2
THE BATTALION
POLO MANUAL FOR THE
INSTRUCTION OF CADETS
Riding A Polo Pony.
How to ride a pony in a polo game
is of the greatest importance; on it
depends the life of a pony for polo;
on it hangs the kind of pony you will
be loaned or rented; on it rests your
ability to train ponies. Polo is ex
pensive at best but hopelessly so for
a poor man if he has zo buy trained
ponies and ruins them in a season.
One should know quite a lot about
riding before attempting to play po
lo ; then piloting a pony through a
games becomes a matter of applying
properly a few important principles.
These principles so far as they con
cern the handling of a pony are dif
ferent from those used with the sad
dle horses or chargers only in that
response thereto must be more
prompt and sudden as they are sig
nals for a complete movement in
stead of indications which gradually
and deliberately lead up to the end
desired; they direct the pony’s mind
to a particular object which it should
grasp and accomplish with little or
no more assistance.
1. Proper riding will enable you
to feel that your riding a pony has
tended to improve rather than ruin
him.
2. A pony that has to be controll
ed by sheer strength is not properly
trained or has been runied. The ap
plication of the different aids are
signals which the pony should in
stantly obey. Endeavor to get the
pony to work with you instead of
against you.
3. Ponies have peculiarities and
it is well to inquire about these be
fore hand.
4. Look carefully to the adjust
ment of all equipment and inquire
about any that appears unusual.
With your own ponies you must
know the proper adjustment espec
ially of the bits and curb chain. The
best grooms are careless at times,
therefore examine everything every
time.
5. Make friends with the pony be
fore mounting by kind word and a
gentle pat.
6. Let him know at once that you
can ride without holding on by the
reins. If you can’t do this, better
give up polo; you will never make
a pony of your own, you will never
be loaned a good pony more than
once and you will never play a de
cent game.
7. Try him out a little before go
ing into the game and thus establish
mutual confidence while giving him
a necessary warming up. See if he
walks straight to the front, reins
barely stretched, and halts at trie
slightest pressure—the lifting of the
hand; changes direction, slightly
slowing down, by pressure of the
reins against the neck; turns on the
haunches by reining in and to the
right or left and by holding his
haunches in place with the outside
leg. Do the same with him at a tret
and then at a canter. Begin a change
of direction or turn, particularly at
speed, with a slight slowing down
and closing the outside leg harder
and further to the rear, which en
ables the pony to change his lead
and to collect his haunches under
him for the turn. A pony that in
creases his speed at every slight
change in direction, or that bears his
weight on the forehand in a turn,
gets out of hand in the former is
dangerous in the latter case. Change
leads a few times first slowly then
at speed and note any special indi
cations the pony requires.
Let him follow the ball a while on
barely stretched reins encouraging
him to go to the left of the ball when
your stick is on the right and the
reverse. This appeals to his intelli
gence which is so necessary and
which is so often neglected. Make
your back stroke quickly in order to
discourage stopping. It is dangerous
to stop while striking, for an oppo
nent is generally close after you.
9. Ride with barely stretched
reins leaving all the freedom possi
ble for the extension necessary for
a quick move. The one worst thing
that can be done to a pony is to give
him the signal with the whip or spur
for a quick start or for a burst of
speed and require him to receive the
effect of his whole effort plus the
weight of your whole body on his
tender mouth. A well trained pony
can be ruined by one such exper
ience.
10. The proper effect on the
reins is obtained not by a continual
pulling* against the mouth or bear
ing against the neck but by alter
nately taking and giving— thus
sending a succession of signals. A
dead pull develops into a tug of war
between pony and rider in which the
pony in the long run always wins.
Likewise use the legs with a tapping
effect instead of with a dull, life
less application.
11. Close your legs and throw
your weight back in stopping or
turning in order to help get the
haunches under. This will also break
the effect on you of a sudden stop
by planting the forefeet. Ponies will
soon learn to stop from proper use
of weight and legs and very little
use of the hand.
12. Be more than careful not to
give a tug on the reins while you are
striking the ball. It is a good plan
to hold your bridle on the withers
when striking.
13. Don’t stop your pony any
more than you absolutely have to.
Save his mouth always. When the
ball has been knocked out or over
let your pony gallop around to his
place instead of stopping suddenly
and turning. Even in fast games
moments occur when there is noth
ing for you to do and which should
be utilized in giving the pony a rest
for which he will immediately 're
ward you by better service. At besr
polo is rather hard on the pony.
14. It is better to work the edge
off a fresh pony than to use a more
severe bit. A work-out before a game
is a wonderful help.
15. In riding off, the pony should
do the leaning—not the rider—
otherwise you push yourself away.
Get a slight lead if possible. Don’t
drive your pony straight into a back
hander. Pull out and crook or make
a time stroke.
16. It is better not to strike at
all than to hit your pony. The stroke
under the pony must be finished
with a sharp upward pull or by
striking the ground to keep the mal
let from going under. The former
stroke is less dangerous when at
speed. Protect your pony by fending
with the mallet.
17. A properly trained pony will
stay at the gait you set him—walk,
trot, canter or run—on barely
stretched reins.
18. Keep up with the pony so
your body will not interfere with
the haunches. Being well forward al-
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than the left. Try to overcome both
tendencies.
20. A whip is necessary with most
ponies but it should be used sparing
ly. The same applies to spurs. In
fact as with human beings so with
ponies—continued hammering des
troys the effect of the hammer while
(Continued on Page 7)
so facilitates striking the ball fur
ther to the front. Lean slightly back
for back strokes so as to get the ball
behind the hind legs.
19. Most ponies turn better to the
left than to the right; this is because
the reins are held in the left hand
which moves better to the left and
because the right reign works looser
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