Julie ran. She ran long and hard down the sun warmed sidewalk until beads of sweat formed on her brow and journeyed down her feminine face. With a quite remarkable pace she streaked by the mile marker without looking back. Her burning lungs and aching body gave out and forced to a final disappointing stop. Julie kicked the walk with disgust. Damn that Heather! Julie used to be the track star. She ran the short races. She ran the long races. She even ran the relays. Victory wasn’t always hers but she was always the girl to put money on.

That was until Heather showed up. Apart from being absolutely gorgeous, the girl had legs of steel and could run laps around most other girls. Julie could just barely keep up in the short races but was left behind in the long ones. It was like this girl came from Mars specifically to break her track records. What infuriated her most was how absolutely bubble brained she was. The girl was terrible at all her subjects and could not take notes to save her life. She didn’t talk much and would usually ignore whoever called her. All the same, the guys practically threw themselves at her and the girls seemed to enjoy her company.

“Hey, Julie.” Julie looked up at a short young man, the only guy she had met to have a perpetually smug look on his face. He was walking home with an ice-cream cone dripping from his hand.

“Hey, Ron.”

“Wanna ice-cream cone?”

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

“You look it too. Watcha doing anyways?”

“Training for track.”

“Training for track? I didn’t know they did that?”

“You practice for soccer don’t you?”

“Of course, but we aren’t running around mindlessly in a circle. We are actually…”

“Cram it.” Julie shoved the ice-cream into his mouth before he could finish his sentence. “You want to die of a brain freeze?”

“Jeeze… you are in a sour mood today. What’s eating you?”

“It’s that Heather girl. She is inhuman! I try to catch up but it’s not doing any good. If only I knew her secret I’d put her in her place. But the girl won’t talk to anybody except… You!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you! She is always talking to you. What’s her deal?”

“Um… Well…” Jon suddenly spoke properly, something he only did when he is choosing his words carefully. “She likes to run the horse trails around our ranch, so that’s how she knows me.”

“Horse trails huh… So that is why I never see her practice or anything. But that can’t be all. What else does she do?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I watch her or anything. Most of the time I am at soccer practice.”

“Damn…”

“You know, if you’re looking for something to beat Heather at then you should join the soccer team. I can guarantee Heather can’t handle a soccer ball.

“You’re right!”

“Re… really?”

“Yes! I should run the horse trails too!”

“Oh…” Jon looked sick for a moment. “I think that’s a bad idea.”

“What? Why? You let Heather do it!”

“That’s a little different…”

“Oh? How so?”

“Well… it just is… Look there’s no way you could beat her. Believe me, there is absolutely no way. Why don’t you just give up and do something else?”

“No way! I am going to beat Heather or I am going to die trying.” Julie mustered the most determined look she could muster. She was prepared for long drawn out argument and Jon knew it. He also knew from experience that it wasn’t worth trying to fight her.

“Just call before you come. Give me a little heads up. Okay?

“Thanks, Jon. I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

Julie went home in considerably higher spirits. She couldn’t wait to see Heather’s face when she finally beat her. It was going to happen she was sure of it.

Day 1

The ranch was really out there, deep into the countryside past almost all the farmhouses and crop fields. If Julie didn’t go by it everyday on her walk to school she would have never known of its existence. The place was massive and hidden on all sides by a fifteen foot wooden fence. She had always wondered why they would need such a large barrier to keep the horses in. With a shrug she walked up to the gate and gave it a good heavy knock.

Jon answered. The young man was looked exhausted, worse than she had the day before. He greeted her in and gave her a quick tour. The ranch wasn’t as big as she had thought. He pointed out the stables, the house, the trails and the horse track.

“Jon I didn’t know you had a horse track in here.”

“Yeah, we race sometimes. But it’s not much different than the track at school. I didn’t think you would be interested in that.”

“You’re right. It’s the trails I want to see.”

“Well, you have a few hours so go nuts. Don’t get lost or anything.”

“Gotcha.” Without delay she ran down the trails and out of sight.

The trails were wide and well tended. She had been afraid that she might twist an ankle on a tree root or something but she didn’t have to worry. The path twisted and turned again and again until she was not quite sure where she was. Thank goodness it had no forks or splits or she might have gotten lost. It did not take long for her to realize that the trail was not much different from the street sidewalks. There were no steep inclines or challenges. It was just a horse path. Was this really all that Heather was doing? No, there had to be more to it then that. There was something Jon didn’t know or had neglected to mention.

Julie ran the trail for about an hour and had barely broken a sweat when she emerged back on the ranch. Jon was loitering nearby.

“Was it everything you thought it would be?”

“I guess… But it’s not much different from my normal routine. You wouldn’t be hiding anything from me would you?”

“Hide anything? Like what?”

