Tacking Up a Polo Pony

In the following article, everything needed to properly "tack up" or equip a horse for playing polo, called a polo pony, is listed and described in detail by a professional polo player with over twenty years of experience in polo. Also provided are in-depth instructions on exactly how to place and fit each piece of tack on the polo pony the proper and most secure way for the rider as well as?the horse. This article can be taken into any?well-stocked tack store and the sales people there will be able to assist you with finding all of the necessary tack listed by the following terms, some of which you may not be familiar with yet.
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Let's begin with the first basic tack, the?"bit and bridle". I prefer using a "gag" rather?than a "pelham". Whenever possible, I will work to train and play with a gag with a "broken bar" that is not too thin.

I prefer not to use a "twisted bar"?because if a pony is well-trained they should not have any severe aid, such as a twisted thin bar. Most importantly, the bit simply must fit well the width of the pony's mouth and the?pony's teeth should not be sharp?or have any sores. The bridle/headset should be a flat, heavy English subtle leather, with all stainless buckles and well threaded stitching. ?

Next let's move on to the "reins". One thing we have to set straight right off the top, is that all of the leather must be tanned and?not painted. Most leather coming from a country such as India or Pakistan for instance, paints their leather. The premium tanners are English.?Stitching is also of utmost importance; the Argentines and English are the best stitchers and use the top threads.?Reins should be double and of nice weight and thickness, to allow for enough weight on the neck rein.?Draw reins should be used on ponies that keep their head up on gate or when rating or asked to halt.

Reins should be of English tanned cowhide leather with all stainless buckles. Basically, all buckles must be of stainless steel, since, the wet leather will rust the buckles which will in turn corrode the leather and cause a sudden brake or tear. At the competitive speed polo has now attained, a high
goal player can not forego on any quality standard.

We'll now discuss a key piece of tack for the rider as well as the polo pony, the saddle. The saddle should be well fitted, allowing for close contact (no rolls).?I prefer not to use any saddle pad,?because if the saddle is professionally fitted it should need no pad of any sort. I much prefer a suede seat for nice grip and I definitely want "buffalo billets" that are heavy and wide. I like a seat that is at least?nineteen inches and with a square back and very strong tree. The best is to find a saddle that is very solid and well fitted but not heavy. The "lapels" must be large and preferably suede.?Hence, the perfect saddle is not easy to fit but is none-the-less essential to get the proper fit.I prefer a saddle made in England, such as a Barnsby, I find the "trees" of their saddles are superior and leather tanning to be of premium quality. The "pummel" should be well spaced not to bother the "withers"; a well

conformed pony must have a nice wither; therefore?the "pummel" must be well raised to allow for ample room and not interfere with the shoulder gate motion. A triple buffalo billet is standard. Argentinian saddles are good; however, it is difficult to find a saddle maker that is consistent with quality. In my opinion one of the top Argentinian saddle-makers is Merlos. Also, I will never use wool or cloth padding under the saddle since they just collect mold, fungus and also chaff the?withers of the polo pony.?Instead,?a thin, perforated?rubber sheath can be used conditional that it is soaped and rinsed between each workout.
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Also essential to the saddle are the following two pieces of tack, the "girth and over girth". One must have?a well-padded leather girth and leather over girth. I don't?recommend girths?made of any wool or cloth. I have found that wool and cloth causes unneeded chafing. Chafing will cause pinching and will annoy the pony to the point of affecting his head position and even gate. The girth leather should be well oiled and very well tanned. Again, a girth of choice quality is made in England.?The over girth will?allow the saddle to fit better?and will tighten/set the seat properly. It is also a secondary insurance to the girth. Again, here I prefer a leather girth.?

Next you will need a "martingale", one which is?well-fitted and?that will not intervene with the gates. The martingale of course must have all stainless buckles with leather that is strong and thick, but subtle to blend well with the curvature on the neck when in gate. Again I feel the best tack to go with shoudl be English, tanned and stitched with the strongest tight thread.

A very important piece of tack required next is the "breast plate". The breast plate is extremely crucial, as it prevents?the saddle from moving back, even slightly; however, the plate should also not?be so tight as to chaff or interfere with the pony's gate. Again, the plate leather should be subtle and of quality tan.

Now we?begin to discuss the tack?lower on the pony's body, the "stirrups and irons". The stirrup leathers?must be heavy, wide (I like them 1 inch wide) and preferably
of buffalo hide, as?buffalo unlike cow hide stretches and gives a measurable amount of warning. Cowhide will break without giving any signs of wear.?The stirrup?irons should be at least 5 inches, heavy and with no "rubber risers". I don't?recommend any irons with any gimmicks such as "quick release" of any sorts.?"Vet wrapping" the exterior and floor of the stirrup is always a smart thing to do.

Now we come down to the tack for the legs of the polo pony, "bandages and boots". All four legs?must be bandaged at all times. I like to vet wrap a healthy tendon and then wrap with a polo bandage. If need be, front tendon protection boots should be worn. I always like to use the same colored bandages on all my ponies so that my teammates can spot me easily on the field; my preference is a sharp white, but they come in almost every color. I will never wear black,?brown or dark?bandages as I had a groom that forgot to
remove the bandages overnight - they are hard to spot in the late afternoon after a game if they are dark in color, when it comes time to?"turn out" the polo pony.?

Last but not least, it's time to prepare the polo pony's?"mane and tail"?for playing polo. The tail should be neat, with a simple?braid made all the way down to the tip?of the tail, then folded up and taped with the proper tape sold in tack shops for polo ponies. Using three bands of tape is customary. The mane must be totally cropped, or trimmed,?all the way?to the top of withers. If your polo pony is a "green" pony, meaning new to the game and in still in training, it is customary to leave a few-inch section of the mane uncropped or long as an indicator to others to be aware of their lack of polo experience.
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All of the tack and methods listed above should provide you with everything you need in the equipment department to prepare your pony for playing polo. Always seek lessons from a professional if required and ride safely. I hope you enjoy your new tack and playing the beautiful, exciting and worldly game of polo!
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To view the most exciting photos of the top polo players and their ponies visit?www.polopony.com.?
Play Polo !

By: Patrick?Ohannessian

Source: http://leisure.ezinemark.com/tacking-up-a-polo-pony-18d599345f0.html

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