Opinion here on Polo?

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granddonkey

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What are people's opinion on Polo here? Just to set the record straight here, I'm not talking about the kind that attracts velvetty noses into your pocket hehe.

To be honest, imo it's really hard to know anything about the sport at all unless you're at a Polo yard, it seems. All the average joe yards I've shared/kept blah blah at people do either eventing, dressage, jumping or endurance. Occasionally Western. Never polo...Seems to be an extremely exclusive activity.

So it's hard to form much of an opinion about it. I have seen / heard horror stories of horses coming out of polo still relatively young, and having absolutely shot tendons, fetlocks on the ground etc etc. But I guess like all equine sports you get the good/bad the ugly.

I'm not anti polo or pro polo at this stage.

Thoughts?
 
Very expensive, you usually need multiple ponies and I don't know anyone who can afford to play regularly... But I have been to watch and it's a different world!
 
Winter arena polo is far cheaper, easier to learn whilst on a surface in an arena.
Lessons are similar cost to riding school lessons, tho you do need to really have sat on a horse before, but they do take beginners.

Loads of it going on here in the SE, you might find there isn't much in your neck of the woods OP.
 
I was on a polo yard for a bit and I have to say that none of the horses seemed happy. None of them liked any attention over their door and lots of them would put their ears back at you if you approached.

This is my very limited experience but I have to say from what I've seen that I think on the whole they are treated more as horses, rather than pets.
 
My OH lives close to a polo club & we've been to watch the odd game.

It's not my cup of tea, if I'm honest - both my EDT & my physiotherapist have said they seem to have to do the most work to 'right' their horses as they seem to be hammered about.
 
My friend in the US is a member of a polo team and there they have a great attitude towards the polo ponies: they are pampered and loved, the horses rarely require to see the vet and the team has an excellent trainer. I'm sure it depends on the yard and if you do it purely to win or also because it's a fun sport for the humans and for the horses.
 
I worked half a season at guards Polo club in Windsor... Hated It ( left half way through the season) they treated the ponies like motorbikes and most of the Argentinian ponies were scared of everyone
 
I've played a few times in Yorkshire after losing my boy - same price as lessons so thought I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it, had so much fun galloping around and the ponies genuinely seemed to love the chase too.

They're not pets, or at least not like my horses at home, but they seem to enjoy it and were well looked after where I rode.

As for age, they go on a lot longer than racehorses! I seem to remember they mature later, or take a lot of training or something like that so top riders tend to have older ones too. You need a lot of horses for one game, so whilst it can be straining, I appreciate that its only for short time periods.

I would say its like racing - they're a business and not a pleasure horse, but I have nothing against the sport if humane!
 
My yard is next to a polo yard and the lady that does my horses physio is the girlfriend of the polo player/owner! the only comment I have about it, is that it scares the hell out of me when I hack past and they are exercising 4 horses, riding one, leading 3 and not wearing riding hats!!!!!! but then again I get mad when I see people on their horses with hats on, then someone passes up a child who doesn't have a hat! or when they stick a kid on without a hat and say "oh he so safe" which makes me think.... if he's that safe, why do you wear a hat!!!!!!!!
 
I have no experience, other than that of the 4 polo ponies at a yard I used to be on who were rescued. 2 of them were top polo ponies and the state they had been allowed to get into was pitiful. Walking hat racks. All 3 had lovely personalities though and once back to full health were great fun to ride.
 
I will go and see a match when it's possible to play without draw reins and gag bits and when there aren't constant incidents of ponies with their heads at the limit of a standing martingale and mouths wide open against a bit pulling them to a sudden stop or turn. There would, I think, be outrage if the riding regularly seen in a polo game was seen in dressage, show jumping, or pretty much anywhere but on a polo pitch. Google 'polo horse' images, number three is a good example. I'm sure it's a fun day out and exciting to watch, but it makes me feel very uncomfortable.
 
