Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-12-11
TRAINING POLO PONIES
some OTHER FACTS ABOUT THIS
INTERESTING SPORT.

Tho Game OF Polo Seems Suited to
the Sport-LovinE Spirit OF Ameri-
cans-one of the Oldest OK EqIcS-
trian Diversions.
Polo seems to be exactly suited to
the sport-loTing spirit Of Americans,
maintains the New York Sun. 1t re-
auires nerve, strength. good horseman-
ship, and 4 quick. accurate eye on the
part of the player, TO say nothing OF
the gameness. stamina, speed aud en-
durance Of the pony.
Like other Old World games polo
has fourished and greatly improved
since its introduction into this coun-
try some twenty-four year. ago. The
: growth Of the sport can be imagined
when it is stated that there are over
1900 ponies in training il this country
ut the present time, and ove- q score
of polo clubs, whereas in 1880 there
were only about 100 ponies and less
than half that number Of players.
Polo is one Of the oldest Of eques-
trian games in existence, as it can be
traced to the time when the Turkish
and Persian monarchs and theA cour-
tiers played q game called ''chd d$gan."
This game reached China in o. sixth
century, being called "dakiu. & Polo,
as it is played to-day, was addRed by
the English army officers stat bed III
India, from the Hindoostanis game
Of 'kan-jai-bazee," or polo. it Is
played to-day. Certainly, the names
arc ve-y much alike. A regiment re-
turning from India brought the game
to England in the early sixties, the
first game being played Mt Aldershot
. In 1862 between team Of the Sew
enth HA.sars and the Ninth Lancers.
The English pony is bred and trained
much differently from the American
pony. In the first place in England
they so in for breeding polo ponies OIL
buying miniature race horses which
will come under the standard Of four
teen hands TIVE inches. Ponies over
in England are usually Of the Arab Or
Barb blood, bred to the under-siZed
Thoroughbred. This makes good ma
terial for a good polo pony, but one
can never tell, no matter how small
the sire or dam may be, what the off
spring will be, 1t may be too small,
or 60 to legs and be too high to come
under the standard of 14.2, which, of
course, bars him from the game.
The pony bred for the game, of
course, has to be trained and broken
I for polo; he must learn to turn sharp
", stop and start quickly from walk
into canter, and from a run to stop
s;ping in almost the length of his own
body. First of all, 1t Is always advis-
able for q player to break and train
!, his own ponies; they seem to do work
better for the man who has trained,
them, exactly as horse always goes
. best to hounds when ridden by the
man who taught him to jump. A
pony gets to know man, understands
/. his seat and hands. and surely must
be of more use to him than to stran-
ger.
(. In England where they make" po-
nies, q player is very careful with his
sprotege. At first he takes the pony
and rides or. hacks him about until
ase1shay :get to know one another; then
the, ,pony.is taught to start quickly into
q .:gallop from q walk, and to stop
short. He is then taught to. change
: his legs. or. in other words when turn
ing to the off side his near leg must be
extended forward. After he is good
at this, which is taught him by placing
row Of poles some thirty feet apart,
and making him 60 from one side to
the other, twisting and turning around
the poles, which are gradually placed
closer together, so as to make him
chandler" or quicker at turning. The
rla.let is then used, very carefully at
first, simply being carried in the hand
till the pony is thoroughly used to see-
ing it, and does not shy when it is
yhirled about his head. This is a
very serious period il the education
of q pony, as he is at any time apt to
become "r,allet shy" about as bad a
fault as a pony can have, a pony Of
this kind is almost useless, Gs he will
swerve from the ball, the player being
Unable to come close enough to make
his stroke.
After the pony becomes used to the
rlailet the trainer starts knocking the
ball about, only few yards at first,
very easily. till the pony becomes used
to the sound of the knock and gradl-
ally realizes his object-that is, to fol-
low the ball, as a retriever is taught
to fetch bird. A good pony will fol-
low the ball, and at the sane time,
when he comes to 1t, will ease Up so
as to give the player chance to make
the stroke. However, pony who will
stop too much, is not as Useful as q
pony that will gallop right along. a
pony is taken very slowly ct first,
and alone, then in company with 9TH
eers, never being allowed to race. as
this makes him nervous in game, or,
n ether words, "hot." A,well-known
player once said, "Pd rather play q
biind'Un than hot 'rn." A pony that
is ahot'' and who will lose his head, Is
useless, no matter how handy or fast
he may be.
That Is the Glow, quiet, easy way
that they tlain polo ponies n England.
but the American ponies have much
harder tire Of 1t. They erc mostly
broncos, lasooed out OF an unbroken
herd. sallled and bridled By force,
and the next day started at cutting