Walk On!

We last left Mistress Lucinda about to put Gemma through her paces in a dressage circle at a Human Pony Stud while Mistress Amanda and Pony Girl's Danielle & Henna looked on.  Let's see what happens in the next exciting episode as Mistress Lucinda calls out 'Walk on!'

Mistress Lucinda smiled in a smug way at Gemma, then she secured a long white rope to the right hand ring of Gemma's head harness.  Then she fixed a jet-black plume to Gemma's head strap.

'First we must teach you how to walk on like a pony mustn't we Gemma?' smiled Mistress Lucinda.  'Now I am going to stand behind you and hold your reigns and I want you to walk forward.  As you do so girl, I want to see your knees raised as high as you can and your toes pointed as best you can with each step' she finished.

Mistress Lucinda moved back behind Gemma carefully guiding the girl's reigns over her head and plume until they were behind her head.  Then she picked up a dressage crop that she had been hiding from Gemma.

'Walk on Gemma, Walk on!' Mistress Lucinda called out.

Gemma stayed put, trying desperately to keep her balance.  She was still a little woozy from the sedative her Mistress had given her.  Suddenly there was a loud 'CRACK' and Gemma felt a searing pain on the back of her hip.

'I said WALK ON Gemma!' Mistress Lucinda repeated the command again.

This time Gemma raised her right leg, lifting her knee as high as she could  and promptly fell sideways.  Danielle and Henna started giggling as well as was possible with bit gags in their mouths.  Mistress Amanda yanked on their reigns and the pair suddenly checked themselves.

The Stable Hand rushed forward and helped Gemma to her feet again.

'Shall we try that again Gemma?' said Mistress Lucinda. 

Gemma nodded and this time when the 'walk on' command was given she adjusted her balance correctly and began to move forward, clip, clop, clip, clop, clip, clop, clip, clop went her hoof boots on the ground.

'Whoa!' called out Mistress Lucinda, 'That's better Gemma and not at all bad for a first try!' she said smiling at the Pony Girl before her.  'Are you 'sure' you haven't done this before girl?' she asked.

Gemma shook her head 'Nok Phochherly Niphsgress' Gemma replied, as best she could.

'Right well shall we try a little trotting now then Gemma?' asked Mistress Lucinda.  She turned Gemma around so she was facing the other way and ready to trot past where Mistress Amanda was standing with Danielle and Henna.

'Of course you do know how we steer ponies don't you Gemma?' asked Mistress Lucinda.

Gemma nodded.  she knew that much from her days on her ex-Master's estate.

'Oh good!' said Mistress Lucinda, 'well at least that is something I shouldn't have to teach you then' she added.
'Ok then Gemma. Walk On' she called out.

Gemma began to walk in the way she had been trained to a moment ago.  Then Mistress Lucinda snapped her reigns and called out 'Gee up Gemma!'  Gemma began to trot rather than walking and she heard the sound of her Mistress' heels increase as their speed increased.

The pair trotted past the other 3 and Mistress Lucinda then pulled Gemma's head to the left and sure enough she turned like a true natural Pony would.

'Whoa!' called Mistress Lucinda as she stopped Gemma in front of Mistress Amanda and the other two Ponies.

'Good!' she said in an extremely satisfied voice, 'that was excellent for once Gemma!'

Mistress Lucinda walked Gemma across the yard and into the sawdust filled dressage circle.  Mistress Amanda moved herself and the other two Pony Girls closer to watch.  Mistress Lucinda stood Gemma at the edge of the circle and then she walked away from her into the centre of the circle, feeding the rope out through her hands as she went.  When she reached the centre of the circle she turned round and nearly jumped out of her skin as Gemma had followed her like a naughty little first time pony would.  Mistress Amanda chuckled to herself and Danielle and Henna just shook their hair and bucked their heads a little.

Mistress Lucinda returned Gemma to the edge of the ring and this time she back-stepped away from Gemma, watching her as she went.  Having reached the centre of the circle Mistress Lucinda adjusted the length of the switch braid on the end of her dressage crop so that it was long enough to reach Gemma.

