10 Tips to Ensure Your Pony Play Session is Safe, Sane, and Consensual

Pony play, or animal role play, has become more and more popular over the last few years. This type of BDSM includes using bondage to engage in erotic role-play that centers around the fantasy of being an animal in human form. It can be an intense experience for both submissives and dominants if safety guidelines are not followed during pony play sessions. Follow these simple tips to ensure your next pony play session is safe, sane, and consensual.

1) What is Pony Play?

Pony play is a combination of BDSM and erotic role play where one person assumes the role of ponygirl (or ponyboy). Pony play can, and often does, combine many aspects of BDSM. Pony play usually involves dominance and submission; some amount of bondage and discipline; anal tails; bone gag; bridle bit gag or bit gag harness; riding harness bondage restraints such as belly bands with strap-on dildos.

2) Why Consider Pony Play?

Before you ever get in a pony play session, you have to decide if it’s really something you want. You should consider if it’s right for your relationship with your partner and whether it fits with how you feel about BDSM in general. When considering getting into pony play for BDSM purposes, think about how well you know yourself and your partners. If either of you has less experience or knowledge than others who do pony play regularly then take that into account before deciding whether or not to begin a session. The more experienced people are with BDSM practices as a whole (consent training included), then they will be better prepared to explore what doing pony play entails specifically.

3) How do I Get Started?

Many individuals new to pony play or BDSM in general often feel some anxiety about getting started. Although it may seem like there are a lot of things you need before you can even begin playing with your partner – don’t worry! You don’t need anything but yourself and your partner (and maybe an idea of what you want) in order to get started. In fact, I would argue that that makes everything easier! Start off by agreeing on some non-negotiable rules – things like no hitting below any particular point without a safeword or that you have to use your safewords if something goes wrong. Come up with a few simple ground rules so that everyone knows what they are agreeing to engage in.

4) Rules of Pony Play

Pony play requires a different mindset. It’s imperative that you follow these rules when playing as either a ponygirl or ponyboy. The bottom in pony play should not have any expectations of how things are going to go or what they will get out of it. Being a submissive participant in an activity means that you can’t dictate what you get out of it and you are not entitled to certain things from your partner. You must be willing and open-minded for anything – but especially new experiences – to happen.

5) Safety First!

Pony play can be a little bit dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. In BDSM, pony play takes on an added level of danger because it also involves activities like horseback riding or harnesses that put stress on all sorts of muscles and joints.

To be safe in a pony play session (or any BDSM scene), start by picking one person in charge to be in command of who does what. That person should probably also have taken some kind of basic first aid course so they can handle any accidents that may occur during your scene. Safety bondage: After determining who will have control over your scene, make sure you learn how to safely bind yourself into a harness for flogging or erotic horseback riding.

6) Self-Care and Sanity

The first tip to ensure your pony play session is safe, sane, and consensual is about self-care. Pony play can be very intense. From organizing your pony play session to maintaining it throughout your session, there are a lot of things you will have to attend too. That's why it's important that you make sure you maintain good self-care throughout your planning process.

7) Consent! Consent! Consent!

One of these things isn’t like the others. Consent—the right for all involved parties to make informed decisions about their sexual activities—is often overlooked in kink-oriented play. Always remember, in pony play or any BDSM situation, just because your partner wants you (or your tail) doesn’t mean you should give it.

8) Dealing with Injuries

Injuries are often an occupational hazard for people in kink. If you're into pony play, that means that spurs can come with some pretty serious risks. But injuries don't have to ruin your session. By following a few safety guidelines before you start playing around with your doms or master's new favorite piece of gear, you can make sure that everyone has a good time without anyone going home early.

9) What are Some Basic Pony Gear Items?

Pony play can take on different forms depending on what both participants are interested in exploring. Some people want their partners to pretend they’re a horse; others prefer a more hands-on approach. When it comes down to it, pony play can mean whatever you want it to mean! That said, here are some basic pony items that will allow you and your partner(s) explore these fantasies safely.

10) Is Pony Play Right for Me?

Pony play isn’t for everyone. Before engaging in a pony play session, you should carefully consider whether or not pony play is right for you. If you don’t feel like pony play would be a good fit for your kink style or personality, there are certainly other ways of exploring BDSM. But if pony play sounds like something that could interest you—if it sounds like something that might help you explore new facets of dominance and submission—then it may be time to sit down with your partner and have an honest conversation about why it might be worth exploring.