It’s time we get clear about polo pony myths and tell the truth about what really goes on behind the scenes on the playing field. Get ready to stomp some divots!
The Polo Pony
There’s no such thing as an actual “polo pony”. On average, they stand at around 15.1 hands high, which technically make them horses. The reason they are called ponies is because polo players look for horses with pony-like characteristics: agility, quick-thinking, and bumpy gait, just to name a few. In the United States, most polo ponies are crossbred combinations of thoroughbreds, Arabians, Quarter horses, and the Argentinean Criollo horse. Any polo pony must be trained before it hits the field, however. It must not be shy of having swinging clubs or mallets near its head, and needs to be okay with bumping into other horses during the game.
Unfair Treatment
Spectators of the U.S. Open polo tournament in Wellington, Florida, were terrified when they saw 21 of their favorite horses fall dead during or after the match. The horses belonged to Lechuza Caracas, a team from Venezuela. Investigators worked for weeks trying to determine the cause of the tragedy, and eventually decided that it was just another case of polo pony cruelty, which is surprisingly common. Just like racehorses, they are treated more like sports equipment than animals from the time they are tamed to the time when they die. Many die early on in their career from fatal heart attacks where their hearts rupture or burst, a result of working to extremes. Others die because of selenium overdoses. Selenium improves polo pony performance, but too much of it can be unhealthy and even deadly. If a polo pony makes it to the end of its career, which is rare, it will most often go to a charity when it outlives its usefulness. Horse charities have said that polo ponies usually arrive in critical condition, underfed and overworked. The ones that are not taken by rescue agencies are killed by gunshot.
Polo Matches: The average polo match is played on a 300-yard-long field, with eight horses on a team. The game is split into six pieces, called chukkas, where a rider will use up to two horses for each. When they’re not on the field, polo ponies are being calmed and cooled down by stable hands.
Celebrity Cruelty
There are not strict rules about the use of spurs in a polo match, but after the famous Prince Harry’s controversial incident with them, he’s been charged with animal cruelty. Reporters and horse-lovers everywhere are appalled, and Andrew Tyler, director of animal welfare charity Animal Aid, said, “It was a heartless and utterly selfish thing to do. Spurs are unnecessary for a competent rider and should not be used to punish a horse for the rider’s failure to gain advantage.” After playing a game in the Windsor Great Park with his Household cavalry team, an obvious wound was seen on the flank of the Prince’s horse. Witnesses say that he continued to play in the match until he looked down and noticed the bloody spur mark. As soon as he saw it, he realized he was in trouble and switched horses. In the end, Prince Harry’s team lost to the Royal Navy by five and a half goals to five.
Elephant Polo
Elephant polo is played in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, and Thailand. Even though they ride bigger animals, the field is three fourths of the size. The clubs, however, at 6 to 10 feet long, are larger than normal. Each elephant is ridden by two people: a player and a mahout. The mahout steers the elephant while the player tells the mahout where to go and uses the club to hit the ball. Just like horse polo, Elephant polo has a world cup every year. The Elephant polo headquarters is in Tiger Tops, Nepal.
This information was taken from the article Behind the Scenes: Polo Ponies in the Winter 2012/2013 issue.