2/6 POLO IN THE ARMY. [Chap. XII. 



be ascertained beforehand, and the cost counted. I 

 do not think that there is a single authentic case of an 

 officer having to leave his regiment by reason of his 

 having spent too much money on polo, although the 

 high price of polo ponies is often the excuse given to 

 parents and guardians for an additional allowance ; the 

 truth probably being that the money went on amuse- 

 ments of a much less reputable nature which would 

 not bear explanation. I came across the following 

 instance of this kind a couple of years ago. An old 

 gentleman who had formerly commanded an infantry 

 regiment, put his son into a cavalry regiment, because 

 the boy had passed too low to be able to get a 

 commission into the infantry, and recruits at that time 

 were badly wanted in the cavalry. The old colonel 

 complained to a friend of mine that his son would be 

 obliged to leave his regiment, as he had got into debt 

 by trying to keep pace with his brother officers, and 

 they had told him that if he could not mount himself 

 better at polo, he must leave. The father was 

 naturally very bitter about this, and as I knew the 

 regiment and did not believe the story, I made 

 enquiries. I discovered that the boy was a very bad 

 horseman, could hardly keep his seat in the riding 

 school, had never owned a polo pony or a hunter, and 

 was in trouble with his commanding officer for not 

 buying a second charger. I was told how his money 

 had gone, but the details of its disappearance would 

 not bear repetition here. It is probable that the old 

 colonel still attributes the ruin of his son's career to 

 his extravagance about polo. 



Any opposition to polo which may exist in the 

 higher ranks of the Army is probably due to the fact 



