"Do you understand what a ponygirl is?"

The athletic blonde actress shifted nervously in her seat. "Yes. I've, um, I did a little research on my computer, so I've got some idea of . . . of the kind of things out there."

Her voice gained a bit of hardness at the end, which the middle-aged man hoped to soften. "You have to understand that what's online mostly represents the most . . . extreme elements of this subculture. Here we deal with reality, not fantasy."

"I see," said the young actress. "So there's no torture or, um, body modification?"

"No no no no no. The fillies-- that's what we call them-- are here voluntarily, and we don't subject them to brutal tortures, brandings, amputations, or whatever."

The tension fell away from the actress's body, and she gave a brief smile. "That's good."

"So what is this movie about, anyway? The director was kind of secretive."

The actress tossed a lock of hair back from her face with a flick of her head. "Well, it's the story of a woman who loves horses so much that when she accidentally kills her favorite steed, she decides to take it's place as a form of atonement." She grimaced. "It's a psychological drama."

"So you're just doing a little background research, right?"

"The director thought it would be good if I, um, got a feel for this kind of thing, a-and he recommended you."

It was all the man could do to keep from laughing at the young woman's naivete. "Well, the director has a good track record. You must feel honored to be working with him."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it'll be a boost to my career, what with the nature of the story and all."

The man smiled. "Controversy never hurts. Look at Maggie Gyllenhaal in SECRETARY. Or Catherine Deneuve in BELLE DU JOUR. Jane Fonda in BARBARELLA." He stopped as he saw her get a glazed look in her eyes. An actress? The dumb bunny didn't even know cinema.

He stood up. "Well, then, let's get started, shall we, Keera?"

The actress took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, the quaver in her voice betraying her nervousness.

He took her out back to a large barnlike structure, then paused at the door. "Ready?" Keera nodded stiffly. "Okay, then," said the man, and opened the door.

The first thing Keera saw was the training carousel. Several women in white athletic bras, knee-high leather pony boots, and tack pranced around in a big circle on the dirt and sawdust floor, their speed and direction dictated by leather reins linking their bits to the revolving framework above their heads. All their heads had been shaved so that nothing but a narrow mane ran down the backs of their heads. A leather-clad woman stood vigilantly off to one side, barking orders and flicking her whip.

The man heard a sharp intake of breath from the actress, but she stayed where she was, her eyes wide. He turned to her.

"The first thing a ponygirl learns is the various gaits-- trot, canter, gallop, and so on. They must be executed flawlessly, and a ponygirl is trained until they become second nature to her."

She nodded absently, her mind transfixed by the bizarre sight. She self-consciously reached back and clutched her long blonde locks. Well, if she had to do it . . .

He then led her to the one wall, where a few ponygirls stood motionless, facing the bare wood of the barn, their leads tied to head-high hooks less than a foot from their faces. He noticed that the actress had her arms folded protectively across her chest, but seemed fascinated nevertheless.

"A ponygirl must also learn patience, as she is often left alone for long periods of time while her master tends to other things. She must also ignore things that don't concern her. As you've probably noticed, they don't even acknowledge our presence, but continue to stare at the wall."

He saw that Keera seemed more bothered by this than by the carousel training, and filed that fact away in his mind.

He approached the nearest ponygirl. "Sparkle. Turn." The ponygirl turned to face them, her face blank, but her eyes expectant, waiting.

"A ponygirl is also taught to accept the handling of her master." The man casually ran his hand over her bare butt and cupped her exposed crotch. Sparkle remained passive. He then flipped the straps of her athletic bra off her shoulders and popped a full breast out of it's soft cotton cup. "See? Totally obedient and trusting." He cupped the breast, caressing, squeezing, and bouncing it as the ponygirl remained still as a statue.

Keera grew paler by a few shades. "You're not-- I don't--"

"Don't worry. Should you decide to undergo training, you won't be handled so-- intimately."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Thank you," said Keera, her tone still a bit frosty.

The man tucked Sparkle's breast back into it's bra cup, then tugged the straps back into place, making minor adjustments before he finished. "Good girl," he cooed, patting her on the head. He took a roll of mints out of his pocket, thumbed one out, and pushed it between her lips. The ponygirl closed her eyes in ecstasy as she sucked away at it.

"Let's continue on," he said, unhitching Sparkle. As they moved on through the barn, he pointed out the lungeing post, the obstacle course, and the treadmills. Her reins in the man's hand, Sparkle kept pace, despite having to prance with a knee-high gait in boots with five-inch heels. Keera wanted to ask her how her feet felt at the end of the day, but knew from her research that a ponygirl was forbidden to speak, even when spoken to.

They proceeded through a passageway until they arrived at the stables. The actress stared numbly at the bare stalls. A mattress, some shelves with bras and sanitary napkins, wall restraints, a feedbag, and a wall-mounted water bottle was all that each contained.

"Don't they have any music, TV, books, anything like that?"

"Ponygirls have no need for human activities. They are satisfied just being what they are."

"Oh."

The man was afraid he was losing her. "These are women who have no responsibilities in the world. They love to perform, they love to be pampered and cared for. And they also have lots of good things to eat. Ain't that right, Sparkle?"

The ponygirl snorted contentedly through her lips and nuzzled his shoulder as he stroked her mane affectionately. "You see? For those like Sparkle, this is heaven. No worries or cares in the world."

