156 POLO PONY MANAGEMENT. [Chap. VIL 



astonished to find next morning that the horse's legs 

 are filled all round, and that the animal is stiff and 

 sore in every joint. The same remarks apply to 

 ponies, except that the polo pony groom is, as a rule, 

 inclined to give his animals one hour's work instead 

 of two. Previous to playing, ponies should do from 

 three to four hours' work a day, with a lot of trotting 

 during the third week, and should wind up the last week 

 with two or three good canters a day. Ponies con- 

 ditioned like this will be well fortified against sprains, 

 blows, and other accidents from which they would 

 be very liable to suffer during the season if they had 

 begun to play in an unfit state. I have taken for 

 granted that the ponies have continued in lusty health 

 all through. If they are thin and poor to start with, 

 it will probably take about three months to get them 

 up to concert pitch. 



Work, and plenty of it, in addition to that at polo, 

 is necessary to keep a pony fit, especially if he is not 

 played regularly. Many men who play polo never 

 see their ponies, except to ride them, at most four 

 times, sometimes only once or twice, a week, for two 

 periods of ten minutes each day. Besides the 

 question of fitness, the fact remains that many ponies 

 are uncomfortable mounts at polo from being too 

 fresh. We have, therefore, three good reasons for 

 giving our ponies lots of work, namely, to make them 

 fit, to keep them sound, and to render them comfort- 

 able to ride. Ponies which are somewhat infirm will, 

 of course, require more lenient treatment ; but even 

 they should be given as much work as they can safely 

 stand. Many young, high-couraged ponies are often 

 spoiled by being played when too fresh. I have often 



