Polo Like A Pro
Copy by Alfred Lor | Images Supplied
Commissioned and Published by Cape Etc Magazine, Cape Town.
I had not been on a horse since my early twenties, when I had the dubious
pleasure of working as a stable hand in a small town near Antwerp for a few weeks. One cold, damp winter morning, a highly acclaimed show-jumping horse I was guiding into the stables spooked and charged off, dragging me through the frozen mud and snow.
pleasure of working as a stable hand in a small town near Antwerp for a few weeks. One cold, damp winter morning, a highly acclaimed show-jumping horse I was guiding into the stables spooked and charged off, dragging me through the frozen mud and snow.
I wasn’t too confident then, when I met Johan du Ploy at Kurland near Plettenberg Bay for my first polo lesson. He suggested
we first watch a game together, so we joined the spectators spread out along the grassy banks of the perfectly manicured field. They were sharing picnics and politely calling out greetings and encouragements, behaving in a manner best described as genteel – in stark contrast to the fast and furious action on the field.
we first watch a game together, so we joined the spectators spread out along the grassy banks of the perfectly manicured field. They were sharing picnics and politely calling out greetings and encouragements, behaving in a manner best described as genteel – in stark contrast to the fast and furious action on the field.
‘Polo ponies are not actually ponies,’ Johan explained as we sat on the sidelines and watched the game unfold, mallets swinging and hooves thundering up and down the pitch. ‘The term “pony” is used,’ he continued, ‘as the game of polo originated in Tibet and was played by Mongols who rode the small ponies endemic to the region. These days we use only thoroughbred ex-racehorses,’ he concluded with a glimmer in his eyes, while pointing out some of the horses he had had a hand in schooling.
All polo ponies need to be schooled specifically for the game. The schooling
takes about a year and involves teaching them to turn tightly, be ultra responsive to the rider’s input and to be at ease with
the other ponies on the field, the cracking of the mallets and the low-flying balls.
Johan, who spent several years in Argentina and now plays for the Tshwene
Polo Team based in the Plettenberg Bay area, is involved with several aspects of the game. Besides playing professionally, he breeds and schools polo ponies and also gives polo classes to both complete novices (like myself) and those with more advanced skills.
‘Come on, the game’s almost over and the ladies are waiting for us,’ he said, jolting me out of my serene spectator status.
Noticing the whites of my eyes enlarging as he introduced me to my horsey companion for the afternoon, Screaming Queen (at this point I might have let out a small whimper too), he said, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be fine’ as he passed me my helmet. Once Johan started unpacking the gear, I realised that setting myself up as a regular polo player was going to take more than just the purchase of six ex-racehorses. The list of gear is prodigious: helmet,
mallet, special riding boots, spurs, the specialised polo whip and polo gloves. The first thing I wanted to get my hands on was the mallet that made such
a satisfying crack in the hands of the professional players. Looking rather like a large croquet mallet with a bamboo shaft, it tends to be between 1.2 and
1.3m in length, depending on the player’s preference as well as the polo
pony’s height.
mallet, special riding boots, spurs, the specialised polo whip and polo gloves. The first thing I wanted to get my hands on was the mallet that made such
a satisfying crack in the hands of the professional players. Looking rather like a large croquet mallet with a bamboo shaft, it tends to be between 1.2 and
1.3m in length, depending on the player’s preference as well as the polo
pony’s height.
The interesting thing is that you strike the ball along the longer length of the
mallet rather than with the leading edge as one would with a croquet mallet. This, I hoped, would make connecting the ball with a stroke while on a moving horse substantially easier for me. The ball used is similar in size to a hockey ball but lighter, and the riding boots have extra support on the outside edges, which is necessary as one of the techniques used by players is to push the opponent off his or her chosen line by riding alongside and leaning into them.
How you hold the mallet is very important as a good grip makes a tremendous impact on your accuracy and power, in the same way your grip on a golf club can make or break your swing. According to Johan, the mallet should always be held in the right hand, freeing up your left hand for control of the reins and whip.
Once on my pony (she turned out to have a gentle nature despite her name) I was impressed at how she reacted quickly but smoothly and seemed not to care that I lacked the grace in control that her regular riders possess.
The next step for me was to actually hit the ball with my mallet while remaining on Screaming Queen’s back. After the fifth or sixth attempt I managed a good strike. The basics of the swing involve raising the mallet up behind you, swinging it in a smooth, broad arc and following through fluidly, once again all similar to a golf swing. It is important to rest your left hand (with the reins) on the pony’s neck as you strike the ball so that stray movement in that arm will not result in the pony moving off course. Polo ponies have their manes cut short and tails tied up so as not to impede your hands, mallet or whip.
We spent most of the lesson riding up and down the field practising the basic strokes both on the near and off-side of the horse (that’s the left and right side respectively). As a novice, I practised all my strokes at a walk, but more experienced riders would be able to practise these at a slow canter on the first lesson. As players’ abilities increase, they are introduced to techniques that are more