Anyone been a polo groom

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nicola172

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Hi everyone! Ive got an interview on Saturday for a polo groom. I have been working in a office for the past 2 years so want to get back outside and get stuck in!! Ive worked mainly with hunters, showjumpers and eventers so I know how to a horse fit. What should i expect to be doing with regards to exercising, feeding, grooming etc... thanks
 
Good luck - can't be any help at all I'm afraid but just wanted to say that a friend of mine was a polo groom for years here, in Oz, the States and some time in Argentina and had a ball! I still can't get my head round the number of ponies she used to take out on a string for excercise!!
 
I groomed for a polo syndicate for two seasons. It was a real eye opener!! It takes ages to get your head around all the tack - fitting running reins, two martingales, two nosebands etc is quite an art!! I only ever took three out at a time but that is standard practise round here for the hunters as well anyway. You have to be very good (and quick) at bandaging, and I used to plait the tails and then tape them up as it looks smarter. Each rider had their own colour tape too! When they are playing two or three times a week you don't need to exercise too much inbetween - some were just cantered around the pitch for 40 minutes (extremely boring!) and there is little if any trotting involved! Its hard work getting eight or ten ponies ready in time but I loved every minute of it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
 
Yep, get used to leading 4 ponies, 2 on either side! Hard work but good game, definitely get them to teach you how to stick and ball, it makes keeping them fit more interesting. The ponies themselves are usually very easy to do and handle but the owners can be quite demanding. Oh and make sure you get someone to show you how to hang up the bridles and martingales. Hard to explain but there's so much tack involved you need to know how to do it.
 
I have too, many years ago but I expect it has not changed much.

Was great fun, hard work but a great atmosphere and plenty of parties. Taught me loads of bad habbits in my riding like neck reining and riding with one hand raising my hand to stop, which took me years to get out off, but all that riding of different horses did wonders for my seat.

You get very quick at tacking up, un tacking and washing off, and soon become a pro at bandaging. You have to be alert during play too as a broken stick needed replacing or sometimes a pony mid chukka. The whole thing was a buzz, certainly an eye opener. I loved every minuite.

Good luck
 
Be prepared for a lot of hard work, sometimes some abuse, but at the end of the day it's a great job! I've seen people exercising riding one and leading EIGHT (four on each side), but normally it'll be leading 4. Some yards the ponies get exercised twice a day, you'll get used to all the tack fairly quickly - bridle with one or two nosebands (depending on whether they have a gag or a pelham), standing martingale, breastplate, overgirth, sometimes running/draw reins, bandages, tendon boots, plaiting and folding up tails and taping them... I used to have to do it for myself when I had Mazzie and played her. Whereabouts is the interview if you don't mind me asking? Best of luck!!!
 
I groomed in Sunningdale and had fantastic fun. Mind you it was 28 years ago! I met Prince Charles loads of times and groomed at Smiths Lawn twice a week sometimes! xx
 
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