# Ex polo ponies



## crackerjack (27 July 2007)

Does anyone have any experience with them?

 I am going to look at an ex-polo mare to be used for hacking and the occasional show. 

I have friends with polo ponies for playing polo but I have never thought what happens when they are retired. I imagine they are good with manners and stopping etc but how are their joints after polo? Really stupid question but do they jump or do they need teaching? It's not a first horse or anything and i can cope with sharp/lively horses just wondering what to bare (bear?) in mind.

And any other info or stories you have?


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## Bossanova (27 July 2007)

Bit similar tyo ex-racers really, theyve had a job to do and for whatever reason cant do it any longer. Be wary of injuries.
Theyre not worth very much sadly, we were offered 10 ex-polo ponies free last month!


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

I LOVE ex-polo ponies, don't get me started or I could go on all day. I'm the SSM of the ex-polo pony variety 
	
	
		
		
	


	





I've had several and known loads more... generally they make good hacks once they've been let down and chilled out a bit. Depending on the set-up they've been produced in some can be wary of hacking out alone, usually because they've:- a) never been hacked out b) never been anywhere in anything smaller than a set of 6! But having said that, a fair few will come straight out of polo and take to hacking straight away. 

They can be quirky to handle, for example my one mare I have here will NOT be wormed with a syringe, and won't have her teeth done without heavy sedation. This is after a lifetime of heavy beatings though, so I let her off.
I've taught all of mine to jump, and they pick it up really quickly. The mare I mentioned a minute ago had never jumped when I got her at 14, but would happily jump 3' within a couple of weeks of seeing her first pole.
Joints are usually ok, bone spavins are the issues to look out for due to the twisty-turny nature of their work. Tendons and ligaments can sometimes be iffy, as with ex-racers really.
I generally find that coming straight out of polo they are very reserved with no personality, but they come out of their shell with a bit of TLC.


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## crackerjack (27 July 2007)

Yes this pony is very cheap, re-sale price isn't really an issue. She would just be something to have a bit of fun on. She is 11 i think and lost the zest for polo apparently. I am very wary over injuries as you say. I think i am drawn to the fact she goes very, very fast TBH.


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

Oooh Boss! Had I the space I would have had them all, LOL! 
I take it none of them would have been remotely suitable for The_Watcher's son?


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## vicijp (27 July 2007)

Just to give you a rough idea, I ahve people rining me for ex racers to go as polo ponies all the time. Their requirements are usually:
*Filly or mare.
*Smaller the better.
*Injuries dont matter.
*Dont mind sharp and/or wild.
£500 tops.
TBH, I ahve seen some of the ex racers they have brought, and id hate to see the state of them after a few months spinning around etc.


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

That's because they only expect them to last for a few months  
	
	
		
		
	


	












Polo ponies are even more disposable than racehorses... Cybele was heading for Potters when I got her.

One's that have been bred and broken for polo are a much better bet than something that has raced beforehand, and usually trained (rather than ragged around) in a way that means they'll stay in the game for years rather than months.


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## vicijp (27 July 2007)

I thought that may be the case.
Polo ponies make big money dont they?
Can an ex racehorse ever compare to those bred for the job?


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

There are a fair few decent polo ponies that came off the track, but those are the ones bought by the yards with the money - so they buy decent horses in the first place.
There are quite a few that have come off the track in S.A. and been shipped over here that are doing really well, and making £20,000 or so after their first season 
	
	
		
		
	


	





The 'proper' yards will always choose something with part QH or argentinian lines over a pure TB, but that is to do with attitude more than agility I think, slightly saner, LOL! Failing that the 'american' stamp of flat horse is a good bet, as they're little and stocky. I have a Mujadil filly that is always being mistaken for a full QH! 
	
	
		
		
	


	





A yard fairly local to here buys his horses in from Ireland ('Irish TB's' of unknown breeding) as 3yo's and then has them broken. If they show the promise of making a decent £40,000 pony then he treats them with kid gloves, if not they are ruined before they've even started and hired out to any numpty patron who beats the sh*t out of them, and then they are disposed of


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## crackerjack (27 July 2007)

Thanks vici thats interesting although i think this mare was bred for polo as she is too small for racing and not of the right breeding i don't think. Do the horses convert to polo well?


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## vicijp (27 July 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
A yard fairly local to here buys his horses in from Ireland ('Irish TB's' of unknown breeding) as 3yo's and then has them broken. 

