Welfare issues with polo?

[stencilface]

Players and patrons are pretty intolerant of unnecessary rough riding and there is little affection for those players who are 'effective' if they are also hard on the ponies. The ponies are too valuable and it makes people angry to witness horse abuse.

What do people do when they realise, across country that they have got it wrong or that they are on course for a fall? It seems very similar to me.

Polo is a 'status symbol' sport - with both wealthy patrons who either have a true passion for the game and Polo 'culture' or who may want to use the game as a social 'entree' and the sportsmen who play either for themselves if they are rich enough or for their patrons. The patrons fork out huge amounts of money to enable them to participate and the sportsmen depend on their success to go up the rankings and to get more money, more playing opportunities etc. The ponies are either the property of patrons or players. They represent quite considerable investment and as an integral part of the game must be cared for.

Patrons do NOT like the approbation that cruelty brings them - it's bad for their social rise - at least in this country, and the players do not like or need to be criticised or left out because their pony skills are questionable. Some players are ambitious and play hard to win but a broken, injured or angry/upset pony is no use for anyone involved. Injuries happen and as always people do not always choose the best course of action for the pony.

I am just not sure why you have picked on Polo OP.

Ok, so I'm going to pick on eventing here, as imho is the forums favourite discipline, but substitute in anything.

Eventing is a status symbol sport too, many who support it do not really have any idea about horses.

There are many eventers who are well known for being hard on horses, yet owners still send horses to them.

A good percentage of eventers going at a reasonable level (Int and above) who are 8 years and above will IME have had some kind of serious vet intervention at some point. They may only be able to compete and be kept sound on injections, they may have been denerved in the case of PSD etc despite that fact its not allowed. They are iced above and beyond what imho is reasonable, ie people icing a bruised foot prior to trot up to numb it. Is this acceptable?

 

[Moomin1]

I am not a passionate supporter of Polo per se although I loved the thrill when I played a bit for a few years. Whenever I played or spectated there was a huge amount of pride in effective and decent riding skill; that is a crucial and very necessary part of the game. Players and patrons are pretty intolerant of unnecessary rough riding and there is little affection for those players who are 'effective' if they are also hard on the ponies. The ponies are too valuable and it makes people angry to witness horse abuse.

The thing is that if you are galloping onto a ball (cos that's the game) and someone else is on course for a collision, what do you do? Pull up/move asap or allow a potentially serious accident? What do people do when they realise, across country that they have got it wrong or that they are on course for a fall? It seems very similar to me.

There is good and bad practice in all horse sports of course and 'welfare concerns' with all of them as far as I can see. That is because of people rather than the sport though.

In Polo, there are some nations and practices which are clearly cruel but then you can see that in every discipline and across all parts of the globe. In the UK, as many other countries, for a large part, Polo is a 'status symbol' sport - with both wealthy patrons who either have a true passion for the game and Polo 'culture' or who may want to use the game as a social 'entree' and the sportsmen who play either for themselves if they are rich enough or for their patrons. The patrons fork out huge amounts of money to enable them to participate and the sportsmen depend on their success to go up the rankings and to get more money, more playing opportunities etc. The ponies are either the property of patrons or players. They represent quite considerable investment and as an integral part of the game must be cared for.

Patrons do NOT like the approbation that cruelty brings them - it's bad for their social rise - at least in this country, and the players do not like or need to be criticised or left out because their pony skills are questionable. Some players are ambitious and play hard to win but a broken, injured or angry/upset pony is no use for anyone involved. Injuries happen and as always people do not always choose the best course of action for the pony. Show me a discipline that is different. That is not to say that it is acceptable.

The ponies have to be very highly trained, good playing mares are kept on for breeding and a huge number of players adore their ponies and have spent a great deal of time developing the ponies skills and maintaining them as long as possible. Its of no benefit to put a good or potentially good pony in a dangerous or injurious situation. Older, less good ponies are also useful - as they can be used for teaching and for new people entering the sport. The ponies tend to live as a gang - often turned away in the non-playing season and spend their working life with other horses; working only for short bursts of time.

I have seen equally awful images of eventers/dressage horses/showjumpers as well as the ignorant and rough handling you see from ordinary people who know no better or simply like to dominate a horse. People choose veterinary/management practices which are clearly detrimental to horse's health and happiness and I have seen hunters with dreadful saddle sores on their withers/severe bits and lame. Usually the owner says 'Oh he loves hunting so much, it would kill him to stop - he lives for jumping huge hedges' or something like that. There is appalling abuse of endurance horses in some instances too.