“Like Heather’s secret to her insane speed and endurance?”

“Julie, I don’t know anything about track and I don’t care. She runs through the trails. I don’t know beyond that. It’s not like I run with her or anything.”

His sudden outburst threw her a bit. He was clearly irritated with her and with good reason. He had let her run on around his home and she was standing there accusing him.

“I’m sorry, Jon. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. Heather just gets me so frustrated. I guess I lost my head for a minute.”

“…Don’t worry about it. So you’re done with the trails then?”

“Well… yes… for today.”

“For today?”

“Well, this place is perfect for running and so close to my house. If you don’t mind I would like to come again.”

Jon paused for a long moment apparently unsure. Julie thought it was a pretty easy yes or no question but Jon took his time on this one.

“Alright… but never on weekends. And just make sure you call first. Okay?”

“Okay… I’ll see you again tomorrow. Thanks Jon.”

Julie ran home to finish her homework and get a good night sleep. The next few days were rather uneventful. Julie developed a new routine built around the ranch. She spent hours upon hours not only on the trails but on the race track as well. Though school and friends were still maintained, most of her time went to training. The track meets didn’t show it. Heather continued to keep a decent distance from her in the short distance races and continued to utterly destroy her in the long distance races. Though Julie’s never give up attitude was still intact her spirits started to dwindle.

Heather however was always happy. Instead of shying away from her like usual she actually approached her several times to congratulate her on her races. She never said much but always smiled warmly on her. Though Heather was just being nice this change in attitude only made Julie all the more bitter toward her.

And why did she never see Heather on the Ranch? With all the time spent there she should have run into her at some point. Had Jon lied to her about the whole thing? No, he didn’t care about track. He could have done it because Heather had requested it. No man could say no to her. But she wasn’t smart enough to pull one over on her. Perhaps she was just a morning person or something.

Day 12

Julie was running around the race track and getting nowhere when she finally got fed up.

“What am I doing wrong?!”

Jon was hanging over the fence clearly bored out of his mind.

“I dunno…”

“Come on! There has to be something!”

“Well, you run pretty fast. I have to give you that. But you’re running all flat-footed.”

“Flat-footed?”

“Yeah, you ever see a cat run. He is always on his paws. Try running on the balls of your feet more.”

“Like a cat huh… I’ll give a try.”

Julie ran around the track once just on the balls of her feet. It was harder and her feet hurt. In fact she felt she might fall over by the time she was through. But she seemed to go a bit faster. Jon seemed to wake from his boredom as Julie stumbled back to him.

“I did go a bit faster.”

“You went way faster.”

“Really?”

“Heck, yeah. You want me to time you?”

Jon lifted his sleeve and let his watch see sunlight. He timed her running a lap normally and then running on the balls of her feet. The difference made her head spin and she could not help but smile. But her feet were so sore by this time that she had to sit down.

“That is incredible. How did you get so smart huh?”

“What are you talking about I’m always smart. But don’t tell anyone that I know anything about track. It’s a damn lie.”

“Yeah, whatever… my feet are killing me though. But I might actually catch up to her now with a bit of practice.”

“Heh… yeah…”

“What? What was that?”

“Oh come on… there is no way you could beat Heather.”

“And why not?”

“Well she’s… well, just look at her. You don’t have a chance, not in a million years.”

“Oh yeah? I’m going to do whatever it takes to beat her. I know I can do it.”

“Uh huh, it would certainly be something…”

Julie went home with a smile on her face that no one could wipe away. She slept well. The routine was reworked around her new form and though it was tough, her feet and ankles toughened up and her performance improved. The trails were rarely used, replaced by the horse track..

Jon had taken an interest in her running though he denied it with a vengeance when she brought it up. Even so, he seemed to always be around with an eye on his watch. He also had a few helpful pointers her and there whenever she asked.

The improvement showed at the track meets and she got more then a few comments about it. Heather was warm and friendly as ever and Julie returned the feelings despite her growing spite. Heather was still way out of her league but she was making progress.

Day 23

Julie arrived at the ranch like usual but this time she was greeted by Jon at the door. He said he had a surprise for her and dragged her to the barn full of old equipment. After rummaging through some old junk her he turned and held out a pair of boots.

“Here you go.”

“Boots?

“Take a closer look.”

She humored him. The boots were definitely odd. The toe stuck out like high heeled shoes. The problem was that there was no heel. Her ankles hurt just looking at them.

“What am I supposed to do with these?”

“You’re supposed to run in them of course.”

“Run in these? I couldn’t stand in them let alone run in them!”

“Don’t cut them down so fast. Will running in these be that much different then running on the balls of your feet?”

“Yeah… my feet will be fixed. I won’t be able to rest my ankles. And besides I won’t be able to run track meets with these. They aren’t exactly regulation.”

