152 POLO PONY MANAGEMENT. [Chap. VII. 



during cub-hunting time, and in the early part of the 

 season, when the bHndness of the ditches may be an 

 excuse for going slow and prudently. Polo ponies, 

 however, have to be as fit as the proverbial fiddle, from 

 the very first day of the season ; for in play we cannot, 

 without spoiling the game for our comrades, spare our 

 animals, beyond playing them for only one ten minutes 

 instead of for two or three. Therefore, the wintering 

 must be so arranged that any loss in hard muscle and 

 wind may be regained, with a large increase of health 

 and soundness, before the ist of April. After their 

 autumn run of two months, we may take them into the 

 stable and have them regularly exercised, which is a 

 method to be adopted only by those to whom expense 

 is no object ; or we may keep them at grass until it is 

 time to get them again into condition. I do not at all 

 approve of turning them into loose boxes, as I think 

 they would do much better at grass, especially in the 

 way of exercise. Whichever method we adopt, we 

 must remember that our animals will not thrive as well 

 as they ought to do, unless we give them personal 

 supervision, or unless we can leave them in charge of 

 some perfectly trustworthy person. If we find that one 

 or more of the ponies at grass cannot stand the cold 

 and exposure, we should put them in a shed or stable 

 and have them regularly exercised. Supposing that 

 we adopt the sound and economical policy of keeping 

 our ponies at grass during the winter, we must not 

 forget that, although they will remain in health on 

 grass alone, it is not sufficient in itself to enable them 

 to keep their muscles in well-developed condition, and 

 that the recovery of muscular development will cost 

 more than Its retention. Undoubtedly the best plan 