My friend plays and has 3 ponies. All snaffles and just standing martingales.
She plays at quite a low level and her ponies are kept like pets, like the rest of us.

I'm still uncomfortable with the way of going during play as it doesn't look too comfy for the horses but hers seem happy enough.
I don't like riding them though as they are like planks of wood!

Top level polo isn't something I'm interested in watching.
I know I don't really understand the sport but I am uncomfortable with ponies with so much gear on their heads being hauled and pulled around so much.
 
I played polo from my early teens up until I had my daughter a few years ago and groomed both in the UK and New Zealand. I still have two of my playing ponies as brood mares, and two (almost) 2 year olds who are polo bred.

From an experience on this forum of another polo thread a couple of years, I feel that polo is often very misunderstood ( on that thread there was a lot of comments about standing martingales, running reins and ponies wearing too much gear). As in any equestrian discipline there are some riders who don't make it look pretty ( one can just as easily point the finger at show jumpers, dressage, endurance etc), but I think a well schooled polo pony and good player on board is a thing of beauty.

For many players their ponies are not pets, and I think that's where people take issue. I only ever had 4 playing ponies each season, each of whom were utterly loved and treated as individuals - but I also worked a season on a yard with 100 ponies, and some players ( lower level) literally couldn't tell which pony they were on! I find the high goal players ponies look amazing and are treated very well, but it's ponies at the lower levels who I think sometimes don't get the care they need.

So to sum up - I think polo is great, but as in any discipline, some of the players stable and pony management leaves as little to be desired.
 
I've been playing polo with my university for the last 2 years, and if I'm honest I absolutely love it, its improved my confidence no end with riding at faster gaits.

My university trains at Offchurch Bury Polo Club, and all the horses there are well looked after, regular dentistry, farriery and physio when needed, and all the horses really enjoy their job. My coach gets a lot of his ponies for the 'school' from people who have played them to high level, but they are no longer quite good enough for that level, either aged out or not quite physically up to high level polo anymore. His oldest ponies are nearly 25, 27 and 30, all are still full of running and enjoy their job.

The polo ponies I ride are not like 'planks of wood' like a previous poster mentioned, but are in fact some of the most highly trained and athletic animals I've sat on.. yes they're maybe not quite as supple laterally as a dressage/eventer, but they can collect and turn on a sixpence.
 
There is often a common theme when the more unusual horse sports or ways of riding are discussed - just because it is different it doesn't mean it is wrong.

It is expensive enough for the normal owner to look after one horse, in polo you need many. I can't see that they would be looked after badly as they have to give maximum effort during a chukka and have to be fit and strong. A good polo pony fetches a lot of money too.

I have heard that retired polo ponies can make excellent riding horses.
 
Love watching it, spend a big part of my summer at Cowdray, and loved the lessons I had too. It's also a great sport once you know the rules.

There's a reason they have so much gear on, it's a safety aspect and it's in the rules. It's a tough sport, there's no denying that, but ponies play for seven minutes at a time max. Which is worse, seven minutes of polo or a rough day's hunting with a similar build man on the back?
 
I am head girl on a large mixed yard (livery, riding school, hunters and polo ponies). My main charge is running the string of polo ponies, and they are my favourite part of my job. They are so loved and none of our ponies are under 20 years old. They are mainly ex high goal ponies wanting to still play but wouldn't be able to keep up the fast pace of high goal polo any longer. We have one particular old girl who no longer plays due to the fact that she ends up too stiff after a chukka. She still goes to matches however and has to stand at the sidelines all tacked up and ready, and then gets a canter round the pitch at the end or she ends up unbelievably miserable and grumpy.

As with any sport, there are people who are harsh on their ponies and play too hard, with bad hands on strong bits etc. but equally, there are people like those who I work for, whose primary concern is the welfare of their ponies. Our ponies are exercised in snaffle bridles with no martingales or extras, and polo saddles, and when doing sets (riding whilst leading up to six at a time) those being led are in headcollars. They do a huge amount of fittening work, and are among the most well cared for horses I have ever had the privilege to look after.

