Tack and Equipment for Ponyplay

Pony Play Gear & Equipment

Written by cPony on Sep 15 2011
Last updated on Jan 12 2025

I enjoy the bondage aspects of pony play. As a human "forced" into becoming an animal, restraints are needed to keep me in pony role. Thus for me, tack is a necessity during ponyplay. However, there are many ponies who play at being a wild horse or otherwise don't necessarily like to be burdened with tack. Thus, the amount and type of tack is completely a matter of personal preference. So, while strictly speaking no equipment is needed for ponyplay, the BDSM fetish of ponyplay (which this site is about) usually involves equipment of some kind, so I will talk about some of the common (and some of the uncommon) pieces of ponyplay equipment.

Common items for ponyplay include wrist restraints (I like having my arms restrained, but not all ponies do - thus it is not uncommon for a pony to wear leather wrist cuffs without them being clipped to anything, effectively leaving the arms free), a bit or bit gag, and a tail. If you are already into BDSM, you probably already have wrist restraints and possibly a bit gag. Tails for ponyplay can be found fairly easily.

While a bit gag and tail can probably get the point across, quite a few ponies have bridles (which can have plumes, blinders, ears, etc.), and body harnesses of some kind. Hoof boots and hoof mitts are not uncommon. There are several designs of hoof boots out there, and the best hoof boot (or whether to use hoof boots at all) for your pony depends strongly on what disciple of ponyplay you will engage in (some boots are just designed to look hot, some are designed to give a pony some type of ankle support, etc.). Hoof mitts are suitable for nearly every type of ponyplay, but they (like every item of pony play tack) are item of personal taste (I love them, but I love the bondage aspects of ponyplay).

Saddles are common for riding ponies, but saddles are also seen on show ponies and cart ponies where they might be purely decorative. A saddle can be somewhat heavy, and its attachment to the pony adds to the feeling of restriction. Then there are martingales, tongue curbs, and other somewhat esoteric items (well, esoteric in pony play, but not so much in bio-equine world).

Thus, ponyplay can be very expensive if you want to go all out. However, like I mentioned above, a simple bit gag with reins and a tail work just fine. Even if you add in a pair wrist cuffs, the total cost will still be quite reasonable. If you are new to ponyplay, it might be a good idea to start off simple and see how you like it before purchasing a whole bunch of equipment.

Also, since ponyplay is based on bio-horse riding and training, consider adapting bio-horse items to your needs. Bits, hobbles, tongue ports, crops, whips, spurs, twitches, stud chains, polos, reins, lead ropes, and some saddles (if bio-pony sized and only used for decoration) can all be purchased from bio-horse tack shops and used on a human pony with little or no modification needed.

Just a quick note: I use "tack" and "equipment" interchangeably, and in ponyplay, I do indeed consider them to be roughly the same. However, in the bio-equine world, tack is often taken to mean the items used during riding, while equipment is considered to be inclusive of all the items used in relation to a horse and its care (i.e. tack is a subset of equipment: a bridle would be a piece of tack and a piece of equipment; a horse blanket would be a piece of equipment but not a piece of tack).

Below are pieces of tack used in ponyplay with brief descriptions. If you want to learn more about a certain piece of tack, follow the link to the full article on that item.

