My Little Pony

The Aristotelian Perversion

by Malfouka

"My name is Merrylegs: I am very handsome, I carry the young ladies on my back, and sometimes I take our mistress out in the low chair... (Black Beauty, Ch. 5, Anna Sewell 1877)."

"One Lady jumped aboard, and immediately whacked my bum hard with her crop, to the cry of 'faster!' and continued doing so for a complete circuit. I, of course, ran, and did not notice the cold and the fog (it was November). It was good fun..."--Silver Sparks, Ponyboy Sparky

Children love to play "horsy." Whether riding on a parent's back, bouncing on an strong knee, or running down the sidewalk straddling a broomstick named Black Jack, children have always been drawn to horse-riding. Most children grow up and out of their obsessive love for all-things horse yet, every once in awhile, a child grows into adulthood with the equine fever still burning hotly in his man-sized body.

Meet the Pony People
In the realm of BDSM, an interesting subset called Ponyplay exists. Ponyplay is the name given to adult men and women who either wish to be a human horse or wish to ride, train, and/or own a human horse. And before you ask, ponyplay has NOTHING to do with bestiality--though it is arguable whether ponyplayers are zoophiles (sexual attraction by a human to a non-human animal).

Human Horse
Human horses are called ponygirls and ponyboys. Though it is common for ponyboys/girls to be owned/trained/ridden by someone of a similar sexual orientation, it is not a recognized rule. In fact, for the human pony, the thrill is not about obvious sexual contact, rather the thrill is found in the fulfillment of the fantasy of being a horse under the control of a master. In general, ponyboys and girls do not have sex with their masters and riders at all. That being said, there are--of course--exceptions. One notable exception is when one pony is bred to another. This stud-service is done with permission from the "owners" of each pony and is agreed upon by the ponies themselves (in human form) before ponyplay starts. At times, there will be mock breeding (no penetration) for fantasy purposes. Many ponies and masters are in a relationship together in and outside of ponyplay while others have primary relationships altogether separate from their ponyplay.

Trainers, Owners, Groomers, Riders
One of the most surprising aspects of ponyplay is the sheer amount of effort involved; this is NOT a fetish for the lazy.

Trainer: person (male or female) who actually trains the human pony. The trainer is responsible for turning an aspiring ponyboy/girl into an actual ponyboy/girl (this distinction is important in that in the world of ponyplay, there is protocol to follow. One is not automatically a ponyboy/girl because he likes to pretend to be a pony, rather, one must be taught). The trainer teaches the pony proper stance, demeanor, and behaviour, she trains the pony in the art of showmanship (for those all-important pony shows!) and submission. The trainer spends hours exercising and conditioning her charge. In the end, the trainer's job is to turn out a quality ponyboy/girl. Many trainers have more than one pony in training at any given time. In fact, in the world of ponyplay, many owners enlist the services of accomplished and respected trainers rather than training their own pony. A trainer may be an owner, a rider, and/or a groomer.

Owner: One who "owns" a ponygirl/boy. Usually also the rider. An owner is the master/mistress of a ponyboy/girl. She is in charge of everything to do with her pony. She decides the pony's schedule, dress, and activities--including being loaned out to another owner/rider/trainer. An owner can be a trainer, a rider, and/or a groomer.

Groomer: One who is in charge of taking care of the pony. Duties include: back rubs, hair brushing, petting, bathing. In general, grooming duties are preformed by the owner and/or trainer but some trainers/owners do employ a separate person in charge of these tasks.

Rider: Person who rides the pony. Riders can literally be anyone to whom the owner/trainer has given permission.

Types
Ponyboys/girls are generally cart ponies, show ponies, or riding ponies.

Cart ponies are ponyboys/girls trained to pull carts, wagons, and carriages. They walk upright with hands secured behind their backs. Cart ponies wear bit-bridles and harnesses attached to the cart and are controlled through the use of reins. They often wear blinders. In the UK (where ponyplay is practically a national obsession) most ponyboys/girls are cart ponies.

Show ponies are ponyboys/girls trained to compete in pony shows. They must learn how to perform a series of show maneuvers including choreographed pony-dance, cantering, and leading maneuvers (changing lead foot in canter). Show ponies wear dress harnesses and bridles and headdresses. Show ponies may either walk upright or on hands and knees.

Riding ponies are trained to be ridden either saddled or bareback. Ponyboys usually walk semi-upright (bent at waist) with their riders situated on their lower back--though there are some who prefer their riders on the shoulders. Ponygirls are more likely to be ridden while on hands and knees with their rider sitting on their lower back. Riding ponyboys/girls are harnessed, bridled and sometimes wear blinders. Some sport custom made saddles.

Ponywear
The costume of a ponyboy/girl is much like the bastard child of a Las Vegas showgirl and Dr. Frank N. Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Thus said, there are a lot of leather, feathers, and uncomfortable foot-wear. Also, Ponyboys/girls almost always wear horsetails. The tails can be attached to the costume or harness or worn as a buttplug (buttplug models are not as popular as external tails as they have the unfortunate habit of popping out at inopportune moments).

Ponyplay is not a new fangled perversion or fetish. Not only is it claimed (by his contemporaries) that Aristotle--the Greek philosopher not the Greek tycoon--enjoyed playing the riding pony to Mrs. Aristotle's rider (giving the early psychiatric quacks the idea to call ponyplay "The Aristotelian Perversion"), but there exists a 2000 B.C. Assyrian frieze that depicts human ponies pulling chariots. Furthermore, in the 18th and 19th century British colonies, human ponies existed as erotic amusement for the upper classes (Gates, K., Deviant Desires, 2000).

I could probably go on for another 50 pages but in respect to your attention span, I will leave you to your own (wicked) devices. Happy trails!