger came down again with a sharp thwip and thwack earning another pained moan. Lizzy was bent over a waist-high fence board and her right leg kicked up, her hoof bumping against her buttock as her ass cheeks stung from the many-tailed whip. Tears welled in her eyes as pain overwhelmed her body from top to bottom and especially bottom. There wasn't any pleasure to be found here, she was desperately hoping Janine would let up but she went just as hard with each and every stroke of the flogger as the last.

Another heavy thump of the flogger causes Lizzy's eyes to snap open. She hadn't even realized she'd been clenching them between the pain and the humiliating position and she felt a warm gush between her legs as liquid ran down her thighs and dribbled onto her boot sleeves. She looked up and saw Corvid just past the fence taking a slow drink from a flowing water trough to recover from all of the tandem work the two had been doing. Janine had promised they'd do one more round of the bullpen until someone fell behind and Lizzy had, as probably expected of a filly, fallen behind again and was suffering the consequence. She didn't even begrudge Janine for following through on her promise but she wished Coal had at least let up a little bit to make it a fair competition.

Curiously though, the flogging had stopped and Coal Corvid's face had changed from tentative ease to concern. Wincing, Lizzy tries to lift herself up off the fence board just to feel Janine's hand on the flat of her back.

"Ah-ah, Lizzy. Just stay down for a second. You're bleeding." The trainer's voice, which had been pleasant yet strict during this punishment, was suddenly worried. Lizzy somehow didn't find the tonal shift comforting. Similar to how one often doesn't notice they're in pain until someone calls out an injury, Lizzy began to groan into her gag as the confirmation of bleeding made her feel a sudden wave of pain and a cramping sensation spiked up her body. The pain was emanating from her ass... no, not quite. It was from her...

"The wire must have cut you... shit, it's in your labia, it's-" Janine said hurriedly, kneeling down as she flicks a handkerchief from her back pocket and starts dabbing it at Lizzy's bleeding vagina promptly. The mare winces and whines from each touch but Janine ignored the mare's semi-protests in favor of taking care of the pony's wound. While she was dabbing at leaking blood and trying to find the cut, she spots a young redhead through Lizzy's forcefully-spread thighs, a tiny stream of blood trickling over her hand planted on the inside of Lizzy's leg. The freckled girl was walking by with a couple cases in her arms heading for the barn and avoided eye contact, seemingly trying to give the trainer and mare some privacy while a punishment was carried out.

"Hey! Polly! Polly!" Janine shouts as she stands up quickly, planting a hand on Lizzy's back to keep the mare from bucking. The redhead perks up and spins around to face Janine, teetering as she almost drops one of the cases in her arms. "Polly, can you run and find Emma? Trainer Emma. Tell her her mare needs her urgently, she's hurt!" Janine yells. The stable hand goes a bit pale but nods rapidly, setting the cases down promptly and turning to run off before spinning around again to face Janine, opening her mouth to speak before Janine answers her unspoken question, "Ranch house! And get Isabella too!"

Polly nods and turns again, sprinting as fast as her legs can carry her towards the ranch house. It was never good news when a mare was injured and their trainer deserved to know immediately.

Janine crouches back down again, rubbing Lizzy's flogged butt cheek and holding her kerchief against the mare's cunt to stop the blood flow, speaking softly as she tried to soothe the whining and groaning mare. "Easy, girl. Emma's coming, you're going to be okay. Easy, easy..."

Emma leans back slightly as surprise washes over her. She tightens her handshake grip in shock as she looks this newcomer up and down. The red hair, the worker's aesthetic, the calloused hand... did she say mom? "What... are you Rhea's-?"

"My daughter? No." Rhea cuts in, a scowl on her voice even if her face was neutral. "This little brat is my daughter-in-law, but insists on calling me mother. How has your year been, Taylor?"