• Bit Burrs - are an attachment to a pony's bit, most commonly of rubber with little rubber spikes, to further aid the pony in following rein commands. They make it harder for a pony to resist the application of a single rein.
• Bits - are used to control the pony's head via attached reins. A bit goes in the pony's mouth and is often attached to a bridle. Nearly all bits used in ponyplay are bio-horse bits. The most common bit used in ponyplay is the straight mouth rubber snaffle (standard rubber bit gag), which is bio-horse bit typically used in driving. Bits are one of the most directly translatable items of tack.
• Bridles - are used for holding a bit securely in the pony's mouth. Bridles provide a greater degree of control over a pony's head than a bit alone.
• Body Suits & Catsuits - are used for covering up the human pony for public play. Catsuits are often made of materials (e.g. latex) that are of interest to some of us fetishists, which is another common reason for their use. Moreover, if care is taken in color choice, catsuits can greatly enhance a pony's harness or other tack.
• Chambon - is similar to a martingale but primarily used for ground work/lunging.
• Collars - are used for a variety of reasons: a posture collar can be used to make sure your ponyboy's head remains held high. A shock collar can be used for training purposes (e.g. making sure your pony only makes equine sounds). A simple leather collar can be used for leading your pony around (reins or a lead rope are typically used in ponyplay instead of a leash, but a leash can be used).
• Double Bridles - are not often used in ponyplay. A Pelham bit is recommended in place of a double bridle for most purposes since a Pelham still provides most of the functionality of a double bridle without requiring two separate bits. However, the human mouth can accommodate two bits, so using a double bridle can be a great piece of tack for photo shoots (or for those who enjoy gags and mouth bondage), but it is not practical for any extended wear.
• Harnesses - are used as points of attachment for carts, for decorative purposes, and of course for bondage. There are many harness styles, and harnesses are often a very personal piece of tack. Harnesses should be sturdily made and fit well especially if they are used for pulling carts.
• Hobbles - are used to restrain a pony's legs to prevent him running away when there is no convenient place to tie his reins or lead rope. Hobbles are often used in breeding scenes; in those cases the hobbles are typically applied to the mare to prevent her from kicking the ponyboy stallion. Authentic livestock hobbles can be used directly on human ponies. I like the added realism provided by authentic livestock hobbles (though you will have a hard time finding lockable livestock hobbles from bio-horse or farm supply retailers).
• Hooves - are used both as an additional bondage element (hand hooves restrict the ability of a pony to use his fingers, and hoof boots are difficult to walk in thus restricting how fast a pony can move) and to add realism by giving the pony's limbs the appearance of being hooves.
• Martingales - connect a pony's bridle (usually via the chin strap) to his girth or waist belt. This helps prevent head tossing in spirited ponies and also helps to encourage the pony to maintain proper head carriage.
• Masks - are most often used to give s human pony a more equine looking head, but masks can also be used for sensory restriction or simply for the feeling of enhanced bondage.
• Medicine (Soaking) Boots - are used to either keep a bio-horse's hoof clean and dry, or two hold a poultice or medicinal liquid in contact with the hoof (e.g. to help treat an abscess). In pony play, soaking boots are primarily used to give a pony hooves. The boots are hoof shaped and inexpensive, so they make good hand hooves and hoof shoes.
• Piercings - are not really an item of tack, but they can be used to help control the human pony (e.g. nipple reins can be used instead of normal reins, or nipple reins can be threaded through bit rings to be used in conjunction with normal reins for enhanced rein control).
• Polos - are used for support of the pony's arms and legs. Personally, I think they look really good when worn over hoof boots. They can also be used directly for restraining a pony's limbs.
• Saddles - can be purely decorative, completely functional, or somewhere in between. There are saddles for all fours riding, two-legged riding, and hybrid saddles that allow for either two or four legged riding. Care should be taken when choosing a saddle if it is to be used for actual riding. It is important to make sure adequate support is given to minimize back injuries.
• Spurs - are worn by the pony's rider and are sometimes used for refinement of the leg aids (just as in bio-horse riding). However, unlike in bio-horse riding, spurs are sometimes used for "punishment" in ponyplay. In the latter case, severe spurs (e.g. rowels with sharp or only mildly blunted points) are often used (care is strongly advised here - even blunted spurs can cause injury).
• Stud Chains - are used to control unruly ponies. For use with bio-horses, a stud chain is most commonly attached to the halter with the chain portion running over the nose. This method of attachment can also be used on human ponies, but due to possible damage to the face, this is not something I would recommend.
• Tails - are attached to the pony via the harness or via a butt plug. Tails are one of the more prevalent pieces of ponyplay equipment. Tails for ponyplay can be made of genuine horsehair or synthetic material, and if attached via a butt plug, the plug portion of the tail can be rubber, silicone, metal (usually stainless steel, but I know of one ponyplay tail that uses a solid silver butt plug), or glass.
• Tongue Ties - are difficult to use on human ponies if the pony does not have a tongue piercing (the tongue can be easily be pulled out if a barbell does not help to hold it in place). If properly attached, tongue ties restrict tongue movement by holding the pony's tongue down in his mouth. A simple rubber band or piece of cloth can be used as a tongue tie.
• Tongue Ports (Rubber) - attach to a pony's bit and extend back into the mouth. They are superbly effective at holding a pony's tongue down. Thus tongue ports prevent a ponyboy from getting his tongue over the bit, playing with the bit, or making any coherent speech. Because of the severely restricted tongue movement, tongue ports will cause copious drooling. Also, they will likely stimulate the gag reflex if not cut to reduce their length from the standard size. Fortunately, they are also very inexpensive, so you can buy a bunch and cut them to various sizes.