“I know that. The way I see it your ankles are still all week. With these you can really toughen them up. You’ll clean up at the meets. Who knows, you might even keep up with Heather.”

This caught Julie’s intrigue. She took another look at the boots and felt the worn leather in her hand. They were old and smelly. She absolutely did not want to wear these but if there was even a chance of beating Heather... She did say that she would do whatever it takes.

Reluctantly she sat down on a nearby bench and took off her shoes. The boots went the length of her legs to just under her knee and laced up the sides. With Jon’s help the laces were tightened to a comfortable but snug fit. Her tracksuit was a problem. It would be a real pain to hide them under the boots so she let them hang over the top. With a little help from Jon she worked herself up onto her feet. Jon was right. It wasn’t much different from what she had been doing. Her ankles ached a bit but the boots were actually somewhat comfortable considering the awkward position her feet were in. It would have been absolute murder on her ankles had she not been running the way she had. The strangest thing about the deal was how silly she looked. Ankle up, she was an average girl in a track suit. But her feet looked distinctly like horse hooves.

“Where did you find these things anyways?”

“...In this junk. You would be amazed what you can find in this heap. I was about to throw them out when I got the idea. They’re pretty cool huh?”

“I guess we will find out won’t we.”

Julie walked out to the track and gave these strange shoes a chance. They did not disappoint. The first lap matched her regular time and the second actually shaved off a few seconds. If there was anything Julie enjoyed it was an instant result. From that moment on she incorporated them into her routine. It was only a shame that she couldn’t use these marvels at the track meets against that despicable Heather.

After the day was over Julie thanked Jon for the boots and the use of his ranch. He was happy to help but did insist that the shoes stay with him. It was a little odd but Julie didn’t want to take the stinky things home anyways. She agreed that leaving them would be best.

Julie did not get the same instant result at the track meets. Her times did change for the better but not by much. Heather was still the front runner and people were beginning to forget who Julie was, that she was once the best. This really brought her down. She could never run as fast as she did in those boots. Her social life took a bit of a back seat and her grades a minor dive as she spent more and more time at the ranch. The girl just refused to give up.

Day 34

Julie was doing her normal runtime around and around the race track. Jon watched quietly from the sidelines as she went. Julie suddenly stopped and looked at him.

“It is slowing me down isn’t.”

“What is?”

“My tracksuit, it’s slowing me down. Every time I really get going it catches the air and holds me back. All I hear as I go along is flap, flap, flap, flap.”

“I don’t pretend to know track regulations but I don’t think you can run naked.”

“Ha, Ha. Funny. I’m serious!”

“Well, you could try some kind of skin tight thing but I don’t think it would make much difference.”

Julie was quiet for a moment. She face looked flush and it was not because of the running.

“What is it?”

“Would you… mind if I… lose the tracksuit?”

“…And? What? Run in your skimmies.”

“Just lose the bottom half that’s all.”

“…You want me to leave?”

“…No. I don’t mind giving you a little look as long as you don’t tell anyone.”

“I don’t know about this…”

“I’m asking you. It’s perfectly alright.”

“I don’t think it will make a difference at the track meet but if it’s alright with you it’s alright with me.”

“Good… Thanks…”

Julie had never been in her underwear in front of a guy before. She worked up the nerve and let her track suit bottom fall to her ankles to reveal a cute pair of pink panties. Tossing the suit to the side she started up again.

She had a nice ass. Jon tried not to stare but if Julie’s time on the ranch had done nothing else it had perfectly rounded her bottom. Though in her own little world she did catch Jon looking once or twice and couldn’t help but blush. Apparently the top was slowing her down too because after a few laps she tossed it to and let her skin shine. Her breasts though just a bit on the small side were finely shaped apples that no man would disapprove of. Thank goodness for the matching pink bra or poor Jon would not be able to look away.

Though the afternoon was very interesting it did little for Julie’s speed. Though Jon’s was convinced that her change in attire had done nothing at all for her training, Julie disagreed. She was sure that her absolute maximum speed was reached and would not work out any other way. Jon was sure that was nonsense but decided to let the meet results speak for him.

Another meet come and went. Julie had done well in most of the long distance races though she did have to take second to Heather once again. Then the short races came. She actually kept up with Heather in every race. The final hundred meter dash she surprised everyone and tied Heather for first. Heather actually gave Julie a big congratulatory hug after that race. Julie and Heather had actually developed a bit of a friendly rivalry though as far as Julie was concerned the battle had begun long before then. But a friendship had begun to form.

Julie was so happy she thought her grin might split in two. After that Jon had to let her run in her underwear and she did. The first few days were trying. Jon’s eyes had a way going places they weren’t supposed to and Julie could hardly concentrate on her running when she thought he was looking. But it wasn’t long before both were used to the idea.