'Walk on Gemma' she called.

Gemma started to walk forward, raising her knees up high and pointing her toes as much as she could.  Then Mistress snapped the rope with her wrist and gave the Gee Up command.  Gemma broke into a trot and trotted round and round the circle.  Suddenly the whip cracked behind her.

'Get those knees up Pony and keep those shoulders straight. push that chest out Pony Girl and arch your back a little!' called out Mistress Lucinda. 

Gemma did as she was told as that dressage crop stung like blazes. 

'Good Girl' Mistress Lucinda praised as Gemma corrected her posture, 'Now whoa Gemma!' Gemma dropped to a walk again, 'Whoa Gemma. Whoa!' called out Mistress Lucinda stopping Gemma in front of Mistress Amanda

Mistress Lucinda looked across at Mistress Amanda who smiled in agreement and promptly gave Gemma a sugar lump, whilst stroking the bridge of her nose with her other hand.

'I find it hard to sanction at such an early stage in her training Mistress Lucinda, but I feel with Danielle leading her, Gemma may be ready to try pairing on a trap?' said Mistress Amanda cautiously.

Mistress Lucinda looked at Mistress Amanda thoughtfully.  'Hmmm' she said, 'but not with either of us aboard I fear Amanda.  At least not just yet, not until we have seen that she can perform as a team with another Pony?'

'Oh I quite agree!' replied Mistress Amanda.

And so the Stable Hand was ordered to fetch a trotting trap for Gemma and Danielle.  Danielle started to prance slightly on the spot and she whinnied and bucked a little. she was eager to show Gemma how it was done and get active also.

The Stable Hand returned with the trotting trap in tow behind him. 

'Don't go away boy' said Mistress Lucinda, 'we have use of you!' she said to the Stable Hand.

'Yes Mi-Lady' replied the young man.

Mistress Lucinda and Mistress Amanda then proceeded to harness Danielle and Gemma to the draw bar of the trap.  Danielle was placed on the right and Gemma on the left as the lead Pony should always be on the off side in case the new one gets frightened and tries to bolt.

Their reigns were linked by a cross reign linking two of the O-rings on their head harnesses and then they were ready.  Danielle bucked her head back and forth.  She was eager to run with the trap.  Gemma stood there looking beautiful but nervous and Danielle's bucking kept tugging the linking reign, thus pulling her head to the side.

Both Mistresses stood back and admired their work.  The girls looked so pretty hitched up to the trap, but pretty or not, they needed test-driving.  Now anyone who keeps ponies (or horses for that matter) will know that when you put two together on a trap or carriage for the first time, anything can happen and generally does!  Mistress Lucinda called the Stable Hand over to the trap.

'There you are boy!' she said very authoritatively, 'Test Drive them for us please.'

The Stable Hand looked at the two Mistresses hesitantly.

'Must I use this on you boy?' Mistress Lucinda asked him, showing him her dressage crop.

It is amazing what a difference to one's enthusiasm the threat of a crack on the bum with a crop can make and quicker than lightening the Stable Hand was sitting in the driving seat holding the two girl's reigns in his hands.

In the mean time, Mistress Amanda had harnessed Henna to a double buggy carriage and Henna stood proud and ready to convey the two Mistresses alongside the trotting trap with Gemma and Danielle pulling it.  Both Mistresses boarded their carriage and sat ready.

'Well boy?' Mistress Lucinda said to the frightened chap aboard the trotting trap, 'off you go then!'

The young man turned and faced forward.  He snapped the reigns and made that noise people make with their tongue pressed to the roof of their mouths. 'Gee up there' he shouted and both Danielle and Gemma moved off towards the oval track at the bottom of the stud area with the two Mistresses following a little way behind.

Once on the driving track, Mistress Lucinda gestured to the Stable Hand to give the two Pony Girls a bit more speed.