I am just not sure why you have picked on Polo OP.

You don't see instances of horses having their mouths ripped to shreds and hauled about in every single event/dressage comp/hack/sj. It's in the minority. Polo, it is pretty much every horse in every match you see.

 

[TT55]

In answer to your question 'why cant horses be played without the "bondage"' the answer is they can. Most horses I know are started in a snaffle and then go on to play in a snaffle. They are then bitted according to their needs. Some go on to play their entire career in a snaffle, others move up to a gag or a pelham. Sometimes with running reins if they need them. And as many previous posters have said, this is for safety. It takes me probably half a pitch to pull my horses up in a snaffle. If someone had turned in front of me in that time i'd probably be dead and both horses would probably have broken their legs. A standing martingale is a rule in polo to prevent the player being smacked in the face... they use standing martingales in lots of horse sports so i don't see why it is an issue?

And as for putting all horses in less "bondage" and playing a slower game.. i've never heard anything so ridiculous! How would you even enforce that? Make it a foul for a player to go go from a canter to a gallop? Why don't we make all riders compete cross country in a trot? Most lower level games are slower anyway because the players cant hit the ball at speed, but telling the top players to slow down would be like telling football players they can only walk in a game. Not only would it be boring, but how can anyone possibly be competitive when they are not allowed to play at their full ability?

 

[stencilface]

And as for putting all horses in less "bondage" and playing a slower game.. i've never heard anything so ridiculous! How would you even enforce that? Make it a foul for a player to go go from a canter to a gallop? Why don't we make all riders compete cross country in a trot?

Equally, with as many horse and rider deaths there are in eventing, indeed, why have fixed fences at all? Why not make all the fences knock downable, make the course flat, remove any optimum time, that would make it better for everyone wouldn't it. Except it would be dull as ditchwater.

When was the last rider fatality in polo, out of interest?

 

[minkymoo]

I am not a passionate supporter of Polo per se although I loved the thrill when I played a bit for a few years. Whenever I played or spectated there was a huge amount of pride in effective and decent riding skill; that is a crucial and very necessary part of the game. Players and patrons are pretty intolerant of unnecessary rough riding and there is little affection for those players who are 'effective' if they are also hard on the ponies. The ponies are too valuable and it makes people angry to witness horse abuse.

The thing is that if you are galloping onto a ball (cos that's the game) and someone else is on course for a collision, what do you do? Pull up/move asap or allow a potentially serious accident? What do people do when they realise, across country that they have got it wrong or that they are on course for a fall? It seems very similar to me.

There is good and bad practice in all horse sports of course and 'welfare concerns' with all of them as far as I can see. That is because of people rather than the sport though.

In Polo, there are some nations and practices which are clearly cruel but then you can see that in every discipline and across all parts of the globe. In the UK, as many other countries, for a large part, Polo is a 'status symbol' sport - with both wealthy patrons who either have a true passion for the game and Polo 'culture' or who may want to use the game as a social 'entree' and the sportsmen who play either for themselves if they are rich enough or for their patrons. The patrons fork out huge amounts of money to enable them to participate and the sportsmen depend on their success to go up the rankings and to get more money, more playing opportunities etc. The ponies are either the property of patrons or players. They represent quite considerable investment and as an integral part of the game must be cared for.

Patrons do NOT like the approbation that cruelty brings them - it's bad for their social rise - at least in this country, and the players do not like or need to be criticised or left out because their pony skills are questionable. Some players are ambitious and play hard to win but a broken, injured or angry/upset pony is no use for anyone involved. Injuries happen and as always people do not always choose the best course of action for the pony. Show me a discipline that is different. That is not to say that it is acceptable.

The ponies have to be very highly trained, good playing mares are kept on for breeding and a huge number of players adore their ponies and have spent a great deal of time developing the ponies skills and maintaining them as long as possible. Its of no benefit to put a good or potentially good pony in a dangerous or injurious situation. Older, less good ponies are also useful - as they can be used for teaching and for new people entering the sport. The ponies tend to live as a gang - often turned away in the non-playing season and spend their working life with other horses; working only for short bursts of time.

