76 Breeds of Horses 



The Polo pony should be built on the lines of a weight- 

 carrying Hunter. He should have plenty of rein, a well -set -on 

 neck, and good shoulders, and plenty of heart room is essential. 

 Upright shoulders and a short ewe neck are fatal, however handy 

 the pony may be generally. For the moment comes, sooner or 

 later, when the pony's handiness deserts him for a moment, 

 and if he can get his nose out, a bolt is almost certain. It 

 need not be insisted that there is considerable risk in a run- 

 away, and in the middle of a game it would certainly be dan- 

 gerous. Then an upright shoulder might easily cause a nasty 

 fall in one of those sharp stoppages which are constantly taking 

 place in a fast game of polo. So that it is essential that a Polo 

 pony should have a good forehand. A short back and a muscular 

 one is necessary, for Polo ponies often have to carry considerable 

 weight. The ribs should be well sprung so that there is plenty 

 of room for heart and lungs, for polo is a big strain on the 

 breathing apparatus. The loins should be muscular and the 

 quarters well turned. The hocks should be big and flat and 

 powerful, well let down and near the ground. Pace, of course, 

 is indispensable. The height limit is 14 hands 2 in. " Hurlingham 

 measurement ", which means a trifle over the strict measurement 

 of the showyard. But Hurlingham measurement is always 

 accepted, and the breeder or owner of a Polo pony will act 

 wisely in getting the Hurlingham measurement registered as 

 soon as his pony is four years old. 



How are such ponies to be bred? Starting from a Mountain 

 or Moorland foundation has already been hinted at, and I think 

 it will be all the better where that plan is adopted to select a 

 Thoroughbred pony if possible. For it must be remembered that 

 polo is a fast game now, and that the Thoroughbred is the best 

 exponent of pace. There is of course some risk, if Thoroughbred 

 blood is resorted to freely, that the produce may grow over height, 

 which is to be guarded against. If a mare " breeds them big " it 

 may perhaps be as well to mate her with a Polo-bred pony; but 

 the subject is a difficult one to generalize upon, and the breeder 

 will be guided by his experience and the circumstances of each 

 individual case. 



If, unfortunately, he should breed one or two over the regu- 

 lation size, there should be no difficulty in getting rid of the 

 misfits at a fairly remunerative price. Well-bred saddle horses 

 standing 15 hands find a ready market as boys' hunters or as 

 hacks, and they bring a big price if they chance to be up to 

 weight, for there are too few of them. 



