The Mane Event: Creating Top Horse & Rider Pairings

 

Unlike most sports, polo depends on the symbiosis created between two breeds of athletes: the human mallet-swingers and their equine mounts — majestic steeds that carry them to glory during the high-goal polo season in Wellington. What does it take to make that happen? Wellington The Magazine caught up with polo star Jeff Hall to get a look into the daily life of top polo ponies.

Like every professional sport, it’s a high-stakes, intense and extremely competitive athletic endeavor. The international schedule — and rivalry  — requires diligent training to sustain stamina and prowess. These select athletes train hard, practice regularly, live a healthy lifestyle, work with trainers and specialists, and maintain their nutrition and diet to perform like machines for each and every match.

As competitors, polo ponies are elite athletes as much as any human polo player on the field. The horses are referred to as “ponies” even though they are full-sized horses, ranging from 14.2 to 16 hands high at the withers, and weighing 900 to 1,100 pounds. Most are Thoroughbreds or Thoroughbred crosses, and are considered “hot-blooded” horses, known for agility, speed and spirit.

Polo is a team sport, a partnership not only between players on the team, but also a special relationship between the players and their mounts. It is a synergy based on trust, strength, laser focus and preparation. Polo ponies are exemplary team players, and as such, are key to any polo team’s winning achievements.

Hall, a top American polo player, sports a 7-goal handicap. He has been playing professionally since age 12, and as a seasoned player and horseman, Hall provided keen insight into the daily lives of polo ponies.

Hall owns approximately 100 horses, most living at his ranch in Houston. Of those, about 20 horses make up his preferred string for polo matches and travel with him to Wellington, as well as tournaments across the country and the globe. Hall understands his horses’ skills and trusts them to be worthy allies on the field.

Of those 20 horses, eight high performers will accompany him regularly onto the playing field. As with any accomplished sportsman, the key to success is preparation and training. These horses are so well-conditioned, they can stop and turn on a dime to accommodate the dynamic play of the game. Horse and player become a competitive force of speed, fluidity in motion, strength and maneuverability.

The average age of a seasoned polo pony is 6 to 13 years. Younger horses, starting at about age 3, have to play polo to get better, and won’t play steadily until, according to Hall, they are “ready for the fire of the game.”

As horses mature into formidable teammates, the pressure and intensity of play increases with greater levels of accomplishment. “The horse shows you when they are ready for more action,” Hall said, explaining that until then, rookie horses play less stressful, early-season matches, often third chukker time frames for 4 to 5 minutes.

The entire string has a superlative care and wellness protocol. They are creatures of habit, and routine is paramount to their well-being and potential. “The horses are pampered and cared for better than 95 percent of the human population,” Hall said.

The grooms rise before daybreak to feed the horses. Each horse has its own specific feed preferences — a variation of grain, bran mash, corn, barley or sweet feed, plus vitamin supplements.

Horses are groomed and cleaned multiple times throughout the day — bathed, brushed, and faces and nostrils gently rubbed with oil. For game days, grooming and preparation begins three hours before the match and includes a “manicure” of hoof dressing for glossy, black hooves. With safety as a priority, tails are braided and manes closely cropped.

Housekeeping of the stalls is equally important, and the barn and stall areas are cleaned out and refreshed several times a day. The impeccable appearance of the horses is of paramount importance and a point of pride for the groom and the player. “Not an ounce of dirt or shavings will be left behind,” Hall stressed.

Game days and practice days are vigorous workouts for the team. Play hard and work hard are one in the same to a polo pony. A typical week comprises a practice day and two game days, with ample rest time in between. Practice days include a light walk in the morning and “on set” polo play of 8 or 9 chukkers in the afternoon, followed by a light snack of hay.

When outfitted with saddle, bridle and other gear, the horses are ready to go. They are high-performance animals and know that when they are saddled up, the game is on. There is a heightened sense of energy, and they are expected to do their jobs.

Leaving the field throughout the game or practice sessions, the horses are rinsed off, brushed and hot walked until their bodies cool down. Once the match is over, the horses are again pampered with rubdowns by hand or machine. Achy muscles and bumps and bruises are treated, while fluids and vitamin supplements are replenished, then they are bathed and stalled for the night. Some players even provide chiropractic services and equine massages for their string of horses.

As horses thunder down the field at top speeds of 35 to 40 mph, chasing a ball hit at 110 miles per hour, polo is recognized as an inherently risky sport, second only to race-car driving. As a result, teams have a private veterinarian on staff who makes the rounds every day, especially after games, to ensure that the horses are in top physical condition, treating any injuries or other issues that may arise.

By 7 p.m., the horses are fed and stalled, cleaned, blanketed and sometimes muzzled to prevent nibbling on barn shavings. At 10 p.m., grooms conduct final stall checks to make sure that the horses have finished dinner and are doing well. The horses will often lay down for a hard sleep. However, they can also rest while standing.

The grooms have the closest relationship to the ponies. They handle them the most and are hands-on all day. Nevertheless, when it comes to game time, nothing can break the bond of horse and rider — both have their eyes on the prize.