'Yargh!' shouted the young man, giving a further two snaps of the reigns.  Danielle and Gemma first began to trot, then canter until finally the pair were galloping along the track (as best a couple of Pony Girls can)!  The poor young man was having a rough ride to start with but as Gemma found her Pony legs and began to move in time with Danielle the ride seemed to smooth out.

Poor Henna was having trouble keeping up as she had two people on board and there was only her pulling them.
Mistress Amanda turned Henna off the track and trotted her back to the entrance of the oval circuit.  As the trotting trap approached, Mistress Lucinda indicated she wanted the lad to stop.

'Whoa there' Mistress Lucinda heard him call.

'WHOA!' again the young man called out, but very little happened.  Gemma was enjoying herself and although Danielle was trying to slow down, Gemma was pulling Danielle on.  Then it happened.

Because Danielle was trying to obey and slow down, but Gemma was continuing to gallop, an imbalance occurred between their speeds and this had the effect of turning the whole ensemble to the right uncontrollably.  Due to the speed and the fact that Danielle caught her hoof on a piece of rough ground, the whole lot flipped over.  The young Man was catapulted away from the immediate accident site and landed safely but slightly bruised on the grass track surface.  Gemma and Danielle on the other hand were harnessed to the trap and tumbled with it.  There was grass and mud, arms and legs, wheels and bits of wood flying everywhere. 

As the dust settled both Mistresses arrived at the scene of the crash.  Danielle was pinned down underneath Gemma and trapped under the draw bar of the trap.  Gemma had blood tricking from her nose and a rather impressive hoof print on her face.  She was crying too!  Danielle was not moving though and Mistress Lucinda put her arm into the wreckage and felt for a pulse.  Thankfully she found one, but it was imperative that they free Danielle as soon as possible.

Both Mistresses worked to release Gemma's tack from the draw bar and thus freeing her from the wreckage.  This they achieved quite quickly and then they freed the draw bar from Danielle. Gemma was crying and making noises that sounded like she was calling out to Danielle to wake up.  Henna stood ready with her buggy carriage to carry Danielle back to the stable area.  

Once the draw bar of the trap had been removed the two Mistresses carefully checked Danielle for any broken bones or serious injuries.  She was breathing so it appeared she had merely been knocked out in the crash so they got the Stable Hand to help them carefully place her on to Henna's buggy carriage.  Gemma limped beside the buggy all the way back to the stables, keeping a watchful eye on her companion.

Back at the stables, the stud medic was called and after examining Danielle and Gemma he concluded that they had both had a very lucky escape.  He revived Danielle with some smelling salts and he tended to Gemma's injuries, which he said was a fractured nose and what would become a rather trendy U shaped bruise on her face.
This made Gemma smile a little and she smiled even more when Danielle sat up and smiled at her.

Mistress Lucinda walked outside the stable and leant on the bar for tying up the ponies to.  Mistress Amanda finished Removing Henna's body harnesses and tack, and then she went and stood by Mistress Lucinda.

'They are both ok, there are no injuries that won't heal and the trap can be repaired or replaced, so everything is going to be ok, ok?' Mistress Amanda said as she lit up a cigarette.

'I know,' said Mistress Lucinda 'I just know though if I had been driving them like I should have been, it would not have happened!'  She turned and leant on the wooden bar so she was facing Mistress Amanda.

'Listen Lady,' Mistress Amanda said, 'it's no use you beating yourself up about it!  That chap is probably more qualified to drive those two girls than we ever could be!  Gemma just needs more training that's all and Danielle tried to do what she had been trained to and stop the other pony.  She'd have done it too if not for catching her hoof awkwardly.  It was an accident ok, that's all!'

'Yeah I guess so' replied Mistress Lucinda, swiping Mistress Amanda's cigarette and taking a long pull on it before handing it back to her.  That night, Mistress Lucinda made plans to make sure that Gemma's training as a Pony Girl, would not cause any more accidents like the one today.

Find out what happens in the next instalment.

Written by: Maid Gemma

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