© 1997 Derrick, M. Water Hole Custom Leather Inc. This manuscript can not be published in any form or by any medium with out written consent from the author(s).
Lady Equine came to the porch -- dressed in her working clothes -- gloves on -- riding crop in hand -- hair pulled back. She did not look happy.
"You can approach me Michael -- come to the porch."
And he did.
"Take a seat. We have a great deal to discuss."
This he did.
"What did you do to your hand -- what is that nasty gash?"
"I cut myself, Lady Equine -- working in the shop last night."
She summoned for someone. A male -- dressed much like ranger -- emerged. As handsome.
"Bring me some mitts please."
"I despise cuts that are the result of clumsiness."
Clumsiness, thought Michael -- how did she know?
And the two -- Lady and Michael -- sat for what seemed like -- to Michael -- to be hours -- she staring at him and he not knowing quite where to look. Finally, the man arrived.
"Thank you chestnut , please place these on Michael so I need not look at his hands."
"Yes Ma'am" -- And chestnut did this -- and -- just as quickly -- disappeared.
"Now, Michael -- I am sure everyone has been very clear with you as to why you are here before me?"
"Yes Lady Equine"
"Then there is no need to speak about what you did -- the event. I simply want to know why -- why did you do this?"
"I ... I ... well ... you were just right there with ranger ... just right there ... and ... and ... I was tired ... and ..."
She was staring now -- almost through him -- almost to his soul.
"and ... I just needed a little rest .. .and ... and ... you and ranger were the only things moving ... and you caught my eye ... and ..."
"Enough, Michael -- enough. Do not speak again until you can be a bit more truthful to yourself and to me."
"But ... but ..."
"Silence, Michael ... the next words must be ... not excuses
... but the truth ... what were your scores on self-awareness
now ... umm?"
Now she just stared at him, all of him, every part of him. She laid back in her chair, tapping the riding crop on her leathered hand. Then her eyes went direct for his eyes.
"Michael -- you are fussing in your seat, and you cannot even look at me -- I will not wait much longer here ... look at me ... and do not take your eyes off of me until you have told me the truth."
Michael tried so hard to do what he was asked. He tried to look at her, but his eyes kept drifting downward. Lady Equine took the riding crop and placed it under his chin. She drew his head up to look at her. She held his face in position, and she just stared -- mostly hard and stern, but gentle as well.
"Yes Michael?"
He was beginning to tear now, and this embarrassed him and hurt his pride and vanity. But she did not let his head drop, nor did she turn her eyes from him.
More minutes passed ...
"I was captivated by the two of you."
Michael waited for a response, but none was forthcoming.
"I was drawn to what the two of you were doing. I was ... drawn ... to how this handsome ... man ... was transformed ... into ... a ... well ... like part man and part horse."
He saw only a nod now -- just a slight nod, and he knew he had to go on.
"I wanted ... I wanted to understand ... to ... to ... experience ... this."
A nod
"I wanted ... to ... be ... ranger."
Lady Equine smiled now, and took the crop from his chin. Michael looked down, embarrassed, ashamed, his pride hurt.
"Yes, he is a lovely Michael, do you not think so Michael?"
Michael was startled. "Michael -- is that what he is Lady -- a Michael?"
"No questions, Michael -- just answer mine. This is not
a time where you can ask me all your burning questions -- this
is a time of inquisition and punishment."
"Yes, he is a handsome Michael, Lady Equine." Michael
was trembling.
"He is my best -- my favorite -- He will bring me a good price, if I ever chose to sell him -- but I am quite fond of him -- he pleases me. Which, by the way, is a lot more than I can say for your behavior of yesterday."
"I am sorry, Lady ... I should not have taken such liberties."
"Indeed, Michael you should not have. Anyone else -- not as new to this ranch -- would be beaten severely and removed -- forever from the ranch -- and black balled from all ranches like it in the country.."
Beaten - you thought -- beaten -- my God.
"But you are new -- and with time -- you can even be honest -- so your punishment will not be so cruel -- but surely you will be punished."
"Yes"... and Michael thought -- well punishment seems much better than banishment -- especially now that I am getting a grasp of what happens here.