The woman, Taylor, snickers as she releases Emma's hand and rests her palms on her hips. "Brat" hardly described what seemed to be a nearing-middle age woman with defined work tans, laugh lines, and a broad smile to match. "Aww, you don't mean that, Rhea. C'mon. I married into the Silverstones, sure, but I've been doing a good job keeping up the routine."

Rhea snorts as she idly fiddles with her cigarette case, clicking it open and shut sharply. "Yes, however you had no interest in becoming a trainer and taking over this ranch, instead just working my son's ranch instead. He'd have liked it if you had come to work with me. He always said he wanted to, but-"

"But the Silverstone Ranch has a woman in charge, always has, yeah yeah." Taylor interjects before Rhea can really finish her comment. The older woman didn't appear upset for her having done so. "Sorry, mom, but it just wasn't for me. I don't think I could handle the pressure. It's... different. I like real ponies." Taylor says, dodging Rhea's stare by looking at Emma. The blue-haired girl felt like she was caught between two tornadoes tearing through the room as the two women, both older and far more experienced than her, stood off against one another in their own way. Finally, Rhea sighs and snaps her cigarette case shut for the last time and tucks it away.

"And I have to respect that. I am happy to see you, Taylor, annoying as your timing is. Already that time of year again, huh?" She says gruffly, moving to look out the window. As the old woman pulls the curtains open, Emma spots a couple large trucks rolling up, pulling long silver... horse trailers?

"You always lose track of time when the training season starts. I'd hoped that Stella of yours would take over, even just as assistant manager or something, but..." Taylor says, trailing off as Rhea deflates a bit by the window.

"But she had other plans. Or maybe she got surprised by those plans too. I'm old enough to respect her wishes in any case. But, to answer your question... my protégé? Well..." Rhea glances at Emma who had thus far kept quiet as the woman and her daughter-in-law spoke freely, "that remains to be seen. All depends on how she does this year."

Taylor raises an eyebrow and lightly bumps a fist into Emma's shoulder. "You giving my mom a hard time? Or just didn't learn enough as a stable hand?"

It finally clicked for Emma, where she knew this Taylor from. She'd seen the woman on the ranch here from time to time. Usually around the time the Silverstone Ranch did its equine boarding...

"No! I'm... well, I'm having some minor issues." Emma said, avoiding Rhea's knowing glare about her general issues with her pony's training.

"Issues. Sure, we'll call tourism an issue. Taylor's here to deliver her equines, it seems. You know, at the boarding pasture? I had a request for you regarding that." Rhea says as she steps away from the window.

Emma did indeed know about the boarding pastures. It was mostly used to make some extra money and because seeing "real" horses often let the ponygirls get more into a natural mindset Rhea let other ranchers rent some pasture space and ranch hands to tend their horses periodically. Emma had shoveled plenty of manure and bathed dozens horses for days when she was a stable hand. And that wasn't even counting the breeding procedures for the equines. "I'm... a little swamped with Lizzy, but-"

Rhea waves her hand dismissively. "But nothing, shut up and listen, child. Your mare would likely do well from seeing some equines anyway. And if she utterly fails during the race season... you remember her part in all this, yes?"

Emma swallowed. She did recall that part of the deal she had made with Rhea. Lizzy would be Rhea's "teaser" for the next season and Emma a stable hand all over again. "I... what are you getting at. She hasn't failed yet!"

Rhea scoffs. "Always jumping to conclusions with you. No. Just introduce her to some equines. I'd like you to do any of your terrain runs in or around the boarding pasture and help acclimate the equines to the pony herd. Sometimes new equines don't understand what's the deal with all these naked women wandering around tits-out and stamping with hooves. So-"

"So that's why Cherry always ran around the boarding pasture as training for a while when the horses showed up." Emma says, putting some pieces together in her memory.

Rhea nods. "Correct. That's all I'm asking. And it'll help you get your mare more comfortable with the equines anyway. They can be quite intimidating and, if what you say about her temperament is correct, she might even learn a thing or two from the equine herd to improve her behavior."

