PART III. The Groom.

I could hear people gathering just outside the door to the stable. I raised myself up on my toes and tried to peek out the window. All I could see were the man and woman. They seemed to be having some sort of meeting. I listened to what they were saying.

"Before you meet your charges", said the woman "A couple of things to remember. You are responsible for the care and health of these animals. Any injury or sickness must be reported to the doctor immediately! The second thing is that you cannot be slipshod in your training. You will be evaluated during each phase. Those who fail will not be back the next year. John, do you want to say anything?"

The man then spoke, "Thanks Paula. The occupants of this stable are to be considered horses. Not horse slaves, not human ponys, but horses..period! They have been stripped of their clothing and body hair; now they are to be stripped of their identity and humanity. If their future owners want to give them back, that is for them to decide. I'm stressing this point as there is maybe some temptation to take advantage of these creatures. Well, put that out of your heads right this second! I caught one groom last year sucking the cock of his horse. Since that was a violation, the groom was punished by having to spend two months in harness. These are expensive animals, and I will not tolerate any action that is going to make training more difficult. Now, unless there are any questions, let's get to work."

The grooms now entered the stable. There were both girls and boys perhaps no older than eighteen or nineteen. They were dressed in the same outfits that John and Paula wore, except they had an embroidered patch with the Centaur symbol on their shirt pockets.

The door to my stall was slid open and a girl came in. She had short brown hair and soft brown eyes. She was maybe five and a half foot in height, and just ever so slightly, overweight. Not fat, but more, shall I say..husky, than the others.

She smiled and pulled out a carrot from a small bag she was carrying. "My name's Martha." she said softly. She held the carrot to my mouth and stroked the side of my face. I was hungry so I began to nibble at the offering. Still holding the carrot, she led me over to the steel shaft. After lubricating the tip, she positioned me over the device and pulled up on the handle, inserting it inside me.

Once the control knob was tightened, Martha produced a small knife and carefully cut away the poly straps that were binding my upper body and arms. I had no time to stretch as she began securing me in my new tack. It was made of a thicker leather, but was hand tooled with a rather handsome design. It also did not require a lot of adjustment. The measurements that were made beforehand were used to make sure that there was a good fit. I was bitted and bridled. Then Martha attached the reins and led me outside the stall.

We proceeded through the stable towards a door at the other end. On the other side was a large indoor show ring. There was a small grandstand near the center and on each side of the building there was a series of open-ended stalls. Martha took me to one of these stalls.

A long leather lead was tethered to each wall on either side of me. These leads were then secured to my bridle. I noticed that there was a speaker hanging from the ceiling just above me. A box with a dial was on one wall. Martha went over to the box, flipped a switch then turned the dial.

"BEEP............BEEP............BEEP" came from the speaker. I was puzzled until I felt a riding crop strike my the back of my right calf. Instantly I raised my leg. The sound continued "BEEP............BEEP............BEEP". The crop then struck my left calf. "Get them up!" Martha commanded. I put my right leg down and raised my left one.

With each "BEEP" the crop struck either my right or my left calf. The crop would strike only if I did not raise the appropriate leg. I knew then that I was to keep time to the beeping. I also knew that I had to raise my leg to a minimum height. If I went too low, Martha would hit me with the crop.

I was getting into the rhythm quite well, when she walked over to the dial and turned it to another position.

"BEEP........BEEP........BEEP" the sound was slightly faster.

I had to pump my legs a little faster to keep up. When I failed to keep time, I would feel the crop.

She turned it up another notch "BEEP......BEEP......BEEP" then another "BEEP....BEEP....BEEP"; and then still another "BEEP..BEEP..BEEP".

Finally, the sounds were going so fast I couldn't possibly keep it up for very long; "BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP".

Martha then turned off the sound. I was gasping for breath and sweating like crazy. It wasn't the work, I had gone for long distances pulling a lot of weight. It was the ever increasing pace and the fact that I had to keep my knees so high!

She brought me a bottle with some water. I opened my mouth and she held the spout and squeezed the bottle. I drank as much as she let me. She then released me from the leads and took me for a walk around the building.

