292 POLO 



whether in full career or at the slow pace, and this despite the 

 immediate neighbourhood of the ball,' would be a very fruit- 

 ful cause of accident if adhered to in the present galloping 

 game. By Rule 15 it is enforced that, ' as a general rule, in 

 regular matches, no player can use fresh horses, or no horse 

 have fresh riders.' It would indeed be a wonderful pony that 

 could carry its rider through the whole of a game as at present 

 played ! Rule 20 infers that ' spurs and whips may be freely 

 used, but only on the rider's own horse. To beat an adversary's 

 horse is foul play.' How a player could use his spurs on 

 another man's horse is not very clear, but the game must have 

 been rather of the rough-and-tumble order in those days to 

 necessitate such a rule. Perhaps Rule 2 2 is the most remark- 

 able. It enacts that ' it is to be understood that no player 

 shall be under the influence of " Bhang-gouja," or spirituous 

 liquors.' As a matter of fact the sportsman of to-day, whether 

 he be a hunting or shooting man or polo player, is decidedly 

 of the abstemious order, and more given to the consumption of 

 tea and lemon squashes than the spirituous ' peg ' of brandy or 

 whisky and soda. 



Of course in those days, following the example of the Munni- 

 poories, from whom they learnt the game, the Cachar sportsmen 

 rode small ponies of about twelve hands two inches, or under, 

 and the ground, which was rectangular in shape, was smaller, 

 being only 200 yards in length by 120 yards in width. 



The following is a list of polo clubs registered at Hurling- 

 ham : 



The Monmouthshire County Club. Colottrs red 6 white. 



The Hurlingham Club. Colours blue <&> silver. 



The Sussex County Club. Colours orange &> lilac. 



The Ranelagh Club. Colours pink &> white. 



The Barton-under-Needwood Club. Colours maroon &> light 



blue. 



The All-Ireland Polo Club. Colours red & gold. 

 'The Freebooters.' Colours white. 

 Carlow County Club. Colours red &> white. 

 The West Essex Club. 



