330 POLO 



generally take place about the middle of June and first week in 

 July. The would-be purchaser will by then have had the 

 opportunity of seeing the ponies play, and be able to form an 

 opinion as to what will suit him best. Soundness must, of 

 course, be an indispensable condition ; for though a pony may 

 be a most brilliant performer, it may really not be able to play 

 five minutes without going wrong. An instance of this was 

 The Fawn who latterly threw out bad splints, but still she 

 was so fast, and could play so brilliantly for a short time, that 

 her owner, Mr. Arthur Peat, always kept her as a reserve, and 

 once, in a tight match for the Champion Cup, got on her at 

 the end of the game for a few moments and fairly galloped his 

 opponents down. 



Of course if a man can do this, and afford the luxury of an 

 extraordinarily brilliant but unsound pony, and keep it merely 

 for some exceptional case, well and good ; but few men can. 

 In buying a trained animal the purchaser has not the difficul- 

 ties of make and shape to contend with ; he has merely to 

 judge of the pony by its performances. We all know that 

 horses go well in all shapes, and so if the pony fulfils the re- 

 quisites of soundness, pace, and handiness, the task of the pur- 

 chaser will be one of no great difficulty, provided he has the 

 . s. d. Of course it will be advisable in buying to take into 

 consideration the proficiency as a polo player of the man you 

 are buying from, for a pony that will go well with one man 

 may not do so with another, and no one can sell 'hands.' 

 A trial, however, can generally settle this question. 



In conclusion, just one word in defence of the game. 



It has been urged by some humanitarians, including some 

 thoroughly good sportsmen, that polo is a cruel game cruel to 

 the ponies, as they get their mouths fearfully pulled about, and 

 get hit over the head and legs in the scuffle and excitement 

 of a bully. Now this is pure fallacy. To begin with, a pony 

 ought to be properly trained before he is played regularly, and 

 if this is done there will be no need for his rider to pull his 

 mouth about. If this is done, a pony will not be any good for 