If you are looking to buy your ponyplay equipment, I've compiled a list of links of pony play tack retailers that I try to keep up to date along with brief descriptions of what they sell, and, where I have personal experience with an artisan/crafter, my thoughts and experiences on the gear I've purchased from them (and when I have time, I also post reviews of ponyplay gear). My first full set of gear for ponyplay (i.e. harness, cuffs/restrains, and bridle came from the, sadly now defunct, Csara (link goes to their archived site, courtesy of the amazing Internet Archive).

Prior to my Csara harness and bridle set, I would use a simple bridle or even a bit gag or bit gag trainer harness along with leather wrist and ankle cuffs for pony play. Although I now have a fair amount of gear, I did not start that way, nor did it happen overnight. It was a long, arduous process of saving up and making hard choices of what item to purchase when, what to make myself, and what to wait to buy.

It took over a decade from when I first started actually doing pony play to when I finallly was able to order my first "full set" of gear and even then, as much as I loved and treasured my first set of "pony play gear," it was not overly intricate or complex. It took another nearly ten years from when I purchased my Csara harness, bridle, and cuff set to when I had an opportunity to purchase my next harness for pony play (one from Fantasy Leather in the UK for ~$300 USD) and even then, it was the harness only (no bridle, no cuffs, etc.).

It took a further five years before I was able to purchase my current (as of November 2024) harness, cuff, and bridle set. This second full set of ponyplay tack came from an amazing leather craftsman who founded Restrictionwear (sadly also now out of business), and this set, finally, was substantially more intricate and pretty much my ideal set of gear.

So while you may see current, or quasi-current photos and videos of me wearing my gear, know that it did not happen overnight, and it was not an easy journey. All up, it took about a quarter century from when I started really exploring my interest in pony play, and actually engaging in pony play for me to build up my gear collection to where it is now. For others, this journey may be a lot easier, depending upon their financial situation and their crafting ability, and for some it will be substantially more difficult, for the same reasons. Everyone's journey into pony play is unique, but for the vast majority of us ponies, it takes time and effort before our tack chests even begin to mirror what we imagine in our fantasies.

As for hoof boots, my first pair was from Reactor Rubber (formerly Kaysers), also sadly no longer in business, who made some of the best pony boots (comfortable to wear and walk in and great looking as well). I happened to purchase them at an ideal time: their prices were low at the time as they were closing out stock and the Australian Dollar (they were an Australian company) was low compared to the US Dollar (my currency), resulting in the boots being relatively inexpensive (probably only a couple hundred dollars at the time). My second pair was from Punitive Shoes (used to be (and maybe still is) an offshoot of Italian Heels), and I paid around the same for these boots as I did for the Kaysers.

When ponies ask me for my recommendation for gear, I default to and especially recommend Fury Fantasy, which, in my opinion, has some of the best equipment, especially when it comes to horse head masks, and having met the proprietor personally, I know they are passionate about pony play and crafting amazing equipment, but, this recommendation always comes with the caveat that they are not cheap. A full set of tack (harness, cuffs, hooves for hands and feet, bridle, and hore head mask will come with a five figure price tag (or very nerly so at current (November 2024) rates) along with a months to years long waiting period due to the popularity of Fury Fantasy's craftsmanship).

fortunately, the last two to five years have seen several retailers of a variety of pony play gear open their doors. There are now many more places to buy pony play tack (e.g. bridles, pony masks/hoods, saddles, and hoof boots, and hoof mitts).

If you are more inclined to make your own pony gear, I have a section on DIY pony play gear, which I am still building up. I encourage you to try your hand/hoof at crafting if you have the time. There are patterns available for several different pieces of equipment available if you don't want to design your own from scratch (i.e. hoof boots, and a couple of pony hoods: this one and this one).

I've also listed some of my personal favorite pieces of ponyplay tack.