Day 45

Julie went to the ranch like usual. Once again Jon greeted her at the door and welcomed in. This could only mean that he had another little surprise for her like the boots. He was however acting kind of weird as if still debating whether or not to continue. They found themselves once again in the dreary barn.

“You trust me right?”

“What?” The question caught her off guard. He was very serious which was very unlike him. “Well, I run around your track in my underwear. I can’t say that I don’t trust you. What’s this about Jon?”

“Well, you still haven’t beat Heather at the short races and I think I can help. But, I don’t want you to think I’m a pervert or anything.”

“I know you’re not a pervert, Jon. What is this about already?”

Jon reluctantly opened a nearby box and pulled out a mess of old studded leather. At first Julie didn’t know what she was looking at. It was just thin leather straps held together with buckles and metal rings. Then the leather took shape. It was meant to be worn. It was meant for a woman. It was the kinkiest most inappropriate thing she had ever laid eyes on.

For the longest moment Julie was too shocked to reply. Her eyes just moved from Jon’s rather embarrassed look to the monstrosity hanging before her and back again.

“What the hell is this Jon?”

“Okay, okay… Here me out first. You run around with your arms flailing about. You waste a lot of energy that way and it slows you down. I think this can help there. But if you don’t like then just say so. I won’t bring it up again.”

At first angry, Julie was now a bit curious. Jon wasn’t a pervert, she knew that. So could this thing actually help her run faster?

“Where did you get it?”

“Found it with the boots. I think they go together, like a set.

“How is it supposed to help exactly?”

“Well, I could try and tell you but I’d rather show you. That is, if its okay with you.”

Eyeing the harness she could not believe she was even considering it. But she had yet to defeat Heather on the track and she had been so close so many times. If this could help her even a little bit it could give just the little push she needed to win. Could it really hurt to try it on? Jon had already seen her in her underwear. There wasn’t much left to hide. And she really did trust Jon. Julie reached out and took the harness.

“Could you… take a walk?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure.”

Jon waited out side and let her have her privacy. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as she dropped her track suit and shoved it her gym bag. Underwear could be worn underneath but the old dirty leather might leave marks. Already going this far she went ahead and dropped her panties and bra letting her assets show. As complicated as the harness looked it was actually quite simple. There was a strap over each shoulder. Two thinner belts went above and below her bosom framing her breasts but not constraining them. A third wider belt went around her waist and sported multiple D-shaped rings. A single strap held the whole thing together traveling down her middle, between her legs and up her ass. Her breasts stuck out for anyone to see, nipples stiff in the open air. At least her sex was hidden even if by just a slim leather strap. Her pubic hair was still embarrassingly visible but at least Jon wouldn’t see how moist she was getting.

She nervously called Jon back in who was taken back by her beautiful shapely body. Being under his appreciative eyes, she couldn’t help but blush. Jon was embarrassed too, but took a deep breath and approached her back. Without a word he began adjusting the buckles and straps. She felt a little bit violated having not asked him to do this. He was touching her body as he went along. But he did nothing inappropriate and she did trust him. She let him do his thing hoping only that he hadn’t notice the musty smell that was suddenly in the air. The harness got tighter in some areas and looser in others. This made itself very evident when one of the straps along her back tightened causing the strap hiding her sex to loosen considerably. Jon must have noticed as soon as she had because he quickly adjusted it to a snug fit taking special care not to embarrass her further.

When finished the harness was much more comfortable then before. Jon certainly knew what he was doing for just having just found the harness one day. Sure he did work on the ranch and deal with horse harnesses regularly. But she had to wonder if there was more to it then that.

“Okay, so how is this supposed to help my running?”

“Well, like I said, you’re run around with your arms flailing around and you lose a lot of energy that way. So I figured you would be more efficient with your hands anchored down.”

“Anchored down?”

He pulled out yet another bit of leather, what looked to be leather loops with more D-shaped rings.

“With your wrists anchored to the belt of the harness you can focus on pumping your legs.”

“You want to lock my hands behind me?”

“Not exactly… Here let me show you.”

She took a nervous step back at his advance. He actually looked a little bit hurt at this.

“You’ve gone awfully far to lose faith in me now haven’t you?”

After a moments thought she relaxed and let him ‘anchor’ her. He buckled a cuff around each wrist and brought her arms behind her back. Then with a click she was secured. Julie panicked trying to free her hands and looking at Jon in horror. Had he trapped her? Had he tricked her on purpose? Was he a pervert after all? She could just imagine a tiny bronze lock holding her hands where they were. She was just waiting for Jon to laugh evilly and dangle the key in front of her.

Jon did not do that though. He actually looked quite confused and concerned.

“Let me go!”

“Let yourself go. It’s just a snap hook.”

