Polo Question

H

Honeyb

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Redditch Worcs
www.redditchriders.co.uk
Not really into Polo, but I've just taken in a lovely 15.1hh ex polo pony and I'm trying to find out a bit more about him.

He played in Hampshire and I need to know if you register Polo ponies, like you would a racer.

Any other ideas on tracing his history. I'll try and call up Polo clubs in Hampshire, but unless they have a forum then I can't really ask about him.

Any advice appreciated
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Polo ponies aren't registered for polo - although might be on Weatherbys if a TB.

If you played him, then he might be recognised. However they are a lot of polo ponies, so only the good or crap get remembered!!
 
Hhhmmm I see. He could be registered with Weatherbys, but I wouldn't know his name. I'm waiting for his passport to come through from his old owner (hence I'm trying to find out how else I can trace him in case it never turns up)!

He's got a huge dent in his face from being hit by the ball apparently, but I suspect their may be a few polo ponies with that kind of injury. He has a freeze mark, but not sure when this was done. Should I write to Farmkey?
 
Most (very almost all!) polo ponies are registered with the Hurlingham Polo Association.

I have/have had several polo ponies and my advice to you is that unless he was a high-goal pony not to waste your time trying to get history on him. Nobody wants to know - ponies to them are dispensible and they just won't remember or make the effort to enquire for you.
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Best of luck with him though... ex-polo pony conversions are my favourite thing!
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Thanks Bounty.

I did get the feeling that it may be difficult to find out much about him. I suppose I just want to know that the pony I've taken on is the right one. The lady got to me and had forgotten the passport - I'm sure she'll send it, but I do worry.

On another note he's such a sweetie, so kind and gentle!
 
Is he straight out of polo or come to you via someone else?

Just to let you know, one of my mares I have I *know* played at cowdray park, and has extensive scarring on her legs (knees completely b*ggered and scarring from tight bandaging), scarring on her ears from being twitched and an absolutley massive crescent shaped scar on her hindquarters on which you can see where the flesh was stapled together
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She's hardly non-descript, but they still deny all knowledge!
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I think it is slightly dependent on the age of the pony because of when the passport laws came in , but certainly the majority of ponies now are registered with the HPA unless they were originally destined for the racetrack and so are registered with weatherbys.

The HPA passports are pretty mickeymouse though! Definitely something they introduced to meet the laws rather than for any kind of traceabilty
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[ QUOTE ]
Is he straight out of polo or come to you via someone else?

Just to let you know, one of my mares I have I *know* played at cowdray park, and has extensive scarring on her legs (knees completely b*ggered and scarring from tight bandaging), scarring on her ears from being twitched and an absolutley massive crescent shaped scar on her hindquarters on which you can see where the flesh was stapled together
crazy.gif
She's hardly non-descript, but they still deny all knowledge!
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

He came out of polo at eight years old and was then used by a young girl for events. She then sold him on to the lady who has just sent him to me.

Poor devil, it's like all his spirit has been knocked out of him, but he's such a good boy.

His legs are scarred and I've never seen so many saddle sores on a horse before and like I say - he has a huge dent on his face.
 
My mare that I was speaking about in my other post is 18 and didn't come with a passport (I bought her aged 14). Another mare we had is now 14 and she was passported, so you might get a HPA passport, you might not. A lot of polo yards will not passport their ponies until they start to think about moving them on, at which point they'll passport them with the HPA so they can sell within the law.

Another mare of mine was ID'd for her passport just 2 months before I bought her!
 
That's what I love about having them - watching them get their personalities back and enjoy life again.
If he left polo at eight you probably won't get a polo passport, but more likely a bog standard Horse Passport Agency one or similar.
Wishing you all the best with him.
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