A good friend of mine is the vet for Guards Polo Club and has started a campaign to help improve welfare of polo ponies at matches. There are of course players who treat their ponies as machines, but there are people like that in every area of equestrianism.

If you are interested, have a go, and see if you can spend time around polo ponies. They are the greatest horses on earth.
 
Starzaan said:
I am head girl on a large mixed yard (livery, riding school, hunters and polo ponies). My main charge is running the string of polo ponies, and they are my favourite part of my job. They are so loved and none of our ponies are under 20 years old. They are mainly ex high goal ponies wanting to still play but wouldn't be able to keep up the fast pace of high goal polo any longer. We have one particular old girl who no longer plays due to the fact that she ends up too stiff after a chukka. She still goes to matches however and has to stand at the sidelines all tacked up and ready, and then gets a canter round the pitch at the end or she ends up unbelievably miserable and grumpy.

As with any sport, there are people who are harsh on their ponies and play too hard, with bad hands on strong bits etc. but equally, there are people like those who I work for, whose primary concern is the welfare of their ponies. Our ponies are exercised in snaffle bridles with no martingales or extras, and polo saddles, and when doing sets (riding whilst leading up to six at a time) those being led are in headcollars. They do a huge amount of fittening work, and are among the most well cared for horses I have ever had the privilege to look after.
Click to expand...

That's really lovely to read.
 
I played polo whilst at uni and absolutely loved it - it's vey addictive! However, I worked as a polo groom in Australia and hated it. I was underpaid and overworked but all the ponies were lovely. They know their job and are used to being handled as part of a group. I would ride and lead up to five which I wouldn't dream of doing with any other kind of pony!

Anything equestrian related tends to be expensive but polo more so as you need multiple ponies as a player. High goal games sometimes have ponies only playing half a chukka because of the speed, so you're looking at needing 6-8 ponies just for one match. What I also found rather weird was that patrons would pay to have professional players in their team who often set up shots etc. to allow them to score. So you have a mix of professionals making a living through polo which is supported by the very wealthy, sometimes quite novice patrons.

The welfare of horses I found was generally good as all the grooms I knew really loved the ponies. The ponies work hard but not for long periods of time and a lot of effort goes into getting them fit. The only thing I didn't like was that there was often only two saddles and bridles for a whole string of ponies so not always a great fit. The biggest problem is the really short amount of time you have between chukkas to switch ponies, untack previous pony and tack up the next so they frequently go out without bridles being adjusted because there just isn't time.
 
As others have said it really does depend on the club/riders but any oddities are relatively public there are a lot of horses in the general community that are far worse off. Even treated as machines competition horses appearing in public are fed, groomed and healthy. It is the ones hidden in gardens, behind walls and in barns in the hands of the cruel and ignorant that suffer in silence. Some even in the hands of respected judges and breeders the good winning stock is cared for the rest are badly neglected often to the point of death so it is all relative. I have ridden retired polo ponies several times and they were lovely responsive but safe rides
 
I don't really have any hands on experience with Polo, but if a gap became available in my stables, I would be very tempted with an ex-Polo pony!.
I here they make great all round riding horses.
 
I went on a hack on a retired polo pony just before Christmas. If his mouth hadn't been ruined he would have been a great fun riding horse. He was brilliant responding to leg aids and the slightest shift of weight in my seat, and I only had to touch the rein to his neck to steer. This was all just as well because he couldn't bear any kind of contact in his mouth. Like, at all. I was careful to ride him with the feathery lightest of hands but he couldn't deal with it. I ended up spending most of my time on the buckle, loose reins flapping away. I felt like a cowboy.
 
Although slightly off topic, what are your thoughts about VIP/Hospitality tickets for Polo events? For example, Chestertons Polo in the Park which range from £225pp +VAT to £395pp +VAT?

