Despite their name, polo ponies are actually polo horses. The best chance of seeing an actual pony on the field would be watching junior polo, where some of the youngest players, as young as 2 years old, mount up to get an early start in the sport. Generally, the horses that the SFJC saw are thoroughbreds. Some may have even come from the racetrack. When England adopted the game of polo in the late 1800s, the British established a polo pony breed registry and set limits on the size of the players' mounts. At the time, these mounts were bred from Welsh or Irish pony stock and were no larger than 14.2 hands. When it was founded in 1890, the U.S. Polo Association adopted this standard. In the U.S. most players used cow ponies from the West. Though the size limitation was widely ignored in the United States, the rule remained on the books until the 1920s. Polo ponies are arguably among the best equestrian athletes. Though racing stock is often used, polo is much more demanding on horses than merely running around a track for two minutes.

Polo requires horses to run for seven minutes. We know of a couple Jags that won’t do that before we start watching the Temp gauge.

In addition, the horses must stop and change direction in an instant, as well as bump, and take bumps from, other horses in an attempt to get on the line of the ball. Furthermore, horses are herd animals and their instincts tell them to run with other horses. In polo, they are sometimes required to run toward the pack. In these cases, the trust they have in the player on their back must outweigh their natural instincts.

Because so much is required of them, a spindly-legged horse won't do. To meet the tremendous physical demands of polo, players look for a pony with specific conformation traits, such as strong hindquarters for power and a short back because they will be less prone to back injuries. A deep girth and wide chest suggest great lung capacity A long neck implies flexibility Short, thicker bones bear up better under the strain of halts and turns. And, most important, Polo ponies need a tremendous heart.

But physical beauty is not everything and Polo ponies must have brains, too! In fact, a horse’s temperament is key to determining whether or not the animal is a good polo prospect.

Horses play no more than two periods in one game, meaning a minimum of three horses is required. That said, most players come to the field with eight or even 10 horses. Generally, players competing in the U.S. Open have more than one string of horses, but their U.S. Open string is the best of their best. These horses are saved for the most important tournaments and may play only a few months a year, sometimes in tournaments outside the United States, in places like England, Spain or Argentina.

Finding these top ponies is not an easy task. There are only a small percentage of them that can play. They are a special animal that can play that type of polo and do it consistently. They have an extra motor, an extra gear. The horses have big hearts and there is just no quit in them. Because there is a limited number of these extraordinary equine athletes, the price is high. A number of teams are willing to pay top dollar for horses going for anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 each.

Because of their high value, these horses are extremely well cared for. Their diet and exercise are carefully monitored. Conditioning for a tournament takes months. They generally start by going out for long walks in a set, usually twice a day, where a rider will ride one horse and lead two or more horses. After a week or so, they increase their speed to a jog or slow lope. As the horses get fitter, they are ridden individually. Their workload is increased more and more each week. After several weeks, they will start playing in slow practice games, which increase in speed as they get fitter. The idea is to get the horses fit, but not so much that ultimately, the horses' fitness should peak mid-tournament.

Polo ponies generally enter competitive polo when they are about 4 years old and many remain in high-goal polo until they reach their mid-teens, although some many continue playing even longer. Others may be used for less-competitive polo well into their 20s. Many of the polo ponies we saw are females, and the good ones are often used for breeding as well.

Different players have different styles, as do horses. Players who play a more offensive game require horses that are fast and like to run. An extremely fast horse isn't as necessary for a more defensive player. Rather, the horse needs more handle and usually does more bumping in an effort to stop the opponent from getting to the goal. Further, a player's best horse wouldn't necessarily be another player's favorite. After years of playing together, a strong bond develops between a horse and rider.

Each horse is outfitted with a saddle on its back, held on with a leather girth, and is reinforced with an "overgirth" resembling a belt strapped over the saddle and under the belly. The leather bridle, which goes behind the horse's ears and down the sides of the cheeks on each side, attaches to the metal bit in the horse's mouth. The reins held in the player's hands also attach to the bit and are used to control the horse. Because players need to control the horse with one hand, polo ponies are neckreined. The player merely moves the reins in the direction he wants the horse to go. A breast collar, a strap across the horse's chest attached to the saddle, keeps the saddle from sliding back.

Some players use a saddle pad for decoration or to add cushion between the horse and its saddle, but a proper fitting saddle does not require any extra cushion. The legs are bandaged for support and protection from stray balls or mallets. Flowing manes and tails can get tangled in a player's mallet or reins, so the manes are shaved every week or so and the tails are braided and taped or tied up to keep them out of the way. After the game, the tails are let down, allowing the horse to swat at pesky insects. Anybody want to trade their V-12 Series III E-Type for one of these atheletes??????