She stared at him for a moment not comprehending his words. Fumbling about she found the link to her belt. It was just a snap hook. Her hands were held down but she could easily reach down and unhook herself. They weren’t locked, just anchored. She felt bad for ever doubting Jon. He had been nothing but friendly and respectful towards her.

“Sorry for freaking out there.” She said meekly.

“Don’t worry about it. I should’ve explained first.”

“You want to give this thing a try?”

“Are you inviting me to watch you run?”

“You might as well. You’ve already seen me.”

Julie threw on her heelless boots which did match the harness nicely and hit the track. It was terribly humiliating to be so exposed to the world. Thank goodness only Jon was around. Her breasts had worried her but the harness did a good job of keeping them in place. The mess of leather and steel was actually quite wonderful when it came to her comfort. She actually made out rather poorly but only because it was so embarressing. She would get better little by little over the week.

As a result her arms did not move about as much while she ran. Track meet performance was steadily improving and to her delight she beat Heather in more than a few races. People were beginning to cheer her on again and that was a good feeling. It was unclear how much the harness had to do with her success but it more comfortable then her underwear and many times better then the old tracksuit. She wasn’t about to lose it now.

Day 56

“Jeeze… are you still at it? You did beat Heather you know. It wasn’t just your imagination.” Jon walked up to the wheezing track star clad in leather.

“She still beats me at the longer races. I want to be the best all around. I don’t suppose you have something in that barn to make me run faster for longer.”

“Not that I can think of. Your problem is that you train hard but not for very long.”

“Well, I only have a few hours a day at this ranch before you kick me out. I can’t even practice on the weekends.”

There was a pause as both thought about the situation. Julie was really racking her brain when Jon started laughing.

“Well, I know one way to improve you endurance but you won’t like it…”

“Well, it can’t be more humiliating then what I’m already doing.”

“You speak so soon. I know you said you’d do whatever it takes but there’s no way your going for this.”

“Try me.”

Jon shrugged and led her back into the old barn to the very, very back. There sat what looked like a tiny two wheeled carriage, much too small for a horse.

“It’s an old sulky. Pulling it around will build your endurance up like that. Talk about being a beast of burden.” Jon giggled at his own joke.

“It’s perfect.”

“What? Julie it was a joke. This thing is like fifty years old. I’m not even sure if it’s safe.”

Julie ignored him and slipped between the old wooden arms.

“How do you do this anyways?” There were no grips or anything to grasp on without getting a handful of splinters. After a moment of fiddling she looked to Jon for help. He was very hesitant about this whole idea and needed a good deal of coaxing. Reluctantly he pinned her hands behind her back with the snap hook and hitch the sulky to her belt. She began to unhook her hands at first but decided not too. With her hands free she might get the urge to grab the splinter covered arms. While running, that could be a painful experience indeed. Her hands were much better off anchored down.

Now one with the sulky she gave the thing a good push. It was heavy and took a couple tries to get moving from its resting place. Once the wheels were moving the thing became much easier on her. In no time she was on the track pulling the empty sulky behind her. How ridiculous she must have looked running around like some kind of animal. She was thankful that no one else was around. If Heather had decided to show up and seen her like this she might have died of humiliation.

Jon watched from the sidelines but he did not have the shy and blushing face but a much more foreboding look. He was very uneasy about all of this and she could tell. But Jon worried too much. She had asked him to do this. She was even free to let herself go at anytime. He had done nothing wrong. Julie wished that he would loosen up already.

By a laps end she was sweating like a mule, which was pretty funny because that was what she must have looked like. Jon was standing by with bottled water which she took eagerly. Tackling another lap, Julie found she could get a run and even a full out sprint for a few minutes. Though her lungs were on fire and her muscles were the sourest they had ever been in her life.

Jon did not loosen up. After a while he left her to run. Since he had given her the boots he had always hung out on the sidelines while she ran. This was the first time in months that Julie was running alone. She did not know exactly how to feel about this but she continued practicing until her time was up. She slept like a log that night and her body felt like it was burning the next morning.

The sulky was incorporated into her routine, despite Jon’s disapproval and Julie continued to shine at the meets. It was not long before Heather and Julie were neck at neck in every race, short or long. The day when Heather would be surpassed was close and that felt good.

Jon had hardly abandoned her but did not stick around much during her training. Julie was too focused on running and success to worry about it too much. She honestly did not see what the big deal was.

Day 69

Julie was harnessed and hitched, what had become normal during pour the water down her parched throat. Jon had gotten used to the idea and even offered to massage her tired muscled before and after the practice. This took out valuable time for running but his hands were like magic. Jon was still not himself. He absolutely refused to massage her legs while she was harnessed, regardless of her efforts to bring him around. She had also worn a ponytail one day as a joke and he did not like it at all. She just did not know what his deal was.