The others were there, getting the same treatment I just had. Some were ready to drop at the mid-point on the dial. Some were going strong even at the fastest levels.

Paula and John would go to each station and make a notation on a clipboard. Paula had appeared at my station but I was too busy to pay attention what she was doing. She looked at me and gave me a smile that made me nervous. I wasn't sure exactly why, but I just felt as if I shouldn't trust her.

After I was cooled down, Martha took me back to the stable. On the way I could see that names had been stenciled on the stall doors. There were names like "Princess T", "Coffeecup", and "Zephyr".

I looked at the name that was on my stall. In freshly painted letters was the name that I would be called from now on: "CIMARRON"

The name Cimarron was not too frightening to me. But there were others who had been given names that were, I thought, quite nasty. My neighbor, the redhead was given the name Daisychain. A young Oriental filly was called Sugarsnatch. I had a feeling that Paula had a hand in picking some of the names, as she would give that wicked smile whenever she said their names.

One stallion had an obscene name, but it was actually very appropriate. It was Thundercock, and for good reason. It was the longest, thickest cock that I ever laid eyes on! At first I thought it was some joke. Perhaps a dildo from some sex shop had been stuck to his body. But when I saw Thundercock have his first erection, I was shocked!

Thundercock was also the victim of his groom/trainer's cruel sense of humor. He would look at Thundercock, open his mouth slightly, and slowly lick his lips. The giant penis would harden, and the groom would then smile and leave the stall.

The groom had a partner in his tormenting of Thundercock. One of the girls would occasionally slip into Thundercock's stall and would turn away from him. Then she would slowly rub her ass up against him. Once his cock was erect, she would douse him with cold water from a nearby bucket.

On one hot night, the two conspirators entered the stall and began getting undressed in front of Thundercock. They began making love. She would slowly suck on her partner's cock, while watching Thundercock get sexually excited. They would be sucking and fucking in every imaginable position, smiling at Thundercock and his obvious frustration. I knew that it would have been forbidden, but I wished that I could have helped Thundercock from his torment! When they had finished, they looked at Thundercock and laughed.

Each day I had to perform tasks that would reinforce the proper "horsey" behavior. Some days I would be hitched with a few of the others to a hay wagon, and then driven around the plantation. Usually, I was designated as one of the lead horses; the likely reason being because I was the most obedient. I was probably being used as an example for the others to follow.

My training followed a weekly schedule that rarely varied during the first couple of months. As I had no calendar available, I could only guess which day of the week it was by the particular day's routine.

Mondays and Wednesdays, I would be given "show ring" training. By using a whistle and hand signals only, I would be directed to trot, canter, gallop, or some other action.

Tuesdays and Thursdays were devoted to either pulling the previously mentioned hay wagon, or sometimes a plow.

On Fridays I had to work on my ability to pace myself by following the "BEEPS" that I was introduced to on my first day on the plantation.

I could tell when Sunday was by the reduced activity at the stable. Martha would hitch me up to a sulky and go for a drive.

Saturdays were "race days". I would be taken to the track and placed in competition with all of my stablemates. It was usually two-horse trotting races. The races would go on until each horse had had the chance to race every other. Then the fastest driver/horse combinations for that day would compete in one last race. I was never in the finals, although I had won a fair amount of contests.

Princess T was probably the fastest among us, and she knew it! After every race she would walk past the loser and give a look and a prance that just screamed "I'M BETTER THAN YOU!".

Martha had a dislike for Princess T's trainer too. Finally, she had had enough of losing and had figured out a stategy for putting those two in their places. Of course I had no idea what was going to happen.

On the third race of the day, I was paired with Princess T. She gave me that "superior" look and then prepared for the starting signal.

The signal sounded. I tried to get an early lead but Martha held the reins back. Princess T was in front by the first turn. It wasn't a big lead, and I knew that I could overtake her, but again, Martha would not let me speed up too much.

Princess T did not lose any ground by the time we had entered the third turn, but she didn't gain any either. I then understood why Martha was holding me back. Princess T was o.k. when it came to distance races, but she was vunerable in short sprints. Martha was saving me for that!

In the middle of the last turn, Martha gave the reins a snap, telling me to go all out. I gathered up my remaining strength and channelled it into my legs.