I have seen equally awful images of eventers/dressage horses/showjumpers as well as the ignorant and rough handling you see from ordinary people who know no better or simply like to dominate a horse. People choose veterinary/management practices which are clearly detrimental to horse's health and happiness and I have seen hunters with dreadful saddle sores on their withers/severe bits and lame. Usually the owner says 'Oh he loves hunting so much, it would kill him to stop - he lives for jumping huge hedges' or something like that. There is appalling abuse of endurance horses in some instances too.

I am just not sure why you have picked on Polo OP.

Very good post, I am sure that we can all agree that there are revolting examples of horsemanship in every equine discipline. I had friends that played polo and their attitudes varied between the individual. Some were rougher than I would have expected and some were kind and considerate to their horses. This is nothing different to what I have seen day to day thought my horse life in DIY yards.

 

[TT55]

Equally, with as many horse and rider deaths there are in eventing, indeed, why have fixed fences at all? Why not make all the fences knock downable, make the course flat, remove any optimum time, that would make it better for everyone wouldn't it. Except it would be dull as ditchwater.

When was the last rider fatality in polo, out of interest?

Carlos Gracida died in February. I think there are more rider deaths in eventing....

 

[stencilface]

Carlos Gracida died in February. I think there are more rider deaths in eventing....

I think that it is likely.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

You don't see instances of horses having their mouths ripped to shreds and hauled about in every single event/dressage comp/hack/sj. It's in the minority. Polo, it is pretty much every horse in every match you see.

Have to take issue Moomin1, bit of a sweeping statement above ^.

I live quite close to what could be loosely termed the polo centre of the south, where there are many yards & a lot of matches spread over several prestigeous clubs.
Have rarely ever seen any injuries to horses as you describe, tho certainly the odd wayward ball or stick bruising occasionally.

 

[RunToEarth]

You don't see instances of horses having their mouths ripped to shreds and hauled about in every single event/dressage comp/hack/sj. It's in the minority. Polo, it is pretty much every horse in every match you see.

I don't accept that the majority of polo horses have their mouths ripped to shreds either. applying each practice to its relevant sport - dressage and rollkur, showjumping and superspurs/draw rains, hacking and the associated dangers of other road users? I mean, I have seen Rollkur used extensive in training and I think it is abhorrent, but it would be a large jump to assume everyone competing in dressage uses it/promotes its use.

 

[fburton]

I have seen plenty of happy hackers hauling their horses around as I drive past them on the road, seen plenty of showjumpers simultaneously with hugely overbitted horses see-sawing them, dressage horses overbent...the list could go on - NO discipline is without ugly riding!

I guess the question would be whether it is possible to see a polo match at a reasonably high level that doesn't have ugly riding in it. If it isn't possible, or if it is very rare, then it would be reasonable to consider polo to be different from other equestrian sports where you can see performances without ugly riding.

I don't know the answer to this, btw.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I guess the question would be whether it is possible to see a polo match at a reasonably high level that doesn't have ugly riding in it. If it isn't possible, or if it is very rare, then it would be reasonable to consider polo to be different from other equestrian sports where you can see performances without ugly riding.

I don't know the answer to this, btw.

It is easy to answer this - ban riding horses. Get the gun and destroy the equine industry.

 

[pip6]

I spent 5 years as a livery at a yard that wintered polo ponies and took injured ones in for recuperation. In all that time I met 1 owner who genuinely cared for their horses. As an example, one chap who had his own yard of polo ponies and played well, referred to them as equine motorbikes. He couldn't name one, didn't give a toss what he was sat on as long as he could play the game. If it broke he got a new one.

Another pony came in with a fractured leg and bone fragments. Vet said pts, owner insisted on 'saving' her as she was so 'precious' to him, 'one of the family'. He proclaimed his love, appeared with a new rug..............and we never saw him again. YO spent many months nursing the pony so she could be a pet. Got her sound in the end, not expecting her to ever be ridden again, still had bone fragments in leg. One day trailer appeared to take her away. On parting groom let slip owner was sending her back to polo yard so she could be used for arena polo.

For those that don't know, horses no longer up for polo are downgraded to arena polo. Many of the winter horses (none were sent with rugs) had dreadful legs and horrendous scars. All were scared about their heads after being beaten if they put a foot wrong by foreign grooms (this was witnessed when they came to collect them until YO stepped in and stopped it).

Also, they sent some surrogate mares carrying polo foals there to foal down. All the colt foals were killed, only the filly foals were wanted.

