INTRODUCTION

 

Several years ago, I published a book called 'Turkish Delight'. This was the 'inside story' of a slave-girl harem in the Palace of Quireme situated in the remoteness of Turkey.

A brief extract from the opening pages of 'Turkish Delight' perhaps sets the scene best:-

 

'The Palace of Quireme was originally built by a powerful Bey in the 16th century. It is in the hinterland of Turkey and he and his successors lived there for many generations in pomp and splendour.

In those days, their slaves came mainly from Arabia and Africa but there was also a small sprinkling of Europeans. The exact site of this palace is of small importance. There are many such still in Turkey, which remains one of the most remote and mysterious countries on the verge of Europe, despite superficial attempts at modernisation during the present century. Suffice to say that the name of the palace is Quireme - and its present-day owner is a woman.

A most unusual woman, to be sure. One, naturally, of immense wealth. In her mid-thirties, her name is Karina-el-Nessim and three strains of blood run in her veins. One half German, one quarter Jewish, one quarter Arab. Largely because she wishes it so, and partly because of the exalted status of her Arabian ancestor, she styles herself as a Princess. Amongst her entourage and acquaintances she is known as Princess Karina ... and since, as a general rule, her contact with the outside world is minimal, its opinion of the worth of her titular claim is of scant importance. In any event, whenever the Princess travels outside Turkey, she travels incognito. That does not really concern us. What does is the mode of life she maintains at the Palace of Quireme.

It is one designed to satisfy her own desires and particular pleasures. Because she has willed it, and organised it, it exists. It is as simple as that. As to the moral rights or wrongs of it, we need not be concerned. That is exists does, however. For the Princess lives in a style which was quite commonplace amongst the wealthy and powerful in the Near East and elsewhere. Then, such a style was not commented upon. Neither is it commented upon today ... but that is because the world at large is not aware of it. All the Princess has done, in fact, is to devise a sort of 'time-shift'. Not going forward into the future as in science fiction but moving into the past in modern times. In this way she had achieved the all-powerful mode of existence of past potentates, yet is also able to enjoy the advantages which modern-day technology brings.

Many of a similar temperament would envy the Princess Karina her way of life ... particularly her possession of hundreds of slaves whose sole function is to serve and amuse her. There are, of course, those who would not find this life to their taste. But we are not concerned with them. Each to his own.

We are concerned only with Princess Karina who, within the compass of her Palace of Quireme, wields as much absolute power as any Emperor or conquering tyrant of the past.'

 

In that book, one of the slave girls, by the name of Nerine, was consigned to the Palace Stables ... there to be trained as a Pony Girl. Some account of her experiences and reactions was given.

These Stables at Quireme began to prove most popular with guests and, ultimately, Princess Karina decided to extend them considerably. Re-building and re-landscaping was begun and, within a year, was completed. The result was the Stables as they now are, and this book describes how they are organised and the varying activities that take place within them. It also contains accounts from guests, trainers and Pony Girls themselves.

 

 

STAFF EMPLOYED IN THE STABLES OF QUIREME

 

KEMAL Aged around forty. Rather obese and oily. A full blooded Turk.

 

RENATA Age 29. Yugoslavian. A tall, powerfully-built woman. Dark colouring. Balkan in her looks ... and on her cruelty.

 

INGRID Age 28. Scandinavian. Another statuesque woman. Blond and blue-eyed. Though more beautiful than her colleague, she is no less cruel.

 

CARLOTTA Age 30. Half-Italian. Attractive but hard features - typically Mediterranean. Lithely athletic.

 

BABU Age 25. Arab. Strongly-built handsome young man.

 

HAKIM Age 26. Kurdish. Sleeker, but equally well made.

 

PLUS:

 

Eighteen stable hands - all male. Ages ranging from early twenties to mid-thirties. A fit, well-built, well-made team dedicated to their tasks. Nationalities include European, Arab and Nubian.

 

 

CHAPTER 1 - ORGANISATION

 

Much of the planning of the new Stables at Quireme was carried out by Princess Karina herself, although she naturally consulted her Head of Stables, Kemal, and his two assistants, Renata and Ingrid. This trio were already running the small stable which had already been set up - and which was now to be developed.

