Well, this was a rum chapter. I really wasn’t anticipating that imaginary horses would end up linked to human ponies, but it turned out that they are, you could say, the same thing. The links for anything concerning ponyplay (the practice of dressing up in PVC horse outfits) are obviously for those over the age of 18, rather like the book. Shyanne’s site is here, and you can read her take on ponyplay as shamanism here. I couldn’t do justice to it in the chapter itself through lack of space – too many imaginary horses to fit in.
I also chopped out a raft of fascinating psychological studies on the form, development and function of the imagination in children and adults, so if you’re curious about those, try Paul L. Harris’ The Work of the Imagination and the work of Marjorie Taylor on imaginary companions.
The best site to consult if you’re a fan of Walter Farley’s (absolutely nonpornographic) childrens’ books, The Black Stallion series, is here, and I welcome any descriptions of your own imaginary steeds in the comments!
This post relates to a chapter of the book If Wishes Were Horses: A Memoir of an Equine Obsession. If you have any questions to ask about the content, please fire away in the comments. The main online index for the book is here.