"There are 30 stalls in the stables, and none have been cleaned since your offense. They all must be cleaned and freshened with new hay -- they must be made immaculate -- and I will watch you do this, with your leg tethered to a lead chain that I will hold."
"Oh -- and yes, Dear Michael -- you will do this naked, so strip now."
He went to take off the mitts.
"No, Michael -- all but the mitts. I do not wish to see the gash and I do not wish for it to get infected. You must do this job with the mitts."
He was startled -- but he did not see a way around this. It was very very hard to undress, and the Lady became inpatient and called chestnut to help -- which he did. This was hard for Michael -- this was the first time on the property where he was being undressed by a man. Michael's leg was then tethered with a cuff and a chain, which the Lady held. He was then led to the stables, and there he began his grueling task -- at first clumsily and rather embarrassed to be in the nude -- but then he got the hang of it.
And again he was excited, and this could be hid from no one -- especially not the Lady who seemed to enjoy the spectacle of it all.
Every so often she would pull the chain -- and this would be
for various reasons. Sometimes for watering, which occurred from
a bucket with Michael's name on it. Sometimes for feeding from
a feedbag. Sometimes for grooming. And sometimes, just because
the Lady wanted him to stand straight and tall so that she could
admire him.
This was a very long and hard task -- so Michael was often left
to wonder why -- through all the pain and discomfort -- and embarrassment
-- he was so excited. He was also left to wonder -- first -- why
he appeared to be taking such pride in cleaning the stalls --
then -- why he felt so comfortable within the stalls -- and --
finally -- why he was left yearning for a stall of his own?
By the end of the day, there was one stall left -- not as magnificent or as large as some of the others, but average.
"Michael, this could be your stall if you so desired. I wanted you to know this before you cleaned it -- so that you knew -- that -- if you wanted -- this could be your new lodgings while you are here on probation."
The Lady then tied the chain to the floor and left -- turning to say "I will be back in one hour."
Michael was stunned -- excited -- dazed -- alone. He walked
into this stall unlike he had walked into any other stall. He
looked at it carefully. He cleaned it with more care than he thought
he had left in him. He put the hay in a space that he thought
he would like. He noticed where the sun would shine in the morning.
He fluffed the blanket in the stall. He felt content. He felt
happy.
This could be my new home, he thought.
And exactly when an hour passed, he heard the footsteps of the Lady. She was still dressed and had the crop in her hand. She leaned against the stall and asked him to stand and face her.
"Throughout today -- through all you have done, what have you been thinking about Michael?"
And Michael said....
"... I have been thinking nothing except how relaxed and
excited I was, held captive on the end of a chain with you at
the other end. No other thoughts have entered my mind. I wonder
what it would be like to be here permanently. Not knowing exactly
what would be in store for me is a bit
frightening, but yet I am compelled and pushed by something deep
inside me to want this more than anything else."
"Throughout today, and all you have done, what have you been feeling, Michael?"
And Michael said ...
"Through last night and this morning -- with everyone so worried about what was going to happen to me -- I have been frightened that I would loose any chance of working here under any circumstance. I really want to be here so much. It is so enjoyable, though confusing at times, and very hard to learn some of the rules and to rely on others so much. I never knew how much I took for granted by just doing things myself until these past weeks where a lot of decisions have been taken from me and handled by so many others. It has felt odd, but yet comforting that they have been taking such care of me. This is something that I have never felt before. Even in the afternoon, while you were supervising my cleaning of the stalls, I was being punished but yet, you made sure I had drink when I was thirsty, food when I was hungry, and relaxation now and then when I was tired. All of this you had done without me asking. It is truly a great feeling of comfort, having some one else care for me so much.
"And -- about my question -- would you or would you not like to have this stall as your lodgings through the rest of your probationary period -- and whether you answer is yes or no -- I want to know -- honestly -- your reasons why."
Michael looked right into her eyes and, without hesitation said " Yes." Lady Equine's eyes grew large and she smiled. She said , "My you seem very sure of yourself -- a certainty you have not shown much of around here except for your work."
Michael stated that he had never felt so sure of anything. "I feel so secure and cared for. Yes I can see where things will be tough at times and work will be hard and tiring. But I also can see that I would be cared for like never before. And ... an ...."
Lady Equine told Michael to go ahead -- not to hold anything back.