The Garden Club package includes:

"Informal seating & quality catering directly behind the goal
  • VIP access from 12:30pm - 8:30pm
  • Unreserved seating in the Garden Club
  • Champagne Lanson reception
  • Two course summer buffet and matched wines
  • Full complimentary bar, including Champagne* & spirits
  • Sumptuous afternoon tea with the best sausage rolls ever
  • Evening Cheeseboard
  • *Champagne served until 4pm"

The reason I am asking is because I am currently undertaking PhD research at Aberystwyth University Business School and would be grateful if you could please take the time to complete an online survey based on these types of ticket packages. Further details can be found on this link:

Log in | Jisc Online Surveys

Online surveys is a powerful, easy to use tool for creating online surveys. Run by Jisc, online surveys is used by over 300 different organisations in the UK.
aber.onlinesurveys.ac.uk

Thank you very much.
 
Joni89 said:
Although slightly off topic, what are your thoughts about VIP/Hospitality tickets for Polo events? For example, Chestertons Polo in the Park which range from £225pp +VAT to £395pp +VAT?

The Garden Club package includes:

"Informal seating & quality catering directly behind the goal
  • VIP access from 12:30pm - 8:30pm
  • Unreserved seating in the Garden Club
  • Champagne Lanson reception
  • Two course summer buffet and matched wines
  • Full complimentary bar, including Champagne* & spirits
  • Sumptuous afternoon tea with the best sausage rolls ever
  • Evening Cheeseboard
  • *Champagne served until 4pm"

The reason I am asking is because I am currently undertaking PhD research at Aberystwyth University Business School and would be grateful if you could please take the time to complete an online survey based on these types of ticket packages. Further details can be found on this link:

Log in | Jisc Online Surveys

Online surveys is a powerful, easy to use tool for creating online surveys. Run by Jisc, online surveys is used by over 300 different organisations in the UK.
aber.onlinesurveys.ac.uk

Thank you very much.
Click to expand...

*Correct link for sports survey: https://aber.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/vip-hospitality-sports-event-survey
 
It looks like a fun game, if the horses are treated and handled well, which by the comments here suggest its a mixed bag.

I had a friend who exercised polo ponies in 3’s road-hacking alone, mid-uk region, one time i went on a road hack with her. Very well behaved horses, yet to the point of being somewhat shut-down without personalities. Hence her ability to hack 3 on roads without incident. (Agree with comments ex-polo ponies would make sensible ‘seen it all’ types and safe)

It’s nice to hear not all are treated like machines, and love their job.
 
PurBee said:
It looks like a fun game, if the horses are treated and handled well, which by the comments here suggest its a mixed bag.

I had a friend who exercised polo ponies in 3’s road-hacking alone, mid-uk region, one time i went on a road hack with her. Very well behaved horses, yet to the point of being somewhat shut-down without personalities. Hence her ability to hack 3 on roads without incident. (Agree with comments ex-polo ponies would make sensible ‘seen it all’ types and safe)

It’s nice to hear not all are treated like machines, and love their job.
Click to expand...
This is a 6 yr old thread bounced by someone wanting to do a survey
 
OH and I have watched high goal polo since 2002. High goal means teams up to 22 handicap. Each player in polo has a handicap level according to skill, as in golf. High goal indicates the top, as in premier league football teams.
I was an adult learning to ride aongside primary school children who cantered wildly about with their little legs flappng. I never saw an adult canter. It was suggested to me that in order to watch an adult canter, I should watch some polo.

Cowdray Park was mentioned and we were made welcome there. We became addicted and watched polo at Windsor too. We had family members terminally ill that summer and couldnt leave the country for a holiday. Polo served instead and gave us a break as well as a day out in the country.

I keep an Access / Excel database of the players we have seen play and the teams for which they have played here in UK over the years.

It should be made clear that VIP viewing areas are usually at the side of the field, mid field. As are rased viewing stands. If you sit behind the goal you are in an at risk (danger) area. Cars are kept well away and no one watches from behind the goal except the goal judges.
 
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