Retraing Ex-Polo Pony

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EquuStrong_UK

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Hi,

Our non-profit organisation rehomed a ex-polo pony towards the end of 2024. She is 19 and was imported from Argentina when she was 7 and continued playing until early 2024.

She is physically in good condition. We are looking to retrain her for our equine-assisted services work. This was largely involve walk, trot and canter in the school and possibly hacking.

Any advice on retraining would be appreciated both in terms of methods to use and tack e.g. type of bit etc.

Thank you in advance.
 
Has she been thoroughly checked out by your own vet inc flexions and assessed as being fit enough to do the work that you require of her?

You might be expecting too much of a 19yo mare that has likely been hammered during her playing career.

They usually only let them out of polo when they are too crippled even by polo standards to play on.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Has she been thoroughly checked out by your own vet inc flexions and assessed as being fit enough to do the work that you require of her?

You might be expecting too much of a 19yo mare that has likely been hammered during her playing career.

They usually only let them out of polo when they are too crippled even by polo standards to play on.
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Yes she has been thoroughly checked by our own vet and cleared as fit enough. The only reason she stopped playing polo is because her previous owner passed away.
 
It shouldnt be too difficult, they are usually very easy going, they are not used to being ridden on a contact, and they neck rein to change direction, and if you push your hands up their necks they tend to go faster. But I'd start with basic normal tack, snaffle bridle etc and it really shouldnt be a problem, they also hack a lot, but in company, depending on the individual they might not be used to solo hacking.
 
Polo groom here so can give a little bit of advice.
Polo ponies are exercised in anything from a head collar to a gag/Pelham, I would try a snaffle and work from there, most Polo ponies I've worked with (high goal to patron horses) can be ridden quite comfortably in a normal loose ring snaffle.
As for retraining they tend to pick up a normal riding style quite quickly, recently retaught one of our old girls to go the more classic way for her new hacking home hold the reins as you normally will but when you go to turn bring the opposite rein against the neck e.g. to go left open the left rein and then bring the right one against the neck. They pretty quickly pick what you want from them.

Quick note here, depending on who's been playing/riding them they can be very sharp keep experienced riders on them until they've settled into the new way of going.
They make amazing hacking horse as they've been there done that and seen the world so very little fazes them
 
I used to do casual work for someone who got ex polo ponies cheap with the aim of turning them into riding horses.

All hacked well, but they had zero understanding of contact and bending was interesting at times. I found the compact types - which yours might be - easier than the TB types. I stayed out of the school and used hacking to get across the idea of contact without their heads shooting up etc.

Don't remember using anything special tack-wise.

We had quite a few with old mallet injuries - vets picked up vision problems on the mallet side in 2 and we had one who looked like the point of her hip had vanished. Sound enough for hacking and no one was going to x-ray. I think they learn to be tough little horses.
 
daffy44 said:
It shouldnt be too difficult, they are usually very easy going, they are not used to being ridden on a contact, and they neck rein to change direction, and if you push your hands up their necks they tend to go faster. But I'd start with basic normal tack, snaffle bridle etc and it really shouldnt be a problem, they also hack a lot, but in company, depending on the individual they might not be used to solo hacking.
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This is all very helpful thank you.
 
I have an ex-polo pony I took on after he was injured in 2021 (having worked for his owner as a groom a few years prior). With the help of many professionals we've overcome lots of common polo issues.

- Polo ponies are often ridden in ill-fitting tack (one saddle used for all horses when exercised), so his discomfort took time to sort out with the chiropractor / saddle fitter.

- He was riddled with multiple stage 4 ulcers from the stressful game and minimal turnout, these have been treated and he's scoped clear which has relaxed him massively.

- Mine didn't understand trot when he came as polo is halt to canter / gallop. He'd often canter hop during trot, giving the impression he was hopping lame. With lots of repetitions he got the hang of it eventually.

- As with all polo ponies, they are not ridden in a contact but yanked with harsh bits when needing to stop / turn so can be understandably very resistant to it. We had the bit / bridle fitter out and completely restarted him with groundwork and still have weekly lessons. He now rides happily into the contact in a single jointed snaffle but his canter collection continues to be a work in progress.

- Mine wouldn't hack alone and was only used to being exercised in "sets". We've built up his confidence with in hand hacks and can now get out and about with minimal issues.

Polo ponies have a really hard life and it was eye opening working as a polo groom and seeing how terribly some of the ponies are treated. Best of luck and I hope yours manages to find some peace in her new life.
 
EquuStrong_UK said:
Hi,

Our non-profit organisation rehomed a ex-polo pony towards the end of 2024. She is 19 and was imported from Argentina when she was 7 and continued playing until early 2024.

She is physically in good condition. We are looking to retrain her for our equine-assisted services work. This was largely involve walk, trot and canter in the school and possibly hacking.

Any advice on retraining would be appreciated both in terms of methods to use and tack e.g. type of bit etc.

Thank you in advance.
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I have a feeling we both rescued from the same previous owner! How are you getting on? 🥰
 
For my two pen'orth, you will be working with a horse that is very clever and agile but possibly quite shut down. Criollos (which yours is likely to be, or a criollo x TB) "broken" over in South America - they can have a very tough start, and they don't owe humans a thing. In my experience they can have tongue injuries so be careful when bitting and don't discount going bitless.

Polo ponies are sharp and sensitive, and it's a matter of "less is more" and finding the right buttons to press. My older criollo had possibly been a cattle horse in his previous life rather than a polo pony, but he was so sensitive to weight aids that he would move backwards or sideways if the rider was in any way unbalanced. Any contact on the reins meant "backwards." Once I worked out how to ride him, it was like riding an extension of myself - like being a centaur. He never liked people much but he and I came to an understanding and he meant the world to me.
My younger criollo (also from Uraguy) was great with novices and taught several people to ride. Both of mine were broken over there, but only the older one had the physical scars to prove it. The younger one was very fearful (and therefore probably very compliant with the breaking process, hence no scars), but with lots of sympathetic work and lots of time became the most fantastic, solid, good hearted horse, which he still is in his late twenties and retired.
Prepare for a horse that is quirky, clever, opinionated, brave, and extremely rewarding.
 
What sort of rider are you aiming to have w/t/c on them? They are great little horses but are sports horses, they're not going to plod with a novice on them but are great fun for a stable secure rider.

To use an analogy, you wouldn't stick a novice driver in a Ferrari, it's a great car, very fast and amazing handling but no good for learning to drive in! But if you are an experienced driver, you will have a great time.
 
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