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CHAPTER XII. 



POLO IN THE ARMY. 



Polo is par excellence "the soldiers' game." They 

 brought it into England from India, and for many 

 years it was played almost exclusively by them. Had 

 it not been for soldiers, polo would not now be the 

 chief summer pursuit of hundreds of county gentlemen 

 and civilians in all walks of life. It is in every way 

 the most suitable form of amusement for regimental 

 officers. 



The following are a few of Its advantages : — 



1. No better riding school exists than the polo 

 ground. 



2. To be a successful polo player, a man must be to 

 some extent a horsemaster ; for he must know a good 

 deal about horses, in order to be able to buy his 

 ponies, and to keep them sound and fit. 



3. The qualities which make a soldier succeed in his 

 profession, bring him to the front at polo, particularly 

 if he has to organise and arrange the regimental polo. 



4. Polo occupies only an hour or two in the after- 

 noon, and in no way interferes with an officer's official 

 work, provided the ground is not far from barracks. 

 Cricket is a splendid regimental institution, but it 



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