[/ QUOTE ]
Im guessing those are the ones that have the passports ripped up en route to Potters?


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## crackerjack (27 July 2007)

Wow lots of info there. Good to know about jumping. I have heard that about their personalities before. If the mare is the right price and right in every other aspect would you reccomend taking the risk reguarding injuries etc?


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

Absolutely! 
Wouldn't swap any of mine for the world 
	
	
		
		
	


	




Generally if they are still playing past the age of 10 then they are made of tough stuff and are unlikely to break down, especially with the lower level of work that you'd be doing. 
My 8yo has broken down (though I'm fairly sure that that's nothing to do with her polo backround) and my 18yo has just been retired. We bought her for hardly any money as a 14 yo, she gave me three seasons of amazing polocrosse and now her suspensories are just starting to show the wear and tear a little bit so we've retired her.
Let me know how you get on, I'll follow your progress with interest!


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## Bounty (27 July 2007)

I picked Cybele up through her groom, so I did get her passport... but yes, the others disappear without a trace


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## crackerjack (27 July 2007)

Yes i'll let you know how we get on. You seem to know a lot about them so i may have a few further questions after we have seen her. Thanks again!


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## seabiscuit (27 July 2007)

My brother used to have polo ponies and one Njaio is aged 25 and still playing,she was a little NZ mare tiny and flighty that played medium goal and was as tough as old boots.She still has the cleanest legs, looks 10 years old! She belongs to maywood polo and is the owners favourite

Another one we sold, Madonna, was sold for riding club activicties as she had tendon trouble. She was the nicest mare possible, perfect hack perfect everything and won her first one day event I heard.

Poor Cautiva though, came to us with legs like ballons and a knee like a cauliflower, she was argentinan I think. more or less sound very quite easy hack but I dont think she lasted much longer after we gave her away but she really was an old dear you couldve put your granny on her.

So yes, we loved our polo ponies and generally they were all so easy to do and handle..


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## ISHmad (28 July 2007)

We've got an ex polo pony and she is fab.  Takes most things pretty much in her stride, not a lot fazes her.  The only thing is that her legs aren't brilliant due to years of wear and tear, but she can do everything except jump really.  (Well we certainly wouldn't jump her as doesn't seem fair to her).  We have got her on Riaflex Complete and she moves brilliantly.


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## Tiggy1 (28 July 2007)

My friend is a professional polo player.
All of his 25 ish are hacked out at the beginning of the season for fittening.
They are all really well mannered and the ones which done't make the grade for high goal are either re-schooled for riding and sold on or sold for lower level  playing.
Just watch for tendon injuries


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## crackerjack (28 July 2007)

Good to hear your success story ISH_mad

Doffthederby- I think legs will be a big issue so i'll def pay attention to them

Tiggy- i didn't know they were hacked out, thats good news.


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## teapot (28 July 2007)

A friend had a couple - had her son's "previous seasons" ponies, once they weren't upto the job. Seemed pretty versetile, jumped, good for hacking (one was hacked in just a snaffle).

On the ground he was a perfect gentleman - just stood there, didn't need to be tied up for anything


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## Neddies (29 July 2007)

My horse of a lifetime was an ex polo pony, she came from the british army. She retired from polo when she was 7 due to injury, i got her two years later. Although she was a feisty chestnut mare nothing fazed her except clippers, she was absolutely terrified of them,  but by the time she died 12 years later, I could clip her without her even being tied up! She excelled at X country and show jumping. She got bone spavin in her hocks when she was about 15  so was only used for light hacking, she then had DJD in her knees and was put to sleep when she was 20. Idread to think where most of the ex polo ponies end.


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## PapaFrita (29 July 2007)

My uncle's best horse EVER was an ex-polo pony. He wasn't much to look at and rather small but was soooooooo nimble.
His name was 'Casual' which sort of summed him up (in a good way 
	
	
		
		
	


	




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## crackerjack (29 July 2007)

Ah it's so lovely to hear of success stories. I do hope this mare is nice.

PF- love 'casual'


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## GTs (30 July 2007)

Ex polo ponies are fantastic, they are very well behaved, very brave, and the concern over injuries/soreness is blown out of proportion on this board. Most polo ponies have 6 months off, and only have 3 months of tough competition - so really overall they do fine.

The reason Vicki has seen that - polo prospects are bought in bulk. 50% will be fairly good, 10% will be top - if they do not make it they just give them away.


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