A polo pony is the term used for a horse used in the game of

polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...

. They may be of any breed or combination of breeds, though many have a significant amount of

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

breeding. They are called "ponies", but that is a reference to their agile type rather than their size; almost all are horse-sized. They require considerable training and ongoing conditioning, and because each rider requires at least two horses in a single match, this can be a considerable expense. When playing, polo ponies have their manes roached and tails braided so that there is no danger of being tangled in the mallet.

Size

Depending on time and location, the height of polo ponies has varied from about in the sixteenth century to modern horses of and over.Summerhayes, R S, Encyclopaedia for Horsemen, Frederick Warne & Co, London and New York Today, most polo ponies stand around , although it is not unusual to see a horse over 16 hands. Although they are called "ponies", this is a reference to their agile type rather than their size. True

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

breeds typically stand a maximum of .

Breeds

Various breeds used include mountain ponies from the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, Manipur ponies from

Manipur Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...

Arabians The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, No ...

and the ever-popular

and its crosses. In the United States,

s and

Quarter Horse The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at s ...

s are often crossed to produce polo ponies, while in recent years crosses of Thoroughbreds and

Criollo Criollo or criolla (Spanish for creole) may refer to: People * Criollo people, a social class in the Spanish race-based colonial caste system (the European descendants) Animals * Criollo duck, a species of duck native to Central and South Ameri ...

horses from Argentina have become popular. In Australia,

Australian Stock Horse The Australian Stock Horse (or Stockhorse), has been especially bred for Australian conditions. It is a hardy breed of horse noted for endurance, agility, and good temperament. Its ancestry dates to the arrival of the first horses in Aus ...

s are the most common breed used in polo.ASH Ministerial Statement

Preparation

Polo ponies need to be trained so that they are not afraid to bump into other horses, and not to shy at the ball or at mallets swinging near their heads. They need to be quick and agile so they can turn and follow the ball through its many movements. They also need to be in good physical condition; there are usually four to six chukkas per match, each chukka lasting seven and a half minutes, with the horse being on the move throughout. It is typical for a single player to have numerous horses available for each match, using a separate horse for each chukka, sometimes two. Thus there are significant costs of ownership and time required for exercise and conditioning of a polo string. Their diet may include grains, the best and most natural source of food ponies is good pasture and dry hay.

Grooming

Polo ponies have their manes hogged and their tails plaited up before a match, so that the polo mallet will not get tangled in them. Formerly, their tails would be docked and banged. Today, polo ponies in competition often have their

dock A dock (from Dutch language, Dutch ''dok'') is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. The ex ...

trimmed or shaved, and the skirt of the tail is braided and folded up against the tailbone. The braid is tied off with a lock of hair excluded from the braid, taped, or tied off and taped.

References

{{reflist Types of horse Polo

Size

Breeds

Preparation

Grooming

See also

References