“I think I want to run the horse trails now.”

“What’s the difference?”

“There isn’t any. I’m kinda of bored with the track that’s all.”

“Well, running the trails is fine with me but dragging the sulky along is not a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Well, what if you break your ankle or something. Those trails run pretty deep and I don’t think anyone would hear you. It’s just a bad idea.”

“Well, what if you came with.”

“I’m not going to pretend that I can keep up, even with you dragging that heap behind.”

“Then just ride in it.”

“What? Really? Isn’t that just a bit degrading?”

“Pulling you about like a pack animal? Yeah that is pretty degrading. But if it means that I can run the trails for a change then I guess its okay. You have been a good friend and you have helped me out a lot. A little horsy ride isn’t so bad.”

“Fine.”

The weight on the sulky shifted as Jon jumped in. As soon as the carriage settled, Julie was off. She ran down the road and out of sight. Jon’s weight didn’t slow her down at all. All the weight really was in the sulky. The trails really were beautiful. The leaves were beginning to change making the view an explosion of color. She was a bit embarrassed at running directly behind Jon and wondered whether he was enjoying his view. She was confident that her private parts were still hidden but there was no way to tell for sure. Her head turned to get a peak at him and discovered that he was not looking at her but up ahead. How disappointing. She expected for him to look a little… Returning to the road she discovered why it was so interesting. There was a rather sharp turn that she missed and nearly ran off the road.

“I told you this was a bad idea.”

“I don’t need your I told you so’s. Why didn’t you tell me about that turn?”

“You want me to warn you about every turn along the way?”

“Kind of, yeah. I would like to focus on my running and these trails are tricky. Its not like you have anything up there to do right?”

“So you want me to tell you where to go? You want me to treat you like a horse.”

“Well, don’t spur me or anything but yeah.”

“Alright, but I am not riding through these trails shouting left and right.”

Jon jumped down and faced her with a bit of leather and metal in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a bit and bridle. I can tell you where to go just fine with this and save my voice.”

Julie was going to protest but Jon was in a sour mood and she did not want to argue. With his usual display of gentleness he slipped the metal between her teeth and buckled the leather behind her head. The metal forced her teeth apart and tasted terrible making her open her mouth more. She could still undo her hands and take the bit out herself if she really wanted to. Despite appearances she was still in complete control. Still getting used to the new situation, she didn’t notice Jon adjust the blinders on her head?

‘What is that for?’ That is what she meant to say but the bit in her mouth jumbled her speech.

“They are blinders. They will help you keep your eyes on the road.”

It was true. Any sort of peripheral vision was denied leaving what was directly in front of her. This was terrible. There was no way to tell if Jon was looking at her now. To be fair, she really should keep her eyes on the pavement but she wondered if Jon had done this so he could fully enjoy his view. She would never know for sure.

They started up again and Julie quickly forgot about the blinders. Jon was holding the reigns and pulling her head in the right direction. He was always gentle not to let the bit cut into her lips but he wasn’t exactly negotiating with her either. He led her in a direction and she did it because it hurt to struggle. But this was still okay.. So what if her had the reigns. The speed in which they went was still up to her.

This went on for an hour or so until they emerged back on the ranch. Julie was heaving and wheezing for breath at this point. She rolled to a stop expecting Jon to give her some water but Jon did not leave the sulky. He did not do anything or say anything and Julie soon knew why. Just ahead of them a man was walking from the farmhouse toward them. Julie’s was mildly curious. The fact that she was mostly naked and hitched up to a cart didn’t hit her right away. Then her heart nearly stopped and her hands desperately tried to work the snap hook. It is amazing how difficult opening a snap hook can be when your hands are nervous and sweaty. The man just walked up to them and smiled.

“Hello, son.”

Son? So this man was Jon’s father? She could just imagine the sheer horror going through his mind. But the man did not look angry. In fact he was smiling at them both. With a nervous air Jon cleared his frozen throat.

“Hello, Father…”

“I was so hurt when you turned down the family business. But you appeared to have more of an interest in ponygirls then you cared to admit. Have you come around, Jonathan?”

“I have not!” Jon said rather defiantly.

“A shame… At any rate I have business with Julie.”

Julie’s head was such a whirl of thoughts and emotions that she felt she might faint. How did he know her name? What business did he have with her? What was this family business that they were talking about? Above all, what was a ponygirl? All these questions had to wait as there was yet another issue that needed to be addressed.

A man she had never seen before followed with a mostly naked young woman trailing behind him. The young woman was a gorgeous blonde haired blue eyed goddess dressed in a beautiful white harness and matching shoes and bridle. It was not that the woman was resembled a horse or that she was in the same basic getup that Julie was in that shook her so. Julie knew who this girl was. She had come to know her quite well.