Princess T's driver didn't see what was happening until I had gotten alongside. He tried to get her to push herself in one last burst of speed, but she wasn't able to go any faster. Martha and I crossed the finish line slightly ahead. It wasn't the most glamourous win, but it certainly put those two in their place!

After the race, I was given a carrot by Martha and tethered to the far side rail, where the others were awaiting their turns to race.

Daisychain and Coffeecup were the next two trotters. The signal sounded, and they both literally flew around the first turn.

When they had finished the second turn, I noticed something wrong with Daisychain's sulky. The right wheel was wobbling! Her driver wasn't aware of the problem!

Daisychain was just ahead of Coffeecup when the wheel came off! The sulky plowed into the dirt track and Daisychain fell face first into the ground.

But the worst was yet to come. It seemed like it was in slow motion. Daisychain had just hit the ground when Coffeecup, unable to stop, tried to leap over the fallen horse. He stumbled and his sulky, ran up over her's and came crashing down! I heard a horrible scream coming from her throat as the weight of the sulky and driver landed on her.

The doctor ran to the scene of the accident and examined Daisychain. He looked at John and said only one word "Broken!"

A flatbed cart was brought over and Daisychain was released from the sulky and laid down, still in harness.

I thought "I'm sure she'll be o.k. the doctor will see to that." Then, I realized the meaning of what the doctor said.

NO! SURELY THEY WOULDN'T BE THINKING OF THAT! IT'S INSANE! SHE'LL RECOVER!....FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T!

After returning to the stable, I noticed that Daisychain's name had been painted over. The stall was completely cleaned out, with no evidence that anyone had ever been there.

I never saw Daisychain again.

Daisychain's disappearance took quite a while for me to get used to. However, she was not the only one to vanish. A few weeks later, another one of my stablemates was gone. A very defiant creature by the name of Indigo had been taken away in the middle of the night. Indigo had brought it upon himself. He resisted training at every opportunity. His body had countless stripes from trainers' whips, and his mouth had cuts where he was constantly trying to work on his bit in hopeless attempts to remove it.

Obviously, John and Paula decided that he was not capable of being trained. I did not have the feelings of loss as I did with Daisychain, but I was still uneasy at the thought that something drastic was done.

PART IV. The Breeding Shed.

The "work horse" training was reduced, and Martha concentrated on the "show ring" and trotting talents that I had shown. Some horses are meant for work, others for show, and others for racing. The same principle applied here as well.

I had also noticed changes in my body. The muscles in my lower extremities were much larger and powerful than when I first started. At the same time, my arm muscles were rather weak from disuse. From time to time, they would be exercised but for the most part they were considered unimportant appendages.

I also noticed that Paula was keeping a closer eye on me. During training sessions she would stay and observe me far longer than any of the others. At first I was flattered, as I thought that she was impressed with my progress. Then as she began hanging around my stall, I knew that she had something else in mind.

Martha and some of the other groom/trainers decided to go out together for a party. Martha was at first hesitant, but Paula persuaded her that after all her hard work, she deserved a night off. After dark, when everyone had gone, Paula came to my stall.

She produced a pair of reins and secured them to my bridle. We left the stable and walked down one of the dirt roads. There was no moon out, so occasionally I would stumble because I couldn't see anything. Paula had a flashlight, so she had no problems in finding her way.

We came to the door of a small white building. Paula looked around and opened the door. Once inside she closed the door, and set the light next to a canvas bag that lay by a post.

I looked around as best I could. A small platform was in the middle of the building. A wood panel with a window was off to the left of the platform. Numerous leather straps were attached to the platform. This was a breeding shed!

I stared at Paula then I tried to back away. Paula was just too strong for me and before you know it, I was secured on the platform. Once I was strapped in, Paula would use her riding crop and strike me wherever she thought I could work myself loose. If the strap moved, she would tighten it. I was completely immobile!

I heard the sounds of pants being unzipped and clothing being removed. I heard a rustling in the direction of the canvas bag. I turned my head around as best as I could. Paula knew that I couldn't see and so she walked around so that I would know what she was doing.

