242 POLO IN INDIA. [Chap. IX. 



in a double bridle." This may be quite true ; but the 

 reason probably is that the curb chain is put on too 

 tightly or twisted wrongly ; or because the pony has 

 not been broken to it. The owner should break his 

 pony to a double bridle by substituting a leather curb 

 for the steel one, and by protecting the comers of the 

 mouth with leather guards. Then in a few days he 

 will see what a great improvement his pony will have 

 made ; but he must ride him about, and break him 

 in this bridle for some days, before taking him into a 

 game. Arabs and country-breds are so much easier 

 to train than English ponies, that there is really 

 no excuse for the large majority of ponies in India not 

 being handy enough to do awav with the serious element 

 of danger which, I am sorry to say, still exists on 

 ordinary Indian grounds. 



Another danger, which is by no means confined to 

 India, is the reckless waving of sticks in a scrim- 

 mage or at other times, with criminal disregard of 

 consequences to friend, adversary or pony. I know 

 two cases, within the last year or two, of men who 

 have lost an eye from blows of sticks at polo. It can- 

 not be impressed too much on all players that they 

 should keep their sticks low in a scrimmage, and that 

 they should not hit about recklessly. No man should 

 allow his stick to finish in the air, if there is another 

 player within reach. 



POLO PONY CLUBS. 



The great drawback to polo as compared to every 

 other game, is its expense ; because, in the majority 

 of cases, it is undoubtedly a costly amusement. If a 

 man is capable of training ponies well, there is no 