“Julie, meet Angel Wings, our prized ponygirl.” Heather smiled wholehearted at both of them from behind her bit.

“Yes, Jon. I know about her too. You took a liking to her, our prized thorough bred. You have impeccable taste. She is gorgeous. But you hate ponygirls, or so you say. So you tried to turn her into a person, teach her to speak, bring her to school. I’m sure she has learned a good deal. I have heard she has been cleaning up at the track meets but her ponygirl races have been lacking. I do believe the poor thing has too much on her mind to focus on racing. I doubt she will never be the same bread winner she was. I would have put a stop to it when little Julie arrived on the scene.”

“She just came here to practice for her track meets I never meant for it to come to this.”

“Oh, I know all about it. You didn’t want her to start asking questions about the mystery student so you let her run here. Better to have her under your eye then hassling Angel Wings. But that did not turn little Julie into this. That was something else. I know because it kept me from putting a stop to all this months ago. It was curiosity. Could some track star really beat a born and raised ponygirl. Could Julie possibly beat Angel Wings? And that brings me to business.”

“No, absolutely not. I know all about your business. Whatever it is, I decline.”

You are such an arrogant boy. What makes you think this has anything to do with you? My business is with Julie.”

Julie snapped out of her shock as the father undid her bit.

“You’ve certainly proved yourself at the track meets. You have beat Heather a number of times. But I can’t satisfy my curiosity until you beat her in a ponygirl race. If you don’t want to participate then you can go on home. But if you would understand if I decided not to let strangers run around my ranch. If you race Angel Wings and beat her I’ll let you stay and run to your heart’s content. You will not be restricted to the few hours Jon gives you. Beyond that you will have beaten Angel Wings at her own game, at the task she was born and raised to do. What do you say, Julie?”

“Don’t Julie. Don’t do it.”

“What if I lose?”

“Well, if you lose to her it will be as if you had decided not to participate. You will leave and not come back.”

“Julie, please! Just say no!

“Shut up, Jon!”

Julie was trying to think. There did not seem to be any risk but there was. If she lost she would not have the track, or harness, or shoes. She would be back to her old routine and would start losing at the track meets again. To most this would not be so bad but to start losing to Heather again was worse than death. All she had to do was win the race.

“Deal!”

“Excellent! Jon, be a good boy and get her some respectable gear. Her tack looks positively ancient.

Jon looked sick to his stomach. Clearly defeated he walked Julie into the stables where half a dozen other ponygirls were stabled. They looked at her with mild curiosity but remained silent. At the very back there was a wall filled with ponygirl tack and equipment. The wonders on this wall were mind boggling. To think that Jon had such equipment at his disposal and had given her this stinky old stuff instead.

“Julie, don’t do this. You don’t know this man like I do. You don’t know what you are gambling.”

“Enough, Jon. I am going to race Heather and beat her! I’ll do whatever it takes!”

“This is madness! I can’t help you do this.”

“Then get lost! I don’t need your help!”

Jon looked at her for a moment, clearly hurt. Julie held face, showing him how unwanted he was. Jon quietly left, the wooden gate open and shut. Another man came in shortly after to help.

This new man got to work. He stripped off the harness, boots and bridle without speaking. From the wall he picked out a new harness, black and red with flames. With hard, uncaring hands he put the harness on and worked the buckles and straps. His fingers did not wander far but they weren’t exactly respectful either. Still he worked it until she was comfortable. She felt something off brush her ass. Looking back she discovered a black tail coming from a slot in the harness. It was an odd feeling but she could not say it was not pleasant.

Next came her boots. He slipped them off her feet and replaced them with brand new black leather boots similar to her old, but so much more comfortable. He laced them up and tied them off with crimson laces.

Next came her arms. This was new. He held out black arm sleeves. They were essentially large leather pockets that fit snuggly over her arms. He laced them up looped the ends over her shoulder to a ring on the small of her back with a snap ring. This was much more comfortable then binding them behind her back. They now sat like folded wings and actually stabilized her breasts though they hardly needed it. This harness like her last framed her breast, showing them off but keeping them in place. Finally came the bridle. The bit was metal coated with rubber. The rubber tasted nasty and discouraged using her tongue to talk. The man forced the bit much deeper into her mouth. She did protest but the man did not seem to notice. He positioned the bridle until all was right before attaching the lead and drawing her back out toward the track.

She found Heather again, this time hitched up to a sleek and fancy sulky made of what looked like aluminum. Heather clearly knew a race was coming and smiled cheerfully. The father sat idly in the sulky clearly enjoying himself by the wide and almost evil look on his face. Julie was not regretting her deal but the man put her on edge. Jon’s words were starting to sink in. Jon sat on the sidelines and waited. The color was drained from his face but a bitter, hurt look remained. She really shouldn’t have been so harsh with him. He just didn’t understand.

