Does anyone else struggle with the differences in horse care between the sports?

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Cedars

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This is gonna sound like a really stupid post so I apologise.

I've started playing polo with my university. Last week was my first session and I loved it - was very confident and struggled little. Today was different, my horse was quite challenging and I didn't enjoy it all that much. However, I am going to play again next week as I DID really enjoy it the week before, and I like to have a good cry when I'm not good at something ;)

Anyway, the point of this post is - I'm really struggling with the differences between how I would treat my horses and how they treat them. I want to stress that this is NOT a sleight on the place I play - the yard is beautiful and the staff are lovely, and I believe that what I'm finding difficult is across polo as a whole and is not just restricted to my yard.

For example:

Leaping on from the ground, rather than leg ups/mounting blocks. I would NEVER do this at home, I think its awful for their backs...but am I just soft?

Going straight from stable to cantering round the school. I know that our lessons are nothing compared to the work they normally do, but it worries me that you're hammering horses in to the ground that haven't been at all warmed up. When you add this to all the tight turns, skid stops etc it does worry me.

Also, is it me or do they all feel very slightly not sound?

Anyway, would be interested if other people feel in a similar way. Or if I'm just an idiot! I'm just struggling to see the difference between "work" animals and "pets", and wondering whether I'm happy to continue playing if that difference worries me......?
 
I have not played polo (though would love to) but I am a bit like you, though probably worse and am put off by alot of things people/diciplines do that do not sit well with my morals or ethics (which are pretty strict) but I stick to my 'horses first' policy.

Why not next time, ask how and why they do everything this or that way?? As there might (and often it) more to the scenario then meets the eye -




x
 
Interesting thoughts. and not stupid at all!

Some of these things you mention are necssary for polo though. I mean you have to change ponies quite often & sometimes players jump from one horse's back, to another. Plus, if you fall off it is unlikely you will be able to walk round and find a nice handy mounting block to remount from. (can't really see them stopping play whilst you do this).
Most polo players are quite agile tho. not your average rider hauling themselves up in the saddle. Also most polo pones are quite small and they have pretty sturdy tack.

Same thing when you canter them straight off. They need to be able to get going quickly
Ok it's hard on the legs but then so is racing - TBs aren't trotted round the track before they set off? My 2 year old doesn't warm up before she has a bit of a hoon round the field.

Polo ponies are ridden hard, but IMO they don't have a bad life compared to some! :-)

Glad you enjoyed it tho.
 
Thats true. The thing about leaping on from the ground is more that they do it ALL the time - we've all been in a situation before where we've needed to get on from the ground when we've hit the deck! And obviously in polo that would be different in a game. But its more that in the two times I've been there, we've all hauled ourselves up. I insisted on a leg up today, more to save MY back more than anything....

I suppose the thing about not warming up is the difference between pets and working animals. You're right, racers aren't warmed up and my yearling certainly doesn't limber up before she hoons around!! I just can't ever imagine getting on one of our "pets" and going straight from stable to fast canter/skid stops. But then the horses obviously love it (you can tell!) so is it a bad thing??!?!

The thing about changing horses just upset me because I lost confidence - not at all fussed about changing lots, just got upset cos I was doing badly! ;)
 
Racers generally (unless they're total loony pointers which go down to the start early in walk) do get a warm up - they canter down to the start well within themselves, which gets them warm ready for the race. Pony racers at P2Ps have to walk to the start - not sure how they warm up...
 
I do know what you mean, and have had similar thoughts.

However, I think the main thing is that the horses are healthy and happy. I can imagine that some horses love polo and thrive in that environment, and wouldn't have it any other way. Are the horses well cared for, bright, enthusiastic and eager to work? If so, just go with it.

I haven't ridden many polo ponies but the ones I have had a very different way of going to a normal riding horse. If I was assessing them at the start of a schooling session I would say they were hollow, crooked, tense etc. Could this be what you're feeling? I should add that to a horse they were super responsive and eager, which was why I had no qualms.

These horses are probably happier than those at some BHS approved, correct riding schools who have beginners banging around on their backs, or who do endless rounds of the school.

Sometimes the 'correct' way of riding that I was brought up with is not the right way for a particular horse. I have watched a 'never a hair out of place' dressage rider hike up her stirrups, drop her contact, and warm up a talented but super-quirky horse in canter, with long reins and a light seat, from the moment they entered the school. She explained that a relaxed canter was better for the horse than the fireworks display she'd get if she tried to insist on walking. Not right for my horse, but right for that one.

If you enjoy and the horses aren't neglected or miserable then carry on. Don't ask me for tips though. There's a guy at Ascot Park who used to believe that everyone can learn to play polo, til he met me :D
 
The horses dont seem unhappy in any way (apart from that mine was VERY headshy but some horses are and I've not seen it in any of the others)...guess I'm just feeling a bit soft!!!!
 
Horses are kept under many different management systems, and yet they all seem to survive even if it isn't how we would keep them ourselves.

There are some yards where you ONLY get on from a mounting block, but if you do Trec you are always getting off and on again to go through gates. Some show horses are kept in the stable 24/7 and only go out for exercise and competitions during the season (hopefully they are turned out in the winter). I went to France and all the horses were fed 1kg of straight rolled barley on return from a 2 or 3 hour hard ride, without being watered or fed anything else first.

Yet all these horses perform and their owners would say that they are perfectly looked after.

I would just look and learn. Hope you enjoy the polo.
 
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