92 CHOOSING A POLO PONY. [Chap. IV. 



has good shoulders and a nice mouth and manners, 

 and is sound, there need not be much doubt about 

 him. If he pulls or shows signs of bad temper, it will 

 be long odds against him turning out satisfactorily, 

 and he should therefore be avoided. 



The chief points of conformation to look for in a 

 polo pony are : 



1. Good shoulders which will ride well, and which 

 the pony can use with perfect freedom. The best 

 way to judge if a polo pony or hunter has good 

 shoulders is to gallop him down a sharp incline. If 

 he gives us confidence when doing this, we may be 

 certain there is nothing wrong with his shoulders. 

 If, on the other hand, he travels down hill in stilty 

 fashion, and gives us the impression that he may come 

 down on his head at any moment, we may conclude 

 that his shoulders are faulty, no matter how good they 

 may look. We should never judge a pony's shoulders 

 simply by their appearance. 



2. A fairly long neck properly set on. The pos- 

 session of this desirable point reduces liability to pull. 

 I have found that a short thick neck is one of the most 

 fatal defects a polo pony can have ; for, as a rule, such 

 a pony will be difficult to turn, and will have a bad 

 mouth. 



3. A short strong back, with the best of loins, and 

 plenty of depth in the middle of the back. The 

 strength of the loins can best be judged by their 

 width and flatness. Ponies long in the back are 

 seldom able to turn quickly or to carry weight. 



4. Good hocks well let down right under him. 

 Sickle hocks are no disadvantage, as they enable the 

 pony to turn quickly. 



