Polo pony fitness regime help!

[ajen2511]

Hi all!

Being a first time owner of a polo pony, I wish to find out more and do everything correctly!And I would be greatful for your help!

I just bought a 10yr old polo pony, who has been turned out for winter. I'm not sure if she was stabled during winter but I don't think so. For the past 2 weeks, she was stabled though and has been walking in the horse walker.

After that, she has done some weight bearing, hacking for about 4-5 days in a walk with her previous owner.

Then, I took her. And I now am on a routine where I ride her twice a day- once in the morning once in the evening. Walk for 15-20mins on the horse walker/walking with me on her back. 3x (trot 2 rounds in the arena, walk 3 mins. ) and I aim to increas this progressively. And after doing this for 2 weeks, I aim to introduce canter into the fitness regime for 2 weeks with the later week including stick and ball.

Please advise if this is too light/heavy! I plan to ride her twice a day 6 times a week but am not sure if it's too much!!

Thank you for your advice!!

 

[Jesster]

I assume that you will be playing pony club/low goal polo. If so, what you are currently doing is fine. I would assume that she went out with an injury last season (even if she didn't!) so at least 4 weeks road work to toughen those legs is a must! Now is the time to get her back and teeth checked out too.

You want to be aiming for what we would call a '3 by ten' by the end of her 8 weeks fittening period. Her hour exercise would consist of 10 mins walk warm up, ten minutes canter (right rein), five minutes recovery in walk, ten minutes canter (left rein) five minutes walk, ten minutes canter (right rein), ten minutes walk cool down. That's pretty much standard across the board for polo ponies. Find a nice big field if you can (it's very boring in an arena!) Let her stretch and have her head when she's cantering, she'll thank you for it! Of course you need to build up to this so start with short canters at first, maybe a couple of minutes on each rein. She has probably been fully fit before and she will be well used to this work. She will also be a bit one sided too, tis the nature of the game unfortunately, so be patient with her if she finds a left lead strike off a bit difficult at first!

Lastly, two times a day ridden exercise is not really necessary. After 'sets' in the morning, she will be happy to be chucked on the horsewalker for a leg stretch in the afternoon. Playing chukkas is the only thing that will increase her match fitness and make sure you school her a couple of times a week as well as stick and balling. These can be done in place of your 3 by 10 if you like. Go by how she feels! Have fun, I'm very jealous! My youngster is a twit to ride, I'd love to have a 'made' one like you! What's her name?

 

[ajen2511]

Thanks alot Jeester You're a great help! How's your youngster and are you training him from scratch?

Yea, I haven't ridden her in a fast chukka yet cos I just got her unfit from this girl who had to sell urgently due to university commitments but I got her checked by the vet etc. So hopefully, that signals an OK to her back, legs and teeth! (I assume the 5 stage vetting does teeth? advise if otherwise?) Her name is Tita!A 15hh chestnut! Very well to do, well, except for catch where she literally stands and watches you and if you move, she runs towards the other horses who dont like her very much hence they kick (but she kicks higher). haha. quite a laugh. Sorry for the gushing. She just arrived this week!

She didn't play the winter season so she just got turned out after the summer season since late August! No known injuries for now

I'm just really afraid i'm getting all the fitness programme wrong! Cos it's the first time I'm owning a polo pony and back at home, I don't have to get the horses fit!

Probably will increase trot by a minute (1 lap) and decrease walk by a bit as each session progresses. Cos she's now coming to the end of first week so it's 1 more week to go before introducing canter!

Let me know if you've more advice! ALWAYS appreciated by a novice/beginner polo pony owner like me!

 

[Jesster]

My young one is called Lionel, and I got him from a training yard (he was too slow for the track) he's very sweet and only four and we just stick and balled for the first time last week. I ride him in a snaffle and running reins to balance him a bit, he has a tendency to bend his neck when he turns and I want to stop him doing this.

Re Tita; the vetting will be very thorough (depending on vet) but I'd still get her back looked at by a specialist, and her teeth too. She's Argentine, I assume from her name....which is why you can't catch her easily! A carrot or pony nuts in the pocket ALWAYS helps with Argy ponies. They are pretty much all hard to catch! They are started fairly roughly by our own English standards but I wish I could afford one as they are always bloody brilliant at polo!!!

Where are you based? Any questions you have please do fire away....if I don't reply on here it's because I'm not on here much. my email is jessvandervelden@hotmail.com just in case!

Jess