At an early stage, in view of the increase in Pony Girls envisaged, it was decided that a new post would have to be created. That of Head of Training. He or she would be responsible for transforming the selected harem slave-girls into workmanlike Ponies so that they could take their place in the Main Stable.

But who to choose?

Renata or Ingrid could have filled the post well, but Kemal did not want to lose two such able deputies. In the end, the choice fell on a woman who was a frequent guest at the Palace of Quireme ... and also a regular visitor to the Stables. This was Carlotta, a half Italian woman with some aristocratic blood in her veins and, in those days, many a Pony Girl knew she'd had a real 'work out' after they had been in her charge!

Needless to say, Carlotta was delighted to accept Princess Karina's invitation and at once joined the planning group.

It was decided to make the Main Stables large enough for twenty-four Pony Girls. Alongside would be a small stable for twelve Pony Girls under training. Whether this latter Stable would always have its full complement was doubtful, but it was not important. More than likely, it was thought, no more than half a dozen Ponies would be under training at a time. That would depend on demand.

For it was also decided that each Pony would spend six months in the Main Stable before being sent back to the Palace harem for a 'rest'. She would be replaced by one of the girls who had completed her training.

But, of course, one could not calculate exactly for cases of extreme exhaustion nor for casualties.

Sensibly, it was agreed not to be too dogmatic about numbers and simply make adjustments in the light of experience.

The number of stable hands was to be increased to eighteen (plus two reserves). This meant that each hand would have two Ponies in his charge, being responsible for appearance, maintenance and general welfare. It was considered that, if this job were to be done properly, it would be a full-time task. However, as might be expected, there was no lack of volunteers from amongst Palace guards, their assistants and so on and the chosen few were hand-picked for their fitness, muscular virility and stalwart appearance. Keenness and a sense of dedication were also qualities looked for.

Than then, was the personnel agreed on at the outset. But again, it was decided that, if circumstances dictated otherwise, this structure could be changed.

Then the layout of the Stables was discussed and finally agreed upon.

The Main Stable would have twelve stalls running down each side. Behind each pair of stalls would be a tack room. Thus each stable hand would have a single tack room for his two charges where all their equipment would be kept. Here he would prepare and groom them daily. Ponies would feed and sleep in the stalls.

The Training Stables would be exactly the same but half in number. At the rear of them would be a small Punishment Room, designed for especially recalcitrant cases.

Nearby the Training Stables would be the Training Tracks.

Two of these were to be circular, and one hundred yards in circumference. The third was to be more oval in shape and one hundred yards in circumference. All three of these tracks would be slightly banked all the way round.

In addition there would be a straight Training Track one hundred yards longs and twenty yards wide.

For the fully trained Pony Girls, there was to be a larger, oval track two hundred and fifty yards in circumference, also slightly banked. Alongside there would be a straight of one hundred yards.

Placed between these tracks and the Main Stable was to be a Paddock roughly one hundred and fifty yards in circumference.

All these tracks, and the Paddock, would be ringed by raised seats for spectators.

Finally, there was to be an Exercise and Jaunting Area, enclosed by a fence five miles in circumference. This would be criss-crossed by a large number of sandy Bridle Paths and Rides. The whole would be gently undulating - but with a few steep gradients - and set in woods and heathland. Water troughs were to be placed at frequent intervals.

This, then, was the setting for the Stables and the Grounds.

Then came the all-important topic of the mobile frameworks in which the Pony Girls were to be kept.

In general, those already in use had much to commend them, but a few simple improvements were suggested and agreed to.

It is best, at the outset, to describe these contrivances in some detail, for a Pony Girl spends a very large part of her time in and upon them. In fact, only at the end of the day is she released so that she can lie on her straw in her stall to sleep. And sleep, it may be said, was rarely hard to come by for any Pony Girl!

The frameworks were so designed that the Pony was forced into a forward-bending posture whilst retaining full mobility of her lower limbs. They were made of the very lightest and thinnest tubular steel and each had a kind of 'Undercarriage' which terminated in four castor-like wheels of rubber-coated steel. It was on top of this that the Pony's belly lay as she bent forward. In fact, the Pony's belly rested on a cushion of foam rubber and was then secured down to it by what was known as a girth-strap. This 'Undercarriage' was of such a height that the Pony's legs were straight when standing still and allowed complete freedom of movement when in motion.