Before I went to this yard I had no opinion on polo, now I think it is pure barbarism.

 

[palo1]

Have to take issue Moomin1, bit of a sweeping statement above ^.

I live quite close to what could be loosely termed the polo centre of the south, where there are many yards & a lot of matches spread over several prestigeous clubs.
Have rarely ever seen any injuries to horses as you describe, tho certainly the odd wayward ball or stick bruising occasionally.

In my experience polo ponies did not have their mouths ripped to shreds or hauled about in every single match. At the top end you often see incredible riding partnerships and occasional ugly riding - certainly you see the kind of riding that does not happen in other sports; because of the speed and responsiveness of the game. Having ridden polo ponies, they will often move their heads out of the way of sticks/balls/other ponies very quickly and that results in some of the ugly shapes you see. The ponies are extremely aware of what is going on. Anyone who has played an experienced pony will know that they will choose when and where to ride off (push another pony off the line) - sometimes when the rider has loose reins. Some of them are clearly making their own choices whilst some back off from the game. The pony is definitely a huge part of a partnership and frequently 'Pony Power' will win. In spain, horses may be frequently trained in a harsh serreta - but not all. At local dressage,SJ & low level eventing I could see ugly riding on a very frequent basis but that is just my view. My husband's horse (a hack) tore her mouth/cheek by catching her fulmer snaffle on something. It was mortifying, but has healed. Anyone who knows the horse would know that this was not a cruelty related injury; it just happened in the course of her life. We put our horses at risk all the time and the higher the level of challenge, the greater the risk. As others have said, why not make eventing so that the jumps knock down, the courses are short and flat and only horses in snaffle bits can compete. Why not ban hunting on the grounds that horses will necessarily travel over hugely varying terrain that can cause horrible tendon injuries/that they may jump something with an unseen strand of wire/get kicked by another horse etc etc.
I have said enough now; some people can accept some things but not others. We are all different and have different experiences and perspectives I guess. Thank goodness we live in a country where we are free to express that.

 

[RunToEarth]

It is easy to answer this - ban riding horses. Get the gun and destroy the equine industry.

I think if you were to gather every person involved in horses in this country the group most at fault be it riding style, management or welfare would be the pleasure riders and those who keep horses as pets. Completion sport is much more heavily regulated and bad riding punished, than your average yard - you only have to look at the threads on this forum to see how badly some pleasure riders perform in basic tasks and knowledge.

 

[Tiddlypom]

some people can accept some things but not others. We are all different and have different experiences and perspectives I guess. Thank goodness we live in a country where we are free to express that.

Well said.

My personal take on polo, as an outsider who had only seen it on the telly and in photos, is that it is a bunch of oversized egos whizzing about on overtacked, undersized ponies.

I have no desire to go to view a real game to investigate it in more depth, as it just ain't my thing.

 

[TT55]

I spent 5 years as a livery at a yard that wintered polo ponies and took injured ones in for recuperation. In all that time I met 1 owner who genuinely cared for their horses. As an example, one chap who had his own yard of polo ponies and played well, referred to them as equine motorbikes. He couldn't name one, didn't give a toss what he was sat on as long as he could play the game. If it broke he got a new one.

Another pony came in with a fractured leg and bone fragments. Vet said pts, owner insisted on 'saving' her as she was so 'precious' to him, 'one of the family'. He proclaimed his love, appeared with a new rug..............and we never saw him again. YO spent many months nursing the pony so she could be a pet. Got her sound in the end, not expecting her to ever be ridden again, still had bone fragments in leg. One day trailer appeared to take her away. On parting groom let slip owner was sending her back to polo yard so she could be used for arena polo.

For those that don't know, horses no longer up for polo are downgraded to arena polo. Many of the winter horses (none were sent with rugs) had dreadful legs and horrendous scars. All were scared about their heads after being beaten if they put a foot wrong by foreign grooms (this was witnessed when they came to collect them until YO stepped in and stopped it).

Also, they sent some surrogate mares carrying polo foals there to foal down. All the colt foals were killed, only the filly foals were wanted.

Before I went to this yard I had no opinion on polo, now I think it is pure barbarism.

Very sad, I agree. But we get neglect and abuse in all equine sports. Just because you witnessed some bad owners does not mean you should tar them all with the same brush! I am offended by the implication that they are all the same, and im sure many other polo pony owners would agree. I treat my horses like princesses, as does everyone else on my yard. In fact, in my years in polo all over the world, i am yet to experience any different (although I dont deny that it happens)

 

[fburton]

It is easy to answer this - ban riding horses. Get the gun and destroy the equine industry.