Julie did not have time to think about that. The man quickly hitched her up to the cart and sat in the sulky with reigns firmly in hand. Yet another man emerged and stood along side Jon. Just where were all these men coming from? He drew a starting gun and raised it in the air. All thoughts of her situation, Jon, and his father faded away. At that moment there was only Heather, herself and a race.

The gun went off and they bolted. This sulky was much lighter then the wooden one and much easier to handle. As she admired the new ride, she did not notice the man pull out the riding crop. It was not like she could see him anyways with the blinders blocking her view. Crack! The painful welt across her ass certainly motivated her and though she was appalled and furious at being whipped like an animal, Heather was pulling ahead. Putting all her strength into her legs she pushed forward until they were neck at neck.

At these speeds it was not long before they were around the track and nearing the finish line. It was close but Julie finished first by about a foot and slowed down.

Crack! The despicable man whipped her ass again! Heather pulled ahead and Julie followed. Apparently the race was not finished. The two went head to head, lap after lap for what seemed like hours until both were drenched in sweat. Julie’s lungs were on fire, her body was the sorest it had ever been but at every finish line Julie some how found the strength to pull ahead.

In finishing what must have been the tenth lap around the track, the man allowed her to slow down to a final stop. Gasping desperately for breath she did not even notice, the men unhitching Heather and her. They were brought before Jon’s father who was looking ecstatic.

“Congratulations, Julie! You won!”

She smiled. The last lap was too close for her to tell. But she was too tired to celebrate.

“And as I promised, you can stay her and run to your hearts content, as a ponygirl. You see, Angel Wing’s sudden losing streak had hurt me greatly. I was going to purchase another purebred ponygirl and as you can imagine those aren’t cheep. But then you came along and I got to thinking. Why buy a new ponygirl when I can get a substitute for free right off the streets. No, right off my own ranch. You are a true gem, Julie. Unfortunately, I won’t be paying price you deserve or any price at all.”

Reaching back she tried to undo the snap hook and free her hands. There was something wrong. The snap hook was out of reach. Even so her hands were encased in leather. She couldn’t free herself. So stunned by the new harness she had not been paying attention to what the man had been doing. He used no locks or chains, just leather and lace. But she was locked all the same, completely helpless to her situation. Jon was standing quietly nearby. She screamed to him for help but the bit muffled her words. He must have known that she was in distress did nothing to help her.

“You had no intention of letting her leave the ranch do you.”

“Hahaha… my boy. Have I given you any reason to doubt my word? Have I ever broken a promise? Even one?”

“So what are you saying? That you would have let her walk right out of here if she had lost?

“We will never know for sure. But I can still prove my word is good. I have an offer for you too.”

“…What is it?”

“Take over the ranch when I am done.”

“Never.”

“And you can have Angel Wings. You can walk her right out of her.”

The statement rocked Jon like a hurricane. If he had felt sick before he was now about to die.

“You are a horrible, miserable old man.”

“Agreed… your answer?”

“It’s a deal.”

“Excellent…”

“What happens to Julie then?”

“She is yours too, if she is on the ranch when I retire. I don’t see myself selling anytime soon but in a year or too… who knows?”

Julie was dragged into the stables crying out desperately for help. Jon ignored her as he freed Heather. The stable doors shut slammed behind and everything went dark. The terrible man’s boisterous laughing could still be heard.

2 years later

The search for Julie had come and gone. She had tried to hold on to hope but even those with will as strong as hers had to face facts eventually. She was never going to escape. The terrible men trained her relentlessly until her ass was stripped and her lungs were burning. This torment became her new routine. Her spirit eventually died as Julie disappeared from the world.

The girl was now only known as Searing Hooves. The name had been tattooed into her ass like a brand. She was trained throughout the week in preparation for the dreadful weekends. Then she was raced in front of large crowds of strangers. At first she had searched those crowds for friends or family, people she knew. They would not have recognized her if they had seen her. Such thoughts had left her now. Only ponygirl thoughts remained now. She only thought of her trainers, her owner and how best to avoid punishment.

She never saw Heather again which made her sad. She did enjoy racing her. Heather went on to become a B student and one hell of a track star. Jon and Heather hooked up and had been dating since. Everyone says they make a great couple.

Julie of course knows none of this. Jon doesn’t talk to her much anymore. He does put her through her paces and makes sure she is in top physical shape for wretched races. But he never races her. The terrible men do that, them and the father. She hates them so much and Jon for not doing anything to save her.

The truth is Jon is trying desperately to keep her on the ranch so his twisted father won’t be tempted to sell her. The ranch is not a friendly place but there are worse places. If she can only hold out until he gets the ranch then he might be able to save her. But her times have been slipping and she isn’t winning as many races as she had been. Jon fears it will only be a matter of time…