Thus we can see, in this posture, the Pony's hindquarters formed a kind of 'high point' ... for, by the framework, her back sloped very slightly downwards from the top of her buttocks to her shoulders. These shoulders rested against two foam-rubber pads, these pads being supported by two tubular steel shafts rising up from the 'Undercarriage'. These shoulder pads could be raised or lowered and thus one can see that, according to their height, the breasts of the Pony either hung, or were forced up high.

When in repose in the Stables, it was normal to keep the pads low so that the breasts hung. However, whenever the Pony was in action, the pads were invariably high so that breast thrust up and out to the maximum.

Incidentally, Pony Girls with rather more heavy breasts were usually fitted with a transparent, plastic under-strap which helped to hold the breasts in an uplifted position without concealing them or restricting their movement in any way.

Most of the time, when a Pony Girl was fastened in her framework, her arms were folded up high on her back and inserted into a kind of leather 'sleeve'. Many stable hands would release a Pony's arms before and after 'work' since this increased blood circulation and thus improved efficiency. When the Pony's arms were not in this single 'sleeve', the wrists were clamped into two wrist-rings set at the side of the shoulder pads.

This was the simple, basic securement of a Pony. And one can see it was a securement most effective yet not interfering with her limb-mobility.

There were various forms of harnessing, depending upon what function the Pony was to perform. For example, the harnessing for a single-seat carriage was a little different to that for a double-seat. Also, the harnessing would be different if one Pony was being teamed with another. Moreover, there were different kinds of carriage, as we shall later see. In any event, bridle and bit were essential equipment and always worn, although the bit could vary considerably. Bits for Ponies under training could be rather cruel and, on occasions, trained Ponies were forced to wear similar type bits at the whim of a guest.

We shall learn more about the various carriages employed - and other accoutrements used - as this account proceeds. For the time being, we are more concerned with a Pony Girl's basic equipment.

Corrective instruments were also discussed by the 'Stable Hierarchy'.

The instruments already in use were considered adequately satisfactory. This is to say, when a Pony was harnessed close-carriage (this will be explained later) the 'crop' used would be a foot-long, inch-and-a-half wide strap attached to a six-inch wooden handle, since the Pony's hindquarters would literally be at arm's length to the driver. If a Pony were open-harnessed and thus considerably closer to the driver, the regulation carriage whip would be used, this being a four-foot long sliver of leather, with three tight knots in the last inch or so, attached to a three-foot long handle of slightly flexible bamboo.

The advantage of these instruments was that, although they had a stimulating burning-sting to them, they were not too severe and thus could be used with considerable frequency without doing a Pony much harm. And, of course, any marks would quickly be removed by the special Healing Ointment used at night in the Harem itself as well as the Stables.

These then were the instructions most regularly used on a Pony under training ... or when she was being exercised, going Jaunting or Racing. Of course, there could be exceptions to the general rule. If for example, the Head of Training considered a Pony was not making sufficiently quick progress, more severe instruments would be employed. The width and the thickness of the strap of the 'crop' would be increased ... or the thong of the carriage whip would be more meaty, with perhaps, lead-shot substituted for the leather knots. Then again, guests might make requests for some special instruments. If Princess Karina, or even Kemal, agreed they were supplied with it.

So far we have dealt with instruments used during actual training or work. But there were other instruments which could be laid across a Pony's hindquarters and thighs. Kemal, each of his two deputies, Renata and Ingrid, as well as Carlotta, in Charge of Training, always carried a pleated leather riding crop with them. These were viciously painful, having a core of flexible whalebone tapering to knitting-needle slimness and terminating in three short tassels with three little knots each. These were real crops and would make a genuine pony jump to it, let alone a Pony Girl!

Apart from these, the small Punishment Room at the back of the Training Stables housed a variety of corrective instruments ... heavy tawses, rods, leather martinets, such as would be found in any Punishment Room in the Palace itself ... and these were employed whenever it was considered advisable.

At this stage, it might be as well to explain what is meant by close-carriage and open-carriage.

