New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-11
Continued from NTH page.

chasing the cows he learns to wheel snort
and to stop in two lengths while going al
! ton speed. All Of this is polo. only Whale
bone doesn't know it yet.
At the end of these two years comes
person to the ranch from the Far East
The person wears outstanding riding
breeches and bright puttees-things that
Whalebone had never even dreamed of.
Furthermore. the person from the East
shaves regularly. a fact which causes fur-
ther humorous comment
SHOW me those polo possibilities or
YOURS" says the Eastern person to the
ranch owner, and Whalebone finds himseli
among these possibilities
Whalebone therefore descends upon the
East along with eighty others similar 10
himself I'm their lack of size and In their
feet hardness. The buyer gets these little
horses for about $l75 each. Eight years ago
he could have bought the same class OF
horses for $50 each--and there has been a
corresponding jump in prices at the Eastern
end of the transaction. too.
THE three carloads of cow ponies are
taken to White Plains. say. where they
have tentative try-outs to see whether tney
will ever make polo players.
First. a pony Is mounted by trainer
with a malet in his hand. This mal!et Is
swung slowly by the pony's ears. The
norv has never had anything like that
done on his back before and every time
the slowly swinging mallet passes his eyes
be Jerks his head 10 one side and SHES on.
Easy boy. It's all right the trainer
assures him softly. and after a few days
70 4
hin, in the eve and allows II 10 swing past
his head UNDECIDED If lie has the polo hesrt'
Next the trainer gets POLO ball. when
is made of wood and Is little over three
inches in diameter. The trainer hits the
hall and starts the pony after II. In
Wonderfully short time Whalebone dis-
covers that the man on his back wants 10
keen after that pail. and with couple OF
weeks iudlcious training the rider doesn't
have to guide him after each stroke. lie
noints his rose dutfuly toward the bound
ing little dot and goes after II as he used
~ ., after the steers he cut ont from the
herd Whoa the trainer succeeds III get
t,no IL into the little horses head that ne
wants TO g.t the ball and swat it again
great deal has been accomplished. After
all. horse sclse is very nigh grad" oi m
telligence. and polo pony must have
head full IF 1t.
At the end Of two weeks Whalebone taxes
part In an urimportant game. There are
other green ponies in the game, too. and
after "A couple Of periods actual play ii is
discovered that about half OF them are I'M
fl, for the work and that they never would
make polo ponies of the first class. Per
hans they still aren't used To the swinging
or the mallet, or maybe they refuse t2 10
any Riding om'-that il. they refuse t.
crowd another horse and rider while going
- tom speed to force him OFF his course
and allow another player following TO take
the hall These bad guess"s on the part of
the dealer are sod for saddle horses at
opoueh Of an increase over tho tl75 To make
q pretty good profit for bringing them out
of the widerneases.
whslebone makes good. He keeps his
eve on the flying ball. brings up by II at
inst the right angle for his rider to hit 1t
and crowds his opposing mounts when he
soes that this is needed Before long he
learns that as soon as he is lined up for a
game he Is pitted against the man and
horse opposite. and he follows tho Two