Whilst it has a reputation as a gentleman’s sport or a sport of kings, horse polo is exceptionally accessible and over the past few years has started to increase in popularity, aided by the rise of some truly incredible riders and talent.
With that increase in popularity, more and more newcomers have been introduced to this truly wonderful sport, and with that come a few questions that are commonly asked about the rules, about common conventions and about other aspects of the sport.
Whilst some questions would take an entire article to cover, here are some answers to some of the most common questions newcomers have about polo.
Why Are All Horses Called Ponies?
In the early days of polo as we know it today, there was a strict limit on the size of polo horses to pony-size, to ensure that horses that were capable of military duty were not harmed during the early era of the sport.
Given that the nature of polo and war have both changed, there are no restrictions on horse size, but for tradition’s sake, they are still called ponies.
Why Do Handicaps Matter?
Polo is played between teams of four (three in arena polo due to the smaller playing area), and one of the first tasks the umpires will undertake is to determine the handicaps for the teams and alter the initial score accordingly.
There are articles on how the handicap itself is calculated, but the reason it is used is in the interest of fairness; polo is often played with teams of varying abilities, measured by handicap in terms of goals.
Most players have a handicap of between minus two and zero, but this ensures a level playing field for everyone to enjoy themselves no matter their skill level.
Why Do They Hold The Mallet With Their Right Hand?
In most sports where you have a stick or a mallet, you hold it with your dominant hand, but in polo, every player effectively plays right-handed, which can put some left-handed players at a disadvantage.
However, the reason for this is safety; if you had a left-handed and right-handed player both go for the ball, there is a considerable risk of a head-on collision, putting the health of the players and the ponies at risk.