Re-schooling a polo pony, advice pls

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Katieholdaway

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Hi all,

I have been given a 7yr old polo pony, she grew to big for polo being 16hh. She has been polo trained by the Argentinians and has played polo for 2 yrs. I dont know anything about her at all so just working her out and seeing how she takes to the different ways of riding.

She is a lovely mare extremely easy to handle and she all ready winnys at me when she sees me. I have had her for 2 weeks now and been lunging her which she is getting better at but obviously finding canter tricky. She trots fine in the school and will got into canter but any contact even the slightest contact on the reins she stops dead. She does not like much contact on her mouth and throws her head about if you ask he to go forwards whilst holding a contant. She is totally sweet and I really want to get her out to some local riding club stuff/ jumping/dressage. Can anyone give me any advice on the best way to train her?
 
I have retrained alot of polo ponies. Firstly, get her teeth and back checked. She will be used to very strong bits and a standing martingale. I am a great believer in standing martingales so I would definitely put one of those on until at least she is accepting the bit. I am surprised the canter is difficult as polo ponies are used to doing alot of canter circles. I would hack her out and keep her out as much as possible. She will get used to the different style of riding, but it will take time. Try to begin with to ride her with your reins in your left hand as that is what she will be used to - slowly introduce the other hand on the reins. Good luck and I am sure you will get there!
 
I think of polo ponies as being on "joystick control" with the reins. They know how to turn on a dime and stop in a second, with the reins in one hand... after all that's their job. But, they tend not to know anything about riding into a contact.

It may take you a while therefore to reschool your new polo "pony" to the idea that she should accept a contact on the bit and come into any sort of outline. You're just going to need an awful lot of patients and to remember that she's not at all being naughty, she's just doing what she's been trained to do. You could try doing some in-hand type work (a la French classical dressage in-hand schooling) to help achieve this as it might be sufficiently different for her, having you off her back, that the "pony" can realise what you want?

Agree with what's said above that it's odd that canter was an issue. Normally it's trot that is an issue as polo ponies tend to do more canter than trot. Any chance you're hanging on to her mouth when asking for canter (remember you wouldn't need to be hanging on much for the polo pony to consider it hanging on).
 
Katieholdaway said:
Hi all,

I have been given a 7yr old polo pony, she grew to big for polo being 16hh. She has been polo trained by the Argentinians and has played polo for 2 yrs. Does she have any scars on her legs? I dont know anything about her at all so just working her out and seeing how she takes to the different ways of riding. Let her have two weeks off if you can.

She is a lovely mare extremely easy to handle and she all ready winnys at me when she sees me. Polo ponies are very loyal indead. I have had her for 2 weeks now and been lunging her which she is getting better at but obviously finding canter tricky. I wouldn't lunge her this year, I would let her relax for a couple of weeks and then hack her on a loose rein for as long as possible. She trots fine in the school and will got into canter but any contact even the slightest contact on the reins she stops dead. Put a snaffle in her mouth with one rein. She does not like much contact on her mouth and throws her head about if you ask he to go forwards whilst holding a contant. Use limited contact she won't run away with you just raise you hand slightly for a stop command. She is totally sweet and I really want to get her out to some local riding club stuff/ jumping/dressage. That may take a while just let her be a horse for a bit. Can anyone give me any advice on the best way to train her?
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What level polo did she play? low med or high? She will come right just takes a while, good luck and PM me if you need any help, I worked for a team called Black bears you might of heard of them.
 
PM Weezy on here- she used to do this A LOT. shes on hols. atm but will give you lots of help when shes back as shes v. good at this kind of thing :D
 
I have an ex polo pony! although she hadnt played for a year when i had her from a hacking owner.

Ive got mine in a dinky little nathe snaffle, which she loves!, Running martingale, strange the canter is tricky, mines canter is her best gait! minus the inabilty to relise what 'bend' is!

The trot is her worst, head appears around my head sometimes when she gets frustrated. I school her for about 30mins once a week, sometimes with draw reins for 10mins, just so she gets the correct idea, the rest i just hack her & have fun with her :).

You will never have any problems with the breaks, aids, mine is fantastic, all my friends get very bemused that my TB has better breaks than there brillent ponies!!
 
We have a ex polo pony. When we first got her she'd been playing polo for 12 years. We put her in a cavesson and a neue schule loose ring and did nothing but hack on a long rein for about a month to allow her to just come down a bit.
Echo above the normal issue with polo ponies is the trot, canter is usually v easy for them.
We spent ages getting her to stretch down and then very slowly got her to trust a bit of contact without reverting to polo ping.

It will take time but polo ponies are fab IMHO
 
I think the canter problem is probably just because you are trying to have a contact at the same time, so poor pony is getting stop an go signals at once and might be very confused.

You just have to let go!

Although I do think its a crime to reschool a good pony polo! Such pleasures to ride. Are you sure you don't want to take up polocrosse instead??
 
Use a nathe snaffle and do a lot of lunging with side reins so she takes a steady contact. A chambon isn't a bad idea either as they often don't stretch down much. Someone on the ground is invaluable to help - whereabouts are you?
 
kit279 said:
Use a nathe snaffle and do a lot of lunging with side reins so she takes a steady contact. A chambon isn't a bad idea either as they often don't stretch down much. Someone on the ground is invaluable to help - whereabouts are you?
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Sorry don't agree its been tied down in polo so the pony need to be allowed its head now.
 
kit279 said:
Use a nathe snaffle and do a lot of lunging with side reins so she takes a steady contact. A chambon isn't a bad idea either as they often don't stretch down much. Someone on the ground is invaluable to help - whereabouts are you?
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Hiya, Thanks, I am in Chobham in Surrey.
 
Thank you all for the advice, I need all I can get. I hacked her out and she was great. I think for now I will hack her out mostly and do a small bit of lunging with loose side reins. I do notice that at the beggining of the hack her head is alot higher and when she setles in to the hack she starts to bring her head down naturally.
 
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