Do you remember back when you were in elementary school and you loved pretending to be a pony? You would gallop around the playground with your friends, neighing the whole way. If you don’t remember doing it, you remember the kids that did.
Some people never really grew out of that phase. Let’s jump in the saddle and talk about it.
Pony play is a type of BDSM play. During these scenes, the dominant acts like a trainer or rider and the submissive takes on the role of a pony. It’s very rare that these roles are reversed. This type of play is similar to puppy or kitten play, since they’re both types of animal play that involve a BDSM power dynamic.
The pony very often will wear gear to make them look like a pony, including hoof boots, bit gags, saddles, or tails. The rider will dress up like a traditional jockey, sometimes altered to be more like fetish gear.
There are many different ways to participate in pony play, and many different actions involved. It’s a complex fetish, and doesn’t simply involve cantering around and making horse noises. Pony play takes a lot of practice and trust to do correctly.
People have been dressing up as animals for sex reasons for a long time, and horses are no exception. There’s a book called "Metamorphoses of Apuleius" that dates all the way back to ancient Rome wherein Apuleius explores magic and sex. He is transformed into a donkey and hijinks ensue, causing the first known account of pony play.
Perhaps the best known version of historical pony play involved Aristotle. In the story, Aristotle let a woman named Phyllis ride him like a horse in exchange for sexual favors. It’s even depicted in many works of art. As dope as this story is, it unfortunately probably didn’t happen. (But don’t fret. We also don’t have any proof that Aristotle wasn’t a kinky bastard). Even though it’s fake, pony play is still sometimes called "The Aristotelian Perversion" because of this story.
Unfortunately, some history of pony play is rather dark. Putting a bit in someone’s mouth and riding them around was often a punishment, going back a long time. This was especially true during slavery. It’s important to be aware of this history so you can be respectful during your play.
People enjoy the idea of pony play for different reasons. This divides the demographic of people who are into it in two. This doesn’t mean that they can’t play together, but it does change how the dom and sub are experiencing the scene.
The first type is probably the most common. We’ll call it “equine roleplay.” During this type of play, the sub “becomes” a pony and discards their human persona when they’re in a scene. They are turned on, comforted, or feel enjoyment from the idea of being a horse. Many people say this allows them to let go and tap into their animal instincts.
The other type involves erotic humiliation. This is called “forced pony play.” To be clear, no one is actually forced to act like a pony. The sub can refuse to participate in pony play at all, or not participate during that exact moment. However, people are turned on by the illusion that they can’t change their minds.
In forced pony play, the trainer forces the sub to act like a pony to humiliate them. They’re going so far as to dehumanize their sub by forcing them to act like an animal, which can send the signal that they’re no better than an animal. And both parties can be into that!
People who are roleplaying as ponies are called ponyboys or ponygirls. (When referring to real horses, people will call them bio-ponies.) Each ponyboy or ponygirl has their own set of skills, and along with their dom, they’ll figure out what type of pony they should be. Here are some of the options.
These ponies pull a sulky or small cart with their rider in it. They usually walk standing up and have their hands tied behind their backs. They’ll wear a bit in their mouth and reigns so their rider can control the cart. This is probably the most physically challenging type of play on the pony.
Show ponies are just like the biological animals who show off their skills at horse shows. They compete in dressage, like cantering and choreographed dance. These ponies often have even more elaborate outfits since their whole thing is being seen by an audience.
A subset of show ponies is circus ponies. These ponygirls or ponyboys do tricks that are taught to them by their owners. These are more intense than those that a show pony would produce. Some circus pony owners dress up as ringmasters or clowns to really get the circus theme across.
A regular part of pony play involves breeding, or ponies having sex with each other while they’re in their pony personas. Stud ponies can be any gender, and this term refers to ponies that are bred. Usually this involves actual sex, but sometimes sex is simulated.
Not all ponyboys or ponygirls fall into just one category. It’s possible for an owner to train their pony to be some or all of these types. However, this training takes time and dedication to make sure that the pony excels in each field.
There’s not just different types of ponies—there are different types of dom roles for these scenes, too. There can be some overlap in these types, but there might be several people involved in one pony’s training or scenes.
Trainers are the people who teach the pony their tricks, discipline, and showmanship. They spend the most time investing in the training of the pony, and training a pony takes time, especially if you want them to be able to pull a cart and perform circus tricks. People in the pony play world assert that you’re not a pony just because you pretend to be. You’re trained to be one.
