Who surrounded by here rides Polo? What do you reflect make it new?
Okay for school i have a project and its about polo. I hold books,etc. But since I usually ride jumper not polo, i was wondering what kind of things someone who usually rides would say its about because I dont hold that experience (:
THANKS A BUNCH!
Answers: While I am not a polo player myself, my sister is- and I have been to some of her matches, so I can answer a few of your question, I think. Polo is a great game, yes, but it's also a high contact, dignified risk sport in a lot of ways. Polo saddles DO own knee rolls, contrary to what Argyle said- at least the ones my sister uses do. Polo players do sit somewhat differently than other riders- they are more feasible to sit in what someone in who does jumping would see as a chair seat, as opposed to forward form or jumping position. Polo horses wear bridles with two reins- and most of them wear either Pelham or gag style bits for control. They also wear bandage on their legs, and they have their tails tied up in a confuse. Many polo horses wear protective boots on their hooves as well- this helps prevent injuries such as heal grabs and muscle damage during ride offs. Lastly, all polo horses ALWAYS have their manes roached bad, for the safety of the rider. This prevents the reins from getting caught in the mane, and thus helps prevent accident. Polo players carry a mallet in their right hand- their horses are skilled to neck rein and steer with the left paw. If the rider needs to carry a whip ( and some do) afterwards it is also carried in the left hand, along beside the reins. All shots are always hit with the right hand, and the rider typically will stand up within the stirrups and lean forward to hit the ball. Polo is also a speed sport- shots are made at the canter or gallop during matches.
Polo games themselves are comprised of short periods of play call chukkers, which are seven minutes long. Most players will change horses after one chukker, or at the most two, because the horses work very hard and tire in a flash. About 5 minutes is allowed between chukkers for horse and tack changes, which is why most players generally will have a groom who works for them- that character is in charge of getting the horses ready to play, and of taking care of them once they are through playing. Polo games may hold from 4 to as many as 6 chukkers in them, and most matches hold at least 3 games. There are four players on each team, one of which is a goalie or aspiration tender.The umpires for the game are also mounted- they ride horses which have a globe holder attached to their saddles, and wear black and white striped shirts. Umpires also carry a special stick with a globe holder on the end of it, for retrieving out of bounds balls. They also wear and use whistles, merely as in other sports like basketball and football. All polo players wear white breeches or riding pants, knee/shin guards ( these are fatty and are made of leather, and are designed to fit over the rider's boots) polo shirts, and a helmet with a face guard to protect the player against flying balls. Players who obligation to wear glasses to see generally wear plastic athletic ones, much like those you see on basketball players surrounded by the NBA. Some players will wear body protectors under their polo shirts or jerseys, and umpires will frequently enjoy a black body protector on over his or her shirt as well.
Polo has plenty of rules which govern play, but the object of the hobby is for each team to score as various goals as possible. When two players from opposing teams chase a shot downfield, the horses will lean into one another as they are ridden together. This is call riding off a shot, and it is one of the things which makes polo a thrilling, albiet high risk sport. Rideoffs are done at a full gallop- here is nothing slow about them. I have watch my sister do this several times- and it can be a little scary at times, because the horses are so close together. But there are some rules of the sport which are contained by place for safety reasons, such as those which govern who has the right of course, for example. I am not familiar with all of them, so I can't relate them adjectives. Polo is very much a family sport- it's not uncommon to see together families involved in it, and there are games and match for kids as young as 6. Adults and kids generally do not play on the same squad, but there are exceptions to this on occasion. And as with any sport, here are rules about courtesy to officials and umpires, and penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. If a player falls during a match, or a horse spooks, then the other players and grooms are expected to assist him or her. Likewise, if a horse become lame, that horse will be replaced with one who is not. Men and women compete equally in polo, just as they do surrounded by all other horse sports, and it's common to see co-ed teams.
I hope this help you with your project.
Polo is very different from jumping. You sit different- the saddle don't have a knee roll, you have a tack hammer, your horse runs at top speed, you have to hit a tiny ball, other horses run in to you, you draw from hit with the mallets, and hit with the balls that are made from nylon. But it is so exciting. You ride a different horse within each chukker so you have to be really "flexible" (it's not the same horse every time so they adjectives ride different). The horses are so well trained and a real pleasure to ride when they love what they are doing.