I personally don't think that would be desirable.

 

[Ibblebibble]

CPTrayes, I feel your pain at the disingenuous dodging of your question and deliberate missing of the point. And Moomin, I often find myself disagreeing with you but I'm 100% with you on this!!!

but they have answered! it has been stated it is for safety reasons due to the speed of the game.

You don't see instances of horses having their mouths ripped to shreds and hauled about in every single event/dressage comp/hack/sj. It's in the minority. Polo, it is pretty much every horse in every match you see.

every match ?! wow that's some statement, got anything to back that up?!

 

[criso]

Just a couple of observations from spending some time at a very famous polo yard when a friend of mine got into the sport (he had ridden and had horses for many years but moved into polo.)

I think one issue in Polo that does not apply in other sports is that it is something that is actively marketed to novices as something you can progress in quickly.

You get a lot of "learn to play polo in a day" offered often as part of a business days out. Polo has a certain cachet and prestige so is attractive to people who also see it as a networking opportunity, a bit like golf. These days stress no riding experience needed and suggest you can play a little by the end of the day and they do have them bumping about on their horses back holding on by the reins trying to hit the ball close of play.

You don't get the equivalent learn to show jump or event days where people will expect to be jumping Oxers or Trakehners on the first lesson.


Some of these people will get hooked and carry on playing, a lot of them are businessmen who are very successful in their working lives and bring a certain competitive spirit to their hobby. They want to win, want to be able to go fast and stop quickly but with no real experience, feel or an independent seat so there are no weight aids or finesse. They can afford to buy ponies so it's more difficult to restrain rough treatment.

At this low level, they are not going fast in polo terms but do a lot of hauling and hanging on to the mouth and use of spurs to make up for the fact they can't really ride.

I don't think you get such a fast progression from first sit on a horse to competition in other equine sports.


The other very interesting thing I noticed was re 'conformation'. My friend has a horse he acquired (long story) that had been used for showjumping. It was stocky, a little cobby, had a very pronounced crest and way of going with his neck arched. He tried him for polo as he was small and nippy and short coupled albeit a bit heavier than your usual. We went to visit and almost didn't recognise the horse. He now had a much thinner neck and it had developed completely differently looking ewe like on top and developed underneath. This is not a good or bad comment, just an observation of how much the work you do with a horse can change its apparent conformation.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

If polo is that bad, then why this?

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Article/World-Horse-Welfares-charity-Polo-Day-at-Guards-boosts-funds-to-support-horses-in-need?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=polo_day

 

[ribbons]

I think if you were to gather every person involved in horses in this country the group most at fault be it riding style, management or welfare would be the pleasure riders and those who keep horses as pets. Completion sport is much more heavily regulated and bad riding punished, than your average yard - you only have to look at the threads on this forum to see how badly some pleasure riders perform in basic tasks and knowledge.

Totally agree with this post.

 

[amandap]

Just a couple of observations from spending some time at a very famous polo yard when a friend of mine got into the sport (he had ridden and had horses for many years but moved into polo.)

I think one issue in Polo that does not apply in other sports is that it is something that is actively marketed to novices as something you can progress in quickly.

You get a lot of "learn to play polo in a day" offered often as part of a business days out. Polo has a certain cachet and prestige so is attractive to people who also see it as a networking opportunity, a bit like golf. These days stress no riding experience needed and suggest you can play a little by the end of the day and they do have them bumping about on their horses back holding on by the reins trying to hit the ball close of play.

You don't get the equivalent learn to show jump or event days where people will expect to be jumping Oxers or Trakehners on the first lesson.


Some of these people will get hooked and carry on playing, a lot of them are businessmen who are very successful in their working lives and bring a certain competitive spirit to their hobby. They want to win, want to be able to go fast and stop quickly but with no real experience, feel or an independent seat so there are no weight aids or finesse. They can afford to buy ponies so it's more difficult to restrain rough treatment.

At this low level, they are not going fast in polo terms but do a lot of hauling and hanging on to the mouth and use of spurs to make up for the fact they can't really ride.

I don't think you get such a fast progression from first sit on a horse to competition in other equine sports.