Emma sucks in a breath as she thinks about it. Rhea had said it was technically a favor, but she couldn't really refuse the woman. More than that, it did make for an enticing prospect. Lizzy did seem to perform really well when Emma forced her into a mare's way of thinking. Maybe she'd even feel a sort of kinship with the horses.

"I... think we could-"

"EMMA!"

The three women spun to face the front door as a panting redhead burst inside, screaming her head off and, evidently, looking for Emma. Rhea spoke first though.

"Good-ness, child! Never heard of knock-"

"Trainer Emma! Your mare is hurt!" Polly shouts, not even registering the rebuke from Rhea. Her message was clearly too important.

Emma was already in motion by the time Polly finished speaking and darted for the door, turning at the last second to shout at Rhea. "I'll be right back!" Though, she had no clue how long she'd be gone.

The two girls dash out of the door, but Polly peels off to go to the barn where Isabella usually was. The quartermaster typically handled serious injuries and was trained for them. Plus, she'd have some additional first aid equipment that the hurt mare would likely need. Polly conveyed this with a rapid explanation and said where Lizzy was so Emma darted off towards the bullpen while Polly fetched Isabella.

The blue-haired girl slid to a stop as she saw Janine crouched behind Lizzy, Coal Corvid standing nearby with a worried expression on her face and helpfully staying out of the way and minimizing issue. Clearly, the raven-haired pony felt bad that she caused this injury by pulling too hard on the bullpen armature. Emma dashed up to the fence and peered over it to see the more veteran trainer tending to Lizzy with the blonde mare visibly relaxing, even if only slightly, as Emma arrived just to wince and shudder again from a new wave of pain.

"What... what happened?" Emma asked, just to see Janine look... confused?

The trainer held the handkerchief to Lizzy's bloodied pussy but stood, slightly bewildered. "She's... bleeding, but I can't find any visible cuts?"

Isabella and Polly trotted up just then. The matronly woman was carrying a first aid kit and a hastily-donned pair of examination gloves. Already, other trainer teams were slowing down to watch the excitement and even Rhea and Taylor had made their way to within eyesight of the bullpen even if they didn't approach.

"Al'right, dears, make space, Janine, thank'ya honey, I'll handle it from 'ere." Isabella said as she mantled over the fence and got in behind the bent-over Lucky Lizzy, quickly laying a hand on the nude girl's flogged bottom to both announce her presence and try to soothe the girl. Janine stood and stepped back but spoke quickly to fill in Isabella on what happened.

"She was running tandem wire with Corv, but... I... don't think she's cut, ma'am. I couldn't find any injury. She's been writhing and thrashing though..."

Isabella hummed, running a finger along Lizzy's buttocks and glancing at the trainer. "You're sure this ain' got nothing to do wit' it?" Even as she made a light joke about the flogged state of Lizzy's ass, she was already bringing out wet cleansing pads to properly clear away the blood and take a proper look. The cool, soothing effect made Lizzy wheeze and sigh into her bit gag as Emma held her mare's bridle by the cheek rings to keep her still. The whole situation made the poor ponygirl feel like an animal at a vet's office. Except she was a human woman bent over a waist-high fence board with her tits hanging out like a slutty college freshman at her first lewd party with a dozen or more spectators watching her vagina get inspected.

The voluptuous bleach-blonde woman finally managed to gently pry open Lizzy's labia and get a peek inside just to find a trickle of blood answering her investigations. She chuffed and reached back into her first aid kit and retrieved a small plastic cylinder. She pressed it into Lizzy's pussy before depressing a small "plunger" at the back end of the device and inserted a tampon.

"You idiots; she's on 'er period."

Coal Corvid broke the following silence first with an ill-stifled snort, turning around to laugh into her bit as Janine, Emma, Polly, and Lizzy blushed red from the absolute mess of activity and noise just to have all of the excitement be shut down by one of the most widely-shared experiences of the ranch; menstruation.

