Really bad looking polo ponies

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rosita

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Won't name names, as yet. Went to a very well known polo school today. Bloody horrified. Can't believe what I have seen. Have been in polo a long time and am totally disgusted by the state of these ponies. People very rarely see them as they are kept over the road, so skinny you can count ribs and so much muscle wastage behind, the spine is raised beyond reason. Really really angry. Gives polo such a bad name. Ponies standing in thick rugs 15 to a coral. JESUS am goingt o explode with rage....Sorry......RANT.............................
 
Before anyone suggests it have already taken action. Bloody furious!!!!!!! Poor ponies. Would rather see them dead than doing this.
 
Rant away and then report it.
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These are two of my girls the day we went to view them...they'd been at a polo yard all winter.

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These two didn't even have rugs all winter. Both had lice, and the bay had ringworm and rainscald. Where she wasn't bald (under the saddle cloth she was raw) we had to cut the mats out of her coat.

Needless to say they're unrecognisable now.
My other ex-polo's didn't come in a physically bad state, just an emotionally wrecked one.
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Not ALL polo yards are bad! I've got an ex polo pony who came from a fabulous private polo yard. She was extremely well loved and cared for, a true credit to her previous owners and is a very happy, well grounded lovely mare.

But you do come across some horror stories as well. Really glad you have reported the one you came across Rattyandvile. All polo yards themselves should have a Welfare Officer on site - sounds like the one at the place you came across well and truly isn't doing his or her job.
 
Completely agree with you, I know some lovely private yards. It's the big, supposedly 'posh' ones that can be horrific.
Lucky you having an ex-polo...I'm on a one woman mission to collect them all! What do you do with her now? x
 
Hi Bounty, to be honest we got her as a confidence giver as my other horse can be a spook monster. So she is really my happy hacker. Would love to do TREC with her as well but probably not this year as spending a lot of time riding my boy. Soooo, her job at the moment is teaching my extremely nervous novice OH to ride! They have been doing pretty well, although trotting is a bit of a problem, as like so many polo ponies she is either wanting to walk or canter! She will trot with me like a little star. OH gets on, asks for trot, she bounds into canter and runs into me!

Back to the riding school for some more lessons for hubby I think!

Am thinking of getting a local teenager or somebody to ride her sometimes, to give her some variety and also come out with me on my boy. She will never be up to jumping and the like as her legs aren't brilliant, but that is fine, that isn't why we got her.

I can understand you wanting to collect them all, I would too if I could x
 
Definitely do some TREC! I took one of my little ex-polo's to a level two weekend in July, she was absolutely incredible despite neither of us having done it (or even practised it!)before. Loads of 10s on the PTV. Unfortunately being rageed around as a youngster doing polo, and then polocrosse with me means she's got horrendous bone spavins, and won't be able to stay with us much longer. She's only eight.
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One of my other ex-polo mares is now retired from polocrosse too, but not yet ready to waste away in the field so I was trying to reschool her so that we could do some prelim.....but in the end I couldn't bear telling her she was wrong for the walk to canter transitions and flying changes across the centre line, especially seeing as i've spent the last five years loving her for doing just that!
We should start a clique..."Addicted to ex-polo ponies!"
 
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