Paula was totally naked except for a huge dildo around her waist. Upon a closer look, I could see that it was actual two in one, with one end inside her pussy! "Like it?" she purred, "I made a mold from Thundercock and had a special toy built. I've seen how you looked at him and I wanted you to feel just what it would be like to be fucked by this monster!"

She went back to where my ass was well exposed. She placed the tip at my delicate opening. She then plunged the dildo inside me with one quick thrust! I felt waves of pain! The thing wasn't even lubricated. All I felt was this big rubber dick pushing its way in! I could also feel the trickle of blood as the dildo tore into me! She was having a good time, pushing and pulling the rubber dick in and out of me. "Whinny for me little horsey." she taunted, "Maybe I'll stop if you whinny nice."

The pain was too much for me to have any pride. From inside of me came a whinny. "LOUDER!" I whinnyed as hard as I could, hoping that that would satisfy her.

"Not too bad, but we've got a long night ahead of us."

Suddenly, Paula was pulled back by two of the stablehands. She struggled with them, but she didn't have a chance. John was there, enraged by what was happening. He slapped her as hard as he could.

"I TRUSTED YOU! THIS IS HOW YOU SHOW YOUR LOYALTY?" He screamed at her. Then he looked at me. "GET THE DOC, QUICK! WE GOT AN EMERGENCY!" One of the other stable hands rushed out of the shed.

Soon the doctor arrived and examined me. "There's been some tearing but nothing that needs hospitalization." he stated. He then treated the torn muscle and flesh. "Cimarron will need plenty of rest and care for awhile, but things will heal."

John then looked at the still helpless Paula. "SO YOU WANT TO FUCK A HORSE DO YOU?" He then looked at the stablehands and said, "TAKE HER TO BUILDING EIGHT!"

Paula's eyes widened in horror! "NO! PLEASE NOT THAT! DON'T..."

John then gave her the back of his hand with such force it knocked her senseless. The stablehands then dragged her away. Whatever it was, I hoped that she would really suffer!

Martha came into the shed, crying. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again!" she sobbed.

I knew that she would keep her word.

With Martha's care, I quickly healed. The mental anguish of my ordeal had not gone away however. I was still very sensitive if anything or anybody other than Martha or the doctor touched me.

Martha kept her word and didn't leave me alone. She obtained a sleeping bag and made herself at home in my stall. She was the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night before I fell asleep.

I no longer required the steel shaft when I was bathed. Martha was so kind and gentle, I never resisted when she would unharness me. I would just let my arms hang limp, knowing that she wouldn't do anything to abuse me.

I was also losing my sense of time. Each day began to blend in with the next. Each week was like the other. Each month faded in memory. When I was first placed in the stall, I would mark the wood door with a scratch from my bit. A mark would be placed for each day I was confined. I looked at the door. There were thirty- two marks on the door, but long ago, I had given up marking the days.

The days were getting cooler though. I could see the leaves on the trees starting to change color from the bright green, to various shades of red and yellow. The stablehands were dressing warmer and a blanket was placed on me at night.

PART IV. The Auction.

One day, I woke to the sounds of vehicles coming up the road. I looked through my window to see several cars and trucks being parked near the stables. Martha had changed clothes. Instead of the regular riding pants and shirt, she now wore a pair of black leather riding breeches. A matching leather riding coat and knee- high boots were also new. A white silk blouse with a low neckline completed the outfit. The other groom/trainers were similarly dressed.

A new harness was placed on me. It had silver buckles and ornamentation. I was being decorated for some special occasion.

My stablemates and I were paraded around the outdoor show ring in front of about two dozen people. They seemed to be of different ages, races, and nationalities. Each one was paying careful attention to what was being shown to them. We were then lined up, and we were individually presented to the group.

Next, each guest would inspect the horses that they were interested in. The first to see me was a tall blond woman. She wore dark glasses which she never took off during the entire time she was there. She stroked my body and placed her fingers near my rear opening. I flinched, remembering my experience with Paula. "Skittish aren't we?" she said and walked over to the next horse.

A distinguished-looking couple were the second ones to inspect me. They seemed to be more interested in my muscle tone than my obedience.

I was looked at by a number of the other guests, including a Japanese businessman and a thirtyish looking couple.