Isabella stood up and packed up her first aid kit, smirking at Emma as the blonde ponygirl sagged in place, relieved she wasn't hurt, just to wince again as cramps wracked through her abdomen. "Get 'er up, get 'er a heatin' pad, an' get this filly somewhere ta rest. Here I would'a thought you'da think of 'er cycle, silly girl." Isabella says, teasing Emma as she, Polly, and the rest of the spectators began filing away, snickering or outright laughing at the hilarity of the situation.

Lizzy hardly found it hilarious. Her cheeks burned bright red from being the spectacle of the day and the humiliating position she was stuck in. Emma hopped the fence and carefully pulled her free, helping walk her wincing, cramping mare back to the stable to get her somewhere out of the sun to rest and recover.

Emma finished sticking an adhesive heating pad to Elizabeth's lower belly and gently rubbed over it once it was on. Lizzy was already softly sighing in relief as therapeutic warmth spread through her cramping abdomen. Her boots and tack were completely off and hung up to be washed in a minute though Emma had put a temporary panel gag on Lizzy's mouth to keep her from speaking while resting. The blonde barely minded. The panel gag might shut her up, but at least it wasn't a horizontal bar of metal between her teeth.

"I'm... so sorry, Liz. We were so busy with everything, I barely even stopped to think... well, bright side, rookie mares aren't typically expected to do much when this kind of thing happens. A sort of... unspoken agreement? So just rest for a bit, I've got to finish talking with Rhea."

Emma stood and left Lizzy resting on her cot in her stall, but the mare shifted and rolled slightly. She was completely unbound and untacked for the first time in ages. She could even see and wiggle her toes freely; that was a new treat. The boots only ever came off to wash them or shave her legs and promptly went back on afterwards. And Emma had even removed her tail! She had felt a wave of relief as Emma deflated and tugged it out and now she could lay back comfortably without bumping or nudging the exposed end of the J-hook plug. Now all that left was... well... the rest of her pain. She rolled onto her side, immediately regretting it and flopping back out on her backside to pant quietly as she rubbed at the patch on her abdomen.

Rest. I don't really have time to rest... the racing season starts so soon! Elizabeth thought to herself. She shook her head slightly. Wait... why do you care? Isn't this a good thing? No more running and being naked in public and lifting your knees high and having Emma touch and spank and shave you and no running around with a big old ball in your ass for a few days, and- She winced as she felt hollow, in more ways than one, when she realized she wasn't going to be able to be a pony for a few days while she waited out her period flow and the cramps. Why did that make her... feel bad?

"I guess... mark it on her health chart and keep track. Learning experience for you, trainer." Rhea said over a lit cigarette as Emma stood with folded hands and a blush, grinding her toe into the dirt while she explained what had gone "wrong" with Lizzy. The old woman blew a puff of smoke but smiled thinly. "Well, this might actually be a small blessing in disguise. If she's not going to be running bullpens or pulling carts, she can mill about the boarding pasture with you while you keep yourself busy by helping onboard the equines. Taylor's got most of it handled but a pair of hands to help lead horses, jot health conditions, take samples and keep track of them all... this works out nicely." Rhea raises a hand as she sees a protest forming on Emma's lips. "And no, this isn't a debate, you owe me for giving you free room and board, a free stall for a mare, fast-tracking your documents and rush-ordering your mare's new tack. Helping my hassle of a daughter-in-law is the least you can do."

Emma held back her complaint and sighed, nodding and bobbing her head glumly as she resigned herself to equine duty once again, just like old times as a stable hand. "Yes, boss. And... thanks, for... doing all that for me. I really do owe you one."

Rhea blows another puff of smoke and grins wide. "Plenty more than one, hon. You'll make it up to me eventually. Go on now, go see Taylor and help with the unloading and then check on your pony. If she's fit to stand, she's fit to stand in a lean-to on the pasture. And keep an eye on her this time?"

Emma blushes again and nods meekly, turning immediately to go jog off to the two silver trailers and the redheaded woman she was going to be helping out for the next few days.