POLO..DRAW REINS & CHIFNEYS ?

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POLLDARK

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Is using draw reins with a chifney plus a tight standing type martingale the norm in Polo ? I caught a glance into a magazine (county type mag) showing a rider with just this kit. Just wondered if this is what Polo riders think is good riding technique, just as bad as Rollkur in my opinion. I am the first to admit that I know VERY little about Polo & am ready to be shot down in flames :rolleyes:
 
Not its really not! Draw/running reins are a norm yes so are the standing martingales normall attached to a rawhide nose band but they shouldn't be tight and the bits are usually gags or pelhams. It is harsh tack. This is just playing tack they're usually exercised in a plain snaffle.
 
I cannot for the life of me see how you can use draw reins with a chifney. It's not even a bit - nowhere to attach reins, or put draw reins through.

IF - and I suspect you may be mistaken, a pony is being ridden in a chifney, with a standing martingale attached to the bottom ring, then this is a major welfare issue, and needs reporting. Instant broken jaw.

Where is this picture?
 
Are you sure there are reins attached to the chifney?

Polo ponies and racehorses can be left with the chifney in sometimes while playing/racing but there is nothing attached to it until the grooms come to collect them from the pitch/track and they clip on then.
 
Do you mean riding in a chiffney :eek:
As above poster said draw reins and standard martingales are fairly common from what I believe for polo. I would think it was not a chiffney but another type of bit
 
It certainly look as I described but I admit I didn't have the chance to study it as I was peeking at the next door persons mag while waiting for an appointment at the Docs (pelvis xray was back). I was suprsied hence the question.
 
Was at yard that wintered polos. Couple of owners came down to do early exercise ready for season, whilst left off draw reins never saw them in anything but the huge ring gags. snaffle, never.

Left me with hatred of foreign (generally from one south american country) grooms that used to come to take them back. Abusive would be only description of them. Talked to one owner of own string, didn't know a single name of his horses. He said they were mearly motorbikes that allowed him to play.
 
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Some of the race horses I used to work with wore a ring bit when racing. Just a snaffle with ring that could look like a chifney that goes in the mouth too. Google ring bit and a picture in images comes up. Maybe that?
 
I've been in polo all my life and have never heard of anyone riding a polo pony in a chifney and draw reins (never even heard of anyone riding in a chifney full stop!)


We play most of our ponies in loose ring gags and running (draw) reins, and gags or pelhams are the norm for most ponies, with young ones going in snaffles. You have to play in a standing martingale, it is a rule, so that is why all ponies wear that.

This is one of our ponies warming up in his loose ringed gag and running reins. When you have ponies stopping from a flat gallop and need to avoid them, its important to have brakes, otherwise it gets very dangerous to both ponies and riders.

319495_10151109376971014_141180380_n-1.jpg
 
Polo at top level is a very tough game. The tack seems ridiculous to those not use to it but s Mariposa says brakes are very important! Accidents happen and would be worse without brakes.

I have had several ex top polo ponies and every one of them had decent mouths, and one thing for sure, an ex Polo pony will have manners and be bomb proof!
 
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