io8 



CHAPTER V. 



TRAINING THE POLO PONY. 



General remarks — Long rein driving— Turning — Reining back — To stop dead — 

 To start into the gallop from the halt — To turn right about or left about at 

 the canter or gallop — To change legs before and behind at the canter or 

 gallop — Figure of 8 — To go with a loose rein in all paces — -To meet other 

 ponies — To hustle other ponies — Breaking the pony to stick and ball. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



I PROPOSE in this chapter to describe a pony's educa- 

 tion, from the time he is taken up from grass, until 

 he is fit to take his part in a good polo match. 



It is advisable as a rule to break ponies to ride at the 

 age of three years ; to have them quietly ridden about 

 for from three to six months ; and then to turn them 

 out till the autumn of their fourth year. At that time 

 their education will have to be begun over again, and 

 they should be carefully trained for at least six months, 

 in order to make them fit to play hard polo at the com- 

 mencement of their five-year-old season. In Ireland, 

 many men play four-year-olds, but I do not think it is 

 generally good policy to put them into fast matches at 

 such an early age. Having a large number of ponies, 

 I do not break my young ones until the autumn of 

 their fourth year, so as to save the trouble and ex- 

 pense of doing the work twice over ; but all the same, 

 I think it is a great advantage to break ponies to ride 