When the inspection was over, the program switched to a demonstration of the abilities of the horses. Martha would show just how well I had accepted training by putting me through my paces. She was confident and I showed that she had every reason to be. I didn't want to let her down. Not after all she had done for me.

The "work" horses, especially Coffeecup, were given a rigorous workout, pulling several large, heavy wagons. The distinguished couple nodded approvingly.

The trotting races were the last demonstration. I did no better than anyone else. Princess T was of course, the usual winner. Her driver had developed her ability to handle sudden sprints, so that she wouldn't fall into the same trap that Martha and I sprung.

Finally, I was hitched to a cart and the guests who were most interested in me were allowed to drive me around the plantation. I was driven by the blond woman and the Japanese businessman. Both were not very attentive to me, rather I was treated more like a commodity.

My final trip was with the thirtyish couple. I was driven down the roads past the various buildings on the grounds.

I came to the breeding shed. The painful memories came back and I closed my eyes to try to shut them out. The couple went over to talk to John who was keeping one eye on what was happening inside the shed.

The door was open so I looked as hard as I could, wondering what was going on. To my surprise there was Thundercock! He was furiously fucking away as two other fillys were waiting their turn. John said "We're keeping him for breeding purposes." and with a sound of surprise he continued, "He just can't seem to get enough. I can't figure out why."

I secretly laughed to myself. "Well Thundercock has finally found a home!"

We continued down a road that I had never been on before. A small white building was situated between two small hills. As we approached I saw the number eight above the door. This was what horrified Paula! I knew that I just had to see inside. Hopefully the couple will take me close enough.!

They did. The couple dismounted from the cart and walked around the other side of the building. Carefully, I moved towards a window and peeked inside.

What I saw made me understand Paula's terror! Standing in a stall was Paula. She was in the customary tack but there was a distinct difference...she had no arms! The powerful arms that had held me in their powerful grip had been amputated! But there was more. The beginnings of a real tail could be seen on her backside. The tissue from her arms were being used to form the tail. Plugs of hair from her head had been transplanted into the tail, and were starting to grow. I saw a scar on her throat, her vocal chords had been surgically altered in some fashion.

The final horror was at the bottoms of her legs. Her feet had been altered. Instead of human feet she was perched on artificial hooves! She had now been transformed into a creature more horse than human! I let vengeful feelings turn into pity; this was a fate that I didn't want to wish on anyone.

We returned to the stable where once again, I was lined up with the others. One by one we were lead over to John who acted as auctioneer.

Each of my stablemates was sold to one of the guests. The Japanses businessman purchased three, including Princess T and Zephyr. The distinguished couple bought Coffeecup.

Then it was my turn. John started the bidding at $120,000. Eventually, only three bidders were interested in me: The blond, the Japanese man, and the thirtyish couple.

The bidding was now at $180,000. Then $190,000, and finally the blond offered $200,000. The Japanese man smiled and shook his head. The thirtyish couple conferred, then bid $205,000.

The blond waived her hand as if to say that she gave up. I was now the property of new owners!

It was time to leave the plantation. The other horses were being loaded into their new owners' trailers. Martha came up to me, tears filling her eyes. "Goodbye", she said "I'll miss you." I gave her a nuzzle then she turned away and ran towards the stable.

As I was loaded into the trailer I heard the scream of Coffeecup. The distinguished couple had just finished branding him with a family crest of some type.

It was a several hours' trip before I was finally taken out of the trailer. I looked around and saw that it was a farm of some sort, but more of a hobby farm than an actual working farm.

Two teenage girls ran out of the house. The elder one took one look at me and flung her arms around my neck. "You got one! You got one!" she exclaimed.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the couple cried.

The girl took me over to a fence that had a meadow on the other side of it. She undid my tack. My arms fell to my side. Although I could, I didn't want to use them, it would have felt unnatural. She opened the gate and gave me a slap on my rear. I ran into the meadow.

As the girl watched me, I could see the couple with their arms around each other, obviously very happy.

I stood there in the meadow. Feeling the sun on my face and the wind on my mane. I knew that I didn't want anything else in the world.

My name is Cimarron. Equis...Hippos...Horse.

END