Aramis and Porthos Black Pearl: Pony Play, a fascinating kind of fetish

Anyone who came to the erotic fair last year could hardly have missed one very striking visitor in a horse costume worked out down to the last detail. The video magazine The Mag and the Czech site Lascivní.cz spotted him too.

So we went down to the stables and talked to two noble horses of Czech stock, Aramis and Porthos, to find out what this fetish is actually about.

Hi guys, how are you doing in these “special” times? Are you working on something, or resting at home?

Both: Hi. Since we both fall under an exemption from the quarantine rules, we are in full harness and working like horses. There is always something to do in our free time, so whenever we can, we make more products, so there are more happy horses like us.

A lot of people will want to know who you are in your everyday lives. What do you do for a living, for instance?

Both: One of us runs a car repair shop, the other works in the public sector.

Is there a technical name for dressing up in a horse outfit? What does it mean to you personally? What is the point of it? Is it a kind of fetish?

Both: First of all we should say that it is not just “dressing up in horse outfits”, the way you put it. It is a fairly widespread fetish around the world, though it is not very well known in the Czech Republic yet. The whole thing is called Pony Play and it can be split into several categories. It depends on what suits you and where your priorities lie. What everyone shares is the goal of stepping 100% into the role of a horse. Some people feel like a draught horse, so they pull loads and carriages behind them. Some want to be a show horse, so they focus on looking and moving as convincingly as possible. And then there are people for whom the horse role is purely part of a D/s relationship. For them the main thing is taking on the submissive role.

As for what Pony Play means to us, all we can say is this: it has become part of who we are and an ordinary way of life.

Does role play come into it as well?

Both: Yes, as we mentioned earlier. The whole thing revolves around submission and dominance.

One person is the rider who looks after their horse, another can be the trainer or the groom. The main thing is to set clear rules within the relationship, agreed by everyone, so that it works for all involved.

What does the Pony Play community look like? Are the horses mostly men or women?

Both: Most of the Pony Play community is men. Women are rather the exception, though we know several. Around 85 % of the community is made up of gay or bisexual people.

If most horses are gay or bi, does that go for you two as well?

Both: No, it doesn’t. We are both straight. Porthos has a family and children, and Aramis has that still ahead of him.

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Porthos Black Pearl

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Aramis The Pony

Given how detailed each outfit is, this must be an expensive business. What can an outfit like that cost? Do you have several at home?

Both: Detail is what our work is built on. These days we make all the equipment ourselves. At home we each have one complete gear, of course, including plenty of accessories. We do not need more, because it is made of leather and lasts for ages. At the moment a complete set costs in the low hundreds of thousands of crowns. It depends on the detail and on the specification of the order. Naturally, when demand goes up and we make more, we may end up with several complete gears here. And on top of all that we are currently restoring a historic carriage.

How long can you stay in costume?

Both: That depends a lot on the circumstances and on the material you choose. You can be in Lycra or in latex. Then it depends on where you are, indoors or outdoors, and last but not least the weather plays a huge part. The record was around 8 hours in good weather in Berlin.

Are there events where fans of this “lifestyle” meet up? Where can we run into you?

Both: There are certainly plenty of events. At some of them we are regulars by now, but there are always new ones to discover. Among our favourites is Other Dress, where we recently showed our products. Then there is Prague Fetish Weekend, and abroad Folsom Europe, Dark Play Party and WGT with the German Fetish Ball.

One of you was at the erotic fair last year. How did people react? Do you run into misunderstanding, or stupid comments? Being put in a box?

Both: Yes, we do run into pigeonholing and prejudice, but unfortunately that comes with the territory. It is something our society is not used to, but over the years those negative reactions have become rare. Mostly people want a photo and ask what it is that we do. The ones who know a bit more and see a horse in latex immediately connect it with sexual practices and their faces change noticeably.

How do you think the Czech Republic compares with other countries? Are people here still “behind the times”?

Both: Czechs tend to be conservative and are not that open to new and unfamiliar things. They would rather look down and pretend they are not there and cannot see us. Most of them have secret desires they cannot even talk about, let alone act on. That is where we differ most. We go after our dream and our convictions, and we pay no attention to how other people look at us.

Is there anyone you look up to?

Both: Yes, one German maker who is also growing the ranks of Pony Players around the world. But that was at the very beginning; now we do everything according to our own judgement and ideas.

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Will we see you at EroFest this year?

Both: If there is room in the programme and the coronavirus situation allows it, why not.

Anything you would like to say to people in closing?

Both: Be who you want to be. Do not let other people’s opinions stop you and go after your dreams, because you are the only one who shapes your future — not the people around you.

Thank you to the guys for a great interview. We hope to meet them at this year’s fair. And do take a look at their social media, where you will find plenty of superb photos and products.

Porthos Black Pearl:
www.instagram.com/porthosblackpearls/
twitter.com/BlackPorthos

Aramis The Pony:
www.instagram.com/aramis_thepony/
twitter.com/AramisThePony