POLO PONY CLUBS. 243 



reason why the game should cost him much, either in 

 India or England. The generality of players, how- 

 ever, are far more apt to spoil a young pony than to do 

 him good ; and besides, their judgment in the purchase 

 of animals is frequently at fault, which fact naturally 

 enhances the cost of the game to them. In order to 

 help the majority, various systems have been started 

 in regiments to lessen the heavy expense which polo 

 entails on individual players. I shall now discuss four 

 of these systems. 



1st. A fund raised entirely by subscriptions, which 

 may vary from Rs. 2 to Rs. 10 a month for every 

 officer of the regiment who belongs to the Polo Pony 

 Club, in order to pay the travelling expenses of the 

 team to and from tournaments. The help thus given 

 to members of a team, may prove to be too small to 

 enable a poor man to play. 



2nd. A fund raised in the same manner and with 

 the same object as the above, but from which in 

 addition, money may be borrowed without interest for 

 the purchase of ponies by members, subject to the 

 approval of the Committee, who have a claim on 

 such ponies for tournaments. 



As a rule, this plan works well ; but although it 

 enables a man without money to mount himself, it 

 may be an inducement to get into debt. 



3rd. The following is the system which has been 

 worked with great success by Colonel de Lisle in the 

 Durham Light Infantry : 



A sum of money is borrowed for the purchase of 

 the first lot of ponies, which are bought raw in the 

 Bombay stables, and are distributed to the members of 

 the regiment. A monthly subscription of Rs. 2 is 



16^ 