Keera saw the love between the two, and had to admit there was a point to what he said, even if it wasn't exactly how she would like to live her life. And there were no signs of abuse and humiliation like she had seen on some websites.

The man showed her the bathroom and the shower room, but decided not to push it by showing her the punishment room. "And finally, we can wind up by having Sparkle give you a tour of the grounds."

The ponygirl responded by pawing the ground with a hoof and bobbing her head enthusiastically. The man led them to another building that housed several sulkies. He backed Sparkle up to one and began hitching her to it as the ponygirl stamped her feet impatiently. "I'll give you a riding crop, though you probably won't need it. Sparkle is very obedient and knows her way around." He finished up and turned to Keera. "Hop in."

The actress stepped gingerly into the cart and took the reins reluctantly.

The man smiled. "You've ridden horses, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then you know how to guide her. Just be gentle."

Keera snapped the reins, and seemed almost shocked when the ponygirl lunged forward and dug her heels into the ground. In less than a minute, they had left the building and were lost amid the high grass of the fields, the thumping of pony boots barely audible amid the sounds of insects and summer breeze.

They returned nearly a half hour later, Sparkle huffing and puffing through her bit. Though she was red-faced and dripping sweat, she seemed to have lost none of her enthusiasm. The man clipped a water bottle to her bridle and inserted the straw between her teeth before quickly unhitching her. Holding her reins, he instructed her to walk it off.

"So what do you think?" he said to the actress.

"I guess, um, I'd have to say that, uh, it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

"And it's only a month, right?"

"Only a month. No more, okay?"

The man smiled. "Promise."

He took Sparkle over to a hitchng post, where he tied her reins and gave her another mint and a pat on the head. "I know, I'm spoiling you, aren't I? Enjoy the sun, girl." He turned to Keera. "Decided?"

The actress chewed on a fingernail, reluctant to face up to the moment. Would she ever get to star in a major motion picture again?

She sighed and straightened her body. "Okay. Fine."

He nodded silently, not wanting to appear too enthusiastic, and ushered her into the tack room. "If you'll just get undressed . . ." He stepped over to a shelf full of exercise bras. "Your bra size?"

Keera froze, her blouse half open. "My bra--." A shrug. "34C."

He found her size, then tore open the plastic before handing it to her. He was careful not to let his gaze linger as she removed her old bra and took the new one from him. Didn't want to scare her off so close to victory.

Quickly, she slipped on the firm-support garment, self-consciously adjusting it with quick movements. She then removed her shoes and jeans and set them on a nearby chair with her other clothes.

"Panties, too, I'm afraid."

Keera removed them, not happy about it, though clearly not ashamed of her magnificent figure. She kept her hands hanging loosely in front of her crotch.

They found the right size boots for her, which the man laced tightly. Then the actress stood stiffly as he fitted the harness over her nearly-naked body, buckling the straps around her waist, torso, shoulders, and crotch. She gave a small groan of defeat as her wrists were cuffed to the waistbelt.

The man made sure he was gentle as he positioned the bridle over her delicate features and tightened the straps. Keera grunted uncomfortably as the tough rubber bit was lodged between her back teeth and buckled securely into place.

Her transformation was now complete. Whatever reservations she had were now meaningless.

The man stepped back to admire her, hoping she didn't see the huge erection tenting his pants. "Wonderful. I shall call you-- Starpony."

Keera stood there feeling totally helpless. She didn't want to admit to her fear, even as her hands struggled to cover her pubes. To back out now could cost her dearly . . .

"Let's get you settled in." He attached a lead to her bit and led her back to the stables as the actress wrestled with her feelings of submission. She realized she should have told some of her friends what she was doing first, but the embarrassment was just too great.

"This will be your stall." He led her into one of the tiny compartments and tied her lead to an overhead bar so that she could only move back and forth near the front of the stall. She saw that bras and sanitary napkins were already on the shelves. Was he that certain she was going to go through with it?

"Have a drink from the water bottle and get used to your surroundings while I get you something to eat." Before she could mumble a reply, he had left with her feedbag. Keera wondered if she would be allowed to talk at any time during her "training". She cursed herself for not working out something before this, as she surely couldn't talk clearly with a thick bit jammed in her mouth. Fuck!

The man returned a minute later and exchanged her bit for the feedbag. She tried to say something, but he was too quick, and the leather feedbag, which covered the entire lower half of her face, muffled her words. And with her arms cuffed, there was no way she could get his attention.

"Bon appetit." He patted her on the head and took off.

Dammit! thought Keera. Maybe when he came back.

The smell of the food made her hungry, so she tilted her head back and let some of the food spill into her mouth. It was a mixture of rolled oats, nuts, and dried fruit. Trail mix. Well, what did she expect? She nibbled away, trying to suppress the panic that threatened to engulf her.

A few minutes later, she realized she had to pee. Bad.

The man hurried back to his office to call the director. He had done it. Though it had been touch-and-go every step of the way, he had kept his promise.

He hung up the phone. She was trapped now, and it was just a simple matter of keeping up the ruse for the next four weeks until she could be delivered. The man shook his head. Paying off a cocaine debt with a ponygirl starlet was risky, but if they covered their tracks, no one would find her, and she would soon be forgotten. It was hard condemning a sweet young thing like that to a life of physical and sexual slavery at the hands of a brutal drug lord halfway around the world, but that was life.

The man got up to retrieve Sparkle. He had to remember to give her a treat for her performance. Good thing not all the best actresses were in movies.