Some trainers have more than one pony at a time, and will train ponyboys and ponygirls for other doms. If someone is a good trainer, there will be many dominants who are trying to get their services. For this reason, it’s not always true that the trainer and pony are in any sort of relationship, although they certainly can be.
An owner is the dominant in charge of a particular pony, and they’re typically riders, too. It’s actually pretty rare that ponies and owners have sex, at least during pony play scenes.
The owner is in control of everything regarding the pony’s life, including grooming, feeding, choosing equipment, dressing, and showing the pony. They may loan out their pony to other owners for breeding or racing. Owners can also be groomers or trainers.
This one’s pretty easy. A groomer grooms the pony. They bathe, massage, and rub them down after breeding or before a show. Groomers are an important part of aftercare for many ponyboys or ponygirls. Again, the groomer could be a trainer or an owner, but it isn’t always.
This is simply someone who rides the pony. Owners will have certain rules about who is allowed to ride. They might be very possessive of their pony and want to be the only one who rides them. If the pony play is more humiliation-heavy, the owner might want to let all sorts of people ride the pony. Riding doesn’t just apply to being on the pony’s back or shoulders; riding in their cart counts, too.
Again, acting like a pony doesn’t make you a pony. Only being trained by a good trainer over a long timespan can make you a real pony. Therefore, spending time training is essential.
Here are some of the different levels of training and what they entail.
This is where a dom would want to start training their pony. This stuff may seem easy, but it’s much harder once you actually have the equipment on and are doing it. This is particularly true if you’re in a subspace and are trying something new.
You’ll need to learn to lead your pony around. You’ll stand to their left and hold their reigns, giving them some slack when they’re behaving and pulling tight when they get distracted or don’t go where you ask.
Part of the fun of training is punishing the pony for making mistakes. This is something that both parties enjoy. This makes sense, since pony play is a type of BDSM.
The pony is not supposed to talk, and talking would actually be difficult with the bit in their mouth. Therefore, trainers and ponyboys or ponygirls need to establish a safe gesture that looks different than that of a confused or disobedient pony. One suggestion is to stomp one foot down hard.
Another basic training move is tying. This is how you get your pony to stay still if you need to leave them for a while. There’s ground tying, which means they’re not attached to anything, and hitching, where they’re attached to a ring or hitching post. For this, you’ll need to make sure your pony has proper posture, and observe them when you leave them for a decent amount of time.
Another type of tie is called a crosstie. This restrains your pony, which lets you play even more with the power dynamic between owner and pony. Wait to try this until your pony can stand still for 15 minutes or more at a time. Then, cross the ropes and use them to restrict your pony. Make sure you do this on a nonstick surface or mat so your pony is safe. This type of tie is often used when grooming the pony, but also during more intense play like medical play.
The last part of basic training is grooming. You’ll want to have your pony restrained by crossties or hitched to a hitching post before you begin. Then, you’ll groom them by petting, brushing, and lightly caressing them.
There are specific types of brushes you’ll use that are either made for horses or made specifically for pony play. You’ll groom their body, tail, and mane. You can either start or conclude your pony play session this way. It’s a great way to get a ponygirl or ponyboy into the pony headspace, but it’s also brilliant aftercare.
Now that your pony knows the basics, you can try out more advanced pony play techniques!
You can now attach the reins to the bit. This is an integral part of pony play, but it can be dangerous to use right away, as pulling too hard on the bit could be harmful. Let your pony walk in front of you, then pull on the reins to stop. They’ll lightly feel the bit move in their mouth. As you continue to play with the bit, you can experiment with using it more severely.
After you’ve mastered this, you can start using a crop or whip to urge your ponyboy or ponygirl to move forward. Start with a small crack, and move to something larger if your pony disobeys. Make sure you know how to properly use impact tools during play before you begin, as there are dangerous places to whip someone. You want your pony to move away from the impact, so if you want them to go left, give them a tap with your crop on the right.
Another important skill is longeing. This skill gets your pony to move around you in a circle. It teaches your pony to be aware of what you want and where you are, and it’s also good for exercise. You’ll use verbal commands to get the pony to stop or move faster.
The last part of your intermediate training is the different types of movement for your pony. Bio-horses have four different gaits: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. It’s important that your ponyboy or ponygirl knows these gaits as well.
In a walk, one foot is off the floor at all times when you’re on all fours. A two-legged pony will simply walk as usual.
A trot is easiest for a four-legged ponyboy or girl to do. Two feet should be in the air while two remain on the ground, and they move in diagonal pairs. It should be faster than walking, but at a speed where the pony can continue this way for a long period of time. A two-legged pony can replicate this by lightly jogging.