"And", Michael said, "... ahhh ... I ... want to be ... ahhhh ... closer to you ..."
Lady Equine smiled again and came over and pet his head. She said " you know that if you stay here there will be more changes to your schedule and more training toward Michael status."
Michael said he understood and that he was very anxious. She said "calm down Michael .. all will happen in time when we decide you are ready."
She smiled and pet Michael on the head and said "welcome pony boy.....This is what you will be called until we decide on a suitable name for you."
And with this she closed the gate to the stall and left pony boy there -- the chain still cuffed to his leg. She told him to relax and to get used to his new home. She said she would call the leather shop and tell the boss that Pony boy would be otherwise occupied for a few weeks for some real important work. Then she said "have a nice evening, pony boy, as your real training begins tomorrow."
Pony boy walked up to the gate and looked around. He could see her turn the corner as she left. She looked back and smiled at him. He was content.
Pony boy walked back over to the hay he had previously placed in the corner and sat down. He looked at the ankle cuff that chained him to the stall. It let him travel anywhere in the stall, and yet the stall door also was bolted. It seemed, then, that the chain was sort of redundant, but he figured it must be part of the training process.
He was just sitting, and finally closed his eyes, almost drifting into a nice dream state when Ashley came in and tapped him with a crop and said "up pony boy". Pony boy jumped up a bit, surprised and in a daze. She smiled at him and said "I see your punishment went well. I am happy to see you made the correct choice. It is time to get you cleaned up for the night." She placed his collar on and said "this stays on from now on. You will notice it is made of a material that looks a lot like leather and feels like leather, but is totally water proof. It will be on you for the total period of training". With this she had pony boy get on his knees and she placed it on his neck. Then she used a special heating tool which seamed it together. The only way it could come off would be by cutting it off. There were three rings on the collar -- one in the front and one on each side. She stated that this collar was for 2nd stage trainees. Then she clipped on a lead and took off the ankle cuff . She lead him over to the cleaning area and began to do all the familiar things that she does when readying him to leave the property.
But, then Ashley took him over to the tack room, grabbed a bag, and said "these are your items, pony boy. These will be used on you from time to time. Each pony has his or her own bag." Then Ashley lead Pony boy back to his stall. Once there, she took off the mitts and cleaned and dressed the wound. She put the ankle and wrist cuffs back on him and directed him lie down on his belly -- on what she called the "sleeping bench". This is a bench with a thin pad and with various accessories that allow for different uses. She left the bag and said "do not look in it. Susan will be stopping in soon to bed you down."
Then Ashley said "see you in the morning." Ashley always seems so happy and perky.
Just a few minutes later, Susan stopped in to say "hello
pony boy ... boy is it nice not having to watch what I say --
I almost called you that a few times over the past two weeks."
She smiled. "OK lets get you bed down for the night."
.
"Things may seem a bit severe, but remember pony boy, you
are still getting punished from yesterday when you took the freedom
to stop work and invaded the privacy of the Lady and ranger. So,
for a few nights you will -- in various ways -- loose all freedom."
And, with that, she patted his behind as he laid on the sleeping bench. This bench has two holes. One is for the mouth and nose. When his face was laid on it, his head was supported by a blindfold like pad, but his mouth and nose were free to take in air. Then his hands were pulled over his head and fastened down with at least six Velcro straps so that he could not move a muscle. His head was similarly strapped down. Then his chest. And this continued to his toes. He could not move at all. Next, he felt his crotch area being tied, his cock and balls being pulled through the second hole. He sex was pulled tight and tied off. Susan whispered to him that through out the night he would receive swats. The number could range from 2 to 10 at any given time. The groomers who were on duty would do it after they checked on him -- which would be frequently.
Susan took a crop and swatted him 10 times on each butt. "See you in the morning pony boy. We got a lot of work to do as well as training." He heard the gate close. He tried to wiggle, but could not budge at all
The first groomer came about an hour after Susan left and she ran her fingers all over pony boy, making him shiver. She gave him 4 swats on each bun and covered him with a blanket. Then she left. This went on all night. Just as he would fall asleep, or just as he was about to, he would be awakened with touches and swats -- some soft and some quite severe. Morning seemed like it would never get there.