Close-carriage first. This means that the driver is seated in a low carriage, rather like a small chariot, so that his or her head is more or less on the same level as the Pony's hindquarters, which are no more than two to three feet away. The carriage is attached, by thin, tubular, up-curving shafts, to rings on the side of the leather harnessing that the Pony wears. A small saddle is placed on her back and from this hang stirrups. They do not hang straight down, for, in that case, they would be out of reach of the driver's feet. Instead, they come curving back, again attached to thin, tubular steel. Reins, of course, run back from the Pony's bridle and bit.

This form of 'chariot driving' with the Pony's hindquarters in close proximity and within easy reach of the 'crop', is most popular and these small 'chariots' are generally used when Pony Girls are being raced singly against each other.

Next, open-carriage. In this case, the driver sits in a larger carriage with longer shafts and thus considerably further from the Pony's hindquarters. This is the reason why the longer carriage whip is necessary. The wheels of the carriage are larger and it can accommodate two persons side by side. Although this kind of carriage is sometimes used for racing purposes, it is more popular for Exercising or Jaunting.

There are larger, wider carriages with room for a team of two Ponies between the shafts. And there is even one with room for four, two behind each other. It takes some skill to drive a team-of-four, and use of this carriage is confines to Stable heads, the Princess herself, of course, and occasionally, special guests. Most often it is used as an exhibition in the Paddock or on the Main Track.

Incidentally, when Pony Girls are at work, whether it be Exercising, Jaunting or Racing, they wear little bells attached to small rings threaded through the nipples. Each Pony Girl has also had her nose pierced so, if a guest wishes, a ring and other bells may be put through that too.

When Ponies are Racing, they wear tall head plumes of different colours, so that they more readily be distinguished. These are the equivalent of an owner's racing colours.

Finally, we must touch briefly on a Pony Girl's daily programme.

At eight o'clock she is aroused from her slumbers, if they happen to be still continuing, and led by the stable hand in charge of her, into the Tack Room leading off from her stall. The stable hand's other Pony will then be fetched from the neighbouring stall and both will be fastened to a mobile-framework and bridle and bit put on. This framework is lighter and more utilitarian and less ornate that the one the Pony Girl will be using later in the day.

The Ponies are then led out into the yard, which is shared with the Training Stable alongside, where they are hosed down with cold water. Each stable hand attends to his own charges ... and a dozen or more Ponies might be attended to at the same time. Guests are permitted to watch this procedure and some early-risers do.

Back in their stalls, the Ponies, still dripping, are fed and watered. They eat and drink from small steel troughs at the back corners of the stalls. The food, which is mushy and unappetising in appearance, is exceedingly nutritious, being packed with proteins and vitamins ... most necessary in view of the amount of energy a Pony may have to expend in a day. Every morsel of food has to be eaten up both morning and evening and the troughs licked clean. A Pony Girl learns this early.

Some, on first arrival in the Stables find the mulch nauseous and go off their food. However, a taste of the crop of I/C Training ... the real one ... soon cures this!

During the morning, the Ponies are most carefully groomed by the hands. This takes place in the Tack Rooms. Methods of grooming are similar, but some hands have their own little quirks. Some prefer to deal with their Pony while she is still on the framework, others prefer to have her on the massage table standing in each Tack Room. The latter is considered more efficient and is recommended, but not insisted upon.

First the Pony will be lathered all over with a creamy-soap. When this has been washed off, she will be examined for any traces of body hair. All will have been shaved, and hair remover is used daily, but some women are more prone than others. The offending hair or hairs will be removed with tweezers, hair remover applied, then the area will be creamed to a soft smoothness again.

Next the Pony will be covered in oil and then massaged thoroughly. Not only must her skin be kept supple at all times but so must her muscles. They should have a spring in them! Incidentally, all stable hands have been trained as masseurs.

When the oil has been well kneaded into the skin, what traces remain are removed. The Pony's body, from neck to feet, is then covered in a pale-pink liquid, looking not unlike Calamine lotion. With a kind of buffer - a soft cloth placed over a cushion - the hand proceeds to 'polish' a Pony's body. This liquid is quite remarkable and imparts a glowing sheen to a Pony's skin. It is akin to the shiny coat of a real filly who is in the peak of condition. This sheen is a most important part of a Pony's condition and diligent stable hands will apply the liquid again and again, buffing away until they achieve the results they require. Most stable hands are very meticulous and have a genuine feeling of pride when they see their charges well turned out.