A canter is a little more complicated, and involves stepping one foot forward, meeting it with the other, and then quickly repeating the motion. It’s a little like skipping. The pony puts the same foot forward during every motion. This is faster than a trot, but your pony shouldn’t be going as fast as they can.
Lastly, there’s the gallop. This is kind of like a fast canter. A two-legged horse would replicate this by simply running as fast as they can. For this reason, ponies can only gallop so long before getting exhausted.
A trainer and pony might need to spend quite a while mastering all of the elements at the intermediate stage. This all takes practice, and it shouldn’t be rushed. Once the trainer thinks their pony is ready, they can move on to the advanced stage of training.
Advanced training in pony play will generally encompass anything not included during the other stages. This includes dressage training and learning tricks. It might also involve harsher punishments for mistakes and more extravagant grooming.
At the end of the day, a pony can learn to do basically anything a bio-horse can. A trainer might want to learn from other trainers or watch horse show videos on YouTube to get some inspiration for their next show.
Veterinary play is a type of kink that often intersects with pony play. It’s like medical play but with human animals like puppies, kittens, or ponies. Veterinary play opens up even more opportunities than realistic medical play does.
Here are a few types of vet play that some kinksters enjoy:
Veterinary play can be very fulfilling for some owners and ponies, but it’s not a required part of the lifestyle. Since some of these veterinary practices can be extreme and dangerous if done incorrectly, only undertake them if you trust yourself and the other person to carry them out safely and in a way that’s arousing to both of you.
So you might still be asking: what turns people on about pretending to be a horse? Of course, this answer varies from person to person.
If the sub is being forced to be a pony and is embarrassed to act like one, this is a type of humiliation play. Many people are confused about why someone would want to be humiliated, but this is kind of a common kink. It’s a big thrill and feels taboo to many people, which is part of the reason why kinksters find it so appealing.
Plus, many people who are into erotic humiliation are very in control in the “real world.” People who want to be forced to be ponies might be CEOs, bosses, or rich. Shaking up this power dynamic can be thrilling for them.
People who choose to be a pony might have a fetish called autozoophilia, which means they’re aroused by pretending to be an animal. Some of these kinksters might not be able to explain what draws them to equines specifically, while some might be able to link it back to childhood or other experiences.
Putting yourself into the persona of an animal can literally make your human consciousness slip away, putting you into a very intense mindspace. The bottom might literally feel like their humanity has stripped away from them, and that they actually are a pony. This is a very interesting thing to explore in BDSM.
To be clear, pony play is not the same as beastiality. No animals are harmed during pony play. If anything, people who are into pony play are in awe of equines. Some even have their own horses or work as a horse trainer IRL.
Also, being into pony play isn’t the same as being a furry. Some furries who are ponies don’t take part in pony play, and some people who do pony play aren’t furries. Plus, the outfits are pretty different. Furries prefer cartoonish, usually fluffy outfits, while many pony play masks are made from leather or latex.
At the end of the day, sometimes it’s hard to explain why you like something sexually. You just...do. And if it’s happening between two consenting adults, it’s A-OK with us.
The last important part of pony play is the equipment, also known as tack. Tack resembles other BDSM gear, in that it’s made of rubber, latex, or leather. Ponies are less cute and more, for lack of a better term, sexy.
Here are some of the materials you might want your ponygirl or ponyboy to wear during pony play:
The rider or owner might also want:
Looking at all of these things, it’s easy to see how tack can get expensive. If you want to get fancy, pony play can be an expensive sexual practice or hobby, costing hundreds to thousands of dollars.
You can purchase some things from an equine shop, although items will probably be expensive there, too, and might not have the aesthetic you’re looking for. Please note: some items that are suitable for horses won’t be suitable for ponyboys and ponygirls. For example, bits made for horses can chip human teeth, and brushes that work well on horses may be too coarse for humans. They make specific fetish gear for a reason.
Etsy is a great resource for getting custom-made items like masks that fit how you want to look. There are also some other retailers that sell pony play items. You can get masks from Porthos Stable, Bob Basset, and Pony Play Gear. Just brace yourself. Masks, especially, are more expensive than you’re probably thinking.
You don’t necessarily need to spend a bunch of money to participate in this fetish. All you really need are a bit, a riding crop, and a tail. You can work up to purchasing the big budget items later.
If you want to be a part of the pony play scene, find the kinky community in your town. Even if it’s not very large, there’s bound to be someone looking for an obedient pony or willing to train someone new.
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