Polo pony

P

polopony

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 August 2010
Messages
365
Location
England
Visit site
Hi there,
I've recently been bought a new horse.
He's 12yo and is a retired polo pony, all he has really done is polo, but I want him to hack with. He has been hacking with me for the last month, but has started to nap, mostly by deciding to spin round and head for home; he started doing this when out alone, so I tried him in company but he is still nappy. He is beginning to be more behaved after a little perseverance, but I wondered if anybody with any knowledge of polo knows what sort of tack and riding style etc polo ponies are used to, as I thought it may help. Thanks :)
 
Welcome to the forum :)
As he is/was a polo pony he will have been used to being neck reined (using one hand, and basically laying the reins against the side of the neck to steer), and controlled a lot by weight and balance, less of the legs. If you are riding him English (two handed) maybe he is a little confused, hence the napping? - even if that's not why he is napping, it might not help!
So even if you do want to ride him English (I assume?) maybe it would be worth trying to ride him in a more polo-style way at first, particularly when he naps, as something he knows and is familiar with might assist you in stopping the napping.
Tack wise, he is likely to have been ridden in either a pelham or a gag like this http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.roxtons.co.uk/bmz_cache/b/b3fb8fe0c857624c5d052e1b32c22289.image.320x381.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.roxtons.co.uk/cheltenham-gag-p-149.html&usg=__W8hYmREgBGviQSOOMSOQhgtkLBM=&h=381&w=320&sz=13&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=YLdJmUYFP_pR0M:&tbnh=146&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcheltenham%2Bgag%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4GPTB_en-GBGB291GB292%26biw%3D1419%26bih%3D650%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1045&vpy=102&dur=78&hovh=245&hovw=206&tx=95&ty=135&ei=iIJlTN3nBIWKOKT-qPQM&oei=iIJlTN3nBIWKOKT-qPQM&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0
Both will have been with 2 reins, possibly one set being running reins (similar to draw reins- threaded through bit and attached at girth straps rather than between legs). Also a standing martingale.
Polo yards i've known don't tend to hack much, so maybe he is unused to it?

Good luck, hope this was helpful :)
 
Hiya, thanks this is really useful to me, I'll definitely persevere with neck reining, I did start out doing it but old habits die hard! I'm using a standing martingale, but I will try him with a pelham or gag opposed to a snaffle. And yes, I think he is sometimes a little unsure of what I asking of him on a hack, because he is a super star in the school. Thanks again for the tips :D x
 
The problem with polo ponies is that they can whip around really quickly because thats what they re trained to do ! So hold on ! They re usually small and ridden by men who are strong and quite rough (in my opinion ) They will be used to be ridden one handed and turned by neck reining , leaning with the body and pushing with the legs. I don't know how big you are but don't be afraid to be really firm, I know our Argie grooms don't put up with any **** ! They are used to being mostly exercised in groups of up to 5 or 6 but they are 'singled ' and stick and balled by themselves so theres not really any excuse for them not going out on their own, although they might have never been for a hack before, ever.
They usually have quite strong bits with big ringed gag s or pelhams, standing martingales attached to rope cavesons with drop nosebands over the top and running reins from the girth straps. Some have some or all of the above! They re also used to being ridden with schooling whips and spurs. Ride as long as possible without losing your balance and get quite tough, they re used to long, strong legged men. Before I get a torrent of abuse of people, Im not advocating beating the **** out of him with whips and spurs, Im just telling you what he s probably used to !
 
Mollya has got it right! When I first got on a polo pony, no one had mentioned the neck reining thing - I tried to use the reins properly and he got in a right strop! Definitely try neck reining, and they'll be used to two sets of reins, all four held in your left hand. Also, when you halt, don't just pull back, pull your hand right up to your chest.

The yard I play at don't hack at all, but polo ponies are such fun, if you iron out these niggles he'll be a really fun hack. Good luck!
 
We hack the polo ponies in a plain snaffle bridle. They are only ridden in pelhams and gags during polo practice and training as they get excited and need quick breaks! The polo ponies at my yard hack out nearly every day, sometimes riding one and leading up to 4 horses, 2 on either side of you, so the ponies are used to hacking, didn't realize most polo yards probably don't hack!

Agree with the neck reining, I didn't know this when I first rode out the polo ponies and they got a bit confused. I leant over one mare to do my girth up, without realising my reins were putting pressure on her neck and she spun around in very tight circles and I slipped off the side! She wasn't called "Sharp" for nothing!

If he has been hacking for a month with no problems and only just started to show this behaviour then are you sure it might be a tack issue?
 
Last edited:
speedbird said:
The problem with polo ponies is that they can whip around really quickly because thats what they re trained to do ! So hold on ! They re usually small and ridden by men who are strong and quite rough (in my opinion ) They will be used to be ridden one handed and turned by neck reining , leaning with the body and pushing with the legs. I don't know how big you are but don't be afraid to be really firm, I know our Argie grooms don't put up with any **** ! They are used to being mostly exercised in groups of up to 5 or 6 but they are 'singled ' and stick and balled by themselves so theres not really any excuse for them not going out on their own, although they might have never been for a hack before, ever.
They usually have quite strong bits with big ringed gag s or pelhams, standing martingales attached to rope cavesons with drop nosebands over the top and running reins from the girth straps. Some have some or all of the above! They re also used to being ridden with schooling whips and spurs. Ride as long as possible without losing your balance and get quite tough, they re used to long, strong legged men. Before I get a torrent of abuse of people, Im not advocating beating the **** out of him with whips and spurs, Im just telling you what he s probably used to !
Click to expand...

Agree with a lot of this, lol. A lot of players especially Argies are definitely v firm and often harsh...doesn't mean you have to be the same if you don't want to, though, as it's not as if you want/need to be able to go from a gallop to a halt really quickly, or whip round quickly etc.
I wouldn't say they are all ridden in spurs..only a couple i've known. but that's just my experience :)
 
Thanks for all the great advice everyone :) He's a lovely horse and I'm probably a little too soft with him, so I'm going to start and be a little more firm (thanks for the advice Speedbird), as like you say they are very quick.
And as for the tack Heather, this may not be the issue with him, but as I have no previous experience with polo/polo ponies I just wanted to check what I'm doing right/wrong to make him feel happy and comfortable.
Thanks again x
 
2nd the advice re neck reining also lift your hands right up to stop.
We used to hack all our polo ponies out in a snaffle so the chances are this is all yours is used to going in, only in actual chukkas or stick and balling did ours ever wear their pelhams or gags.
good luck polopony with yours, I used to win all the gymkanas on a retired polo pony.
 
I used to exercise polo ponies, many years ago :)

I found that yes, they prefer and know the neck reining and would feel the slightest shift of weight (and there wasn't a lot of me back then lol) - I'd just have to think about turning and we'd be on a sixpence and going the other direction lol.

Once you get the hang of riding in a definitive manner, you'll find he'll respond quite quickly (get your bum down into the saddle lol).

Great fun to ride :D. One of the best things is that if they shoot off at speed, they stop with their heads up! A great aid to staying in the saddle :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top