The other very interesting thing I noticed was re 'conformation'. My friend has a horse he acquired (long story) that had been used for showjumping. It was stocky, a little cobby, had a very pronounced crest and way of going with his neck arched. He tried him for polo as he was small and nippy and short coupled albeit a bit heavier than your usual. We went to visit and almost didn't recognise the horse. He now had a much thinner neck and it had developed completely differently looking ewe like on top and developed underneath. This is not a good or bad comment, just an observation of how much the work you do with a horse can change its apparent conformation.

Interesting and thought provoking post. Not much thought for the horse at this level.

 

[Orangehorse]

I saw a picture in the paper yesterday of Prince Harry on a polo pony and it really disturbed me.

The pony had on the following tack:

- side reins, quite short
- cavesson noseband with short standing martingale attached
- drop noseband closing the mouth on a Cheltenham gag bit.

It looked like a turkey trussed up for Christmas

If polo requires this level of tack to play , is it right? Is there a reason why it can't be played without strapping the horse down to within an inch of its life?

What about a hunter you cannot hold? Don't you put on enough tack so that you and the horse are safe and able to have a good day. That is all day. A polo pony plays for 7 minutes at a time. A photo is a snapshot in time and there are occasional ugly photos even from dressage.

Anyone can be critical about any horse sport, but a horse has always been a servant to man and for its own sake will continue to be so. I know I couldn't put my hand on my heart and say that I have never "hauled a horse in its mouth" You know the saying about greenhouses and stones .....................

 

[SpringArising]

If polo is that bad, then why this?

http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/Article/World-Horse-Welfares-charity-Polo-Day-at-Guards-boosts-funds-to-support-horses-in-need?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=polo_day

With all due respect, you are very naive if you think something is perfectly acceptable and faultless just because a charity says so. Who made them right?

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

What about a hunter you cannot hold? Don't you put on enough tack so that you and the horse are safe and able to have a good day. That is all day. A polo pony plays for 7 minutes at a time. A photo is a snapshot in time and there are occasional ugly photos even from dressage.

Anyone can be critical about any horse sport, but a horse has always been a servant to man and for its own sake will continue to be so. I know I couldn't put my hand on my heart and say that I have never "hauled a horse in its mouth" You know the saying about greenhouses and stones .....................

absolutely.
I see sick and sore horses all the time, sick of work and sore from poor riding.
what about all the horses forced to endure a 5 minute hell of sitting trot because the rider is determined to *ride at medium* despite not being able to sit without banging up and down and leaning on the horses mouth to balance..........never mind being hooked and hoiked through lateral work they are in no way strong enough to do without straining themselves.
how many hours of the same craptastic riding do they endure at home behind closed doors?

just one example BTW.

 

[RunToEarth]

With all due respect, you are very naive if you think something is perfectly acceptable and faultless just because a charity says so. Who made them right?

Perhaps, if the charity were RSPB supporting a polo match I could see your point. What TFF is demonstrating is that WHW are actively seen within the sport. Given that WHW are a charity set up with a motive exclusively aimed at stopping unnecessary suffering and increasing welfare standards of horses, it seems rather fitting to add to the debate.

 

[cptrayes]

Just love all these 'two wrongs make a right' arguments..

I've never bought one yet and I don't buy one this time either. If people abuse their hunters/dressage horses/happy hackers it does not make it right that others should abuse their polo ponies.

Take the straps off. Play a slower game. Easy.

 

[cptrayes]

Perhaps, if the charity were RSPB supporting a polo match I could see your point. What TFF is demonstrating is that WHW are actively seen within the sport. Given that WHW are a charity set up with a motive exclusively aimed at stopping unnecessary suffering and increasing welfare standards of horses, it seems rather fitting to add to the debate.

I'd want to know how much money someone influential in the world of polo has donated to WHW before I would comment much on this. It is possible that they made the decision 'for the greater good' rather than because they in any way approved of how polo ponies are ridden.

 

[cptrayes]

It is easy to answer this - ban riding horses. Get the gun and destroy the equine industry.

Overreaction much

 

[cptrayes]

Hi cptrayes. I don't think you need anyone on here to point out that playing polo and beating children are not comparable, but I feel someone needs to, just in case.

Sigh. The lack of ability to read an argument properly on this forum astounds me sometimes.

At no time was polo compared with beating a child.

The statement was that it is as ridiculous to tell me that I need to have played polo before I am allowed to criticise it as it is to say that I need to have beaten a child before I can criticise that.