Personally, I've always used my flip-lock Husky blade to cut pony heads off. Heat hasn't done much good for me, so... *shrug*
Just make sure you're aiming and pushing the blade away from your body - as Lostpony mentioned, cuts are not fun. If you want, you could also invest in a carving glove for your off hand - they're usually made of kevlar and have little dots on them to help deflect the blade should something happen; most woodworking stores carry them, as well as some hardware stores. Also, a sharp blade in my experience is better than a dull one. With a sharp one, it's however you control the blade that makes a difference; with a dull one, I find the blade wanders more, which is annoying.