Polo Pony

The polo pony is actually often no longer a pony; since the abolishment of   the height restriction laws at the end of the First World War, the polo pony has become larger, and now averages around 15.1 hh.

They are extremely tough, fast, and dexterous, and are usually a Thoroughbred cross, sometimes with Quarter Horse or Criollo blood.

The Game of Polo
Polo is an ancient game, being documented as far back as 525 BC, when it is thought to have been developed by Darius I, the third King of Persia who used his greatly admired Persian horses for the game.

Polo was introduced to India by Muslims from the northwest and quickly became popular. The British became acquainted with the game in India, and in 1859 the Silchar Club was formed which is now the oldest polo club in the world.

The original ponies used for the sport in India were the Manipuri ponies which were very small, around 12 hh on average, but incredibly tough.

The British introduced the game to Europe and the Americas, and it is now the Argentinians who are famous for their skill at both the game, and at producing top-class polo ponies, which can change hands for huge sums of money.
 
 
Qualities of the Polo Pony
Although the ponies are now larger than they once were, it is still important for them to retain the short and quick stride of a pony. They need to turn quickly and be very responsive - these qualities are often displayed in the American Quarter Horse, which is why they have started to be used in pony breeding. Extremely tough, wiry, intelligent, and a good polo pony can anticipate its next move on the pitch.

Appearance
In appearance, they often have a head which reflects the Thoroughbred in them, with a lean and muscular neck, and the mane always hogged to prevent it getting tangled with the polo stick. Often they have prominent withers, and are lean and wiry through the body. The quarters are muscular, and the legs straight and tough. They

Horse Fact:
The first road-coaches were designed by Hungarian craftsmen in the late 15th century in the village of Kocs, and these coaches were subsequently called Koksi.

The adult male horse has 40 teeth with the possible addition of wolf teeth; the adult female horse has 36 teeth, again with the possible addition of wolf teeth tend to be short in the cannons with good bone and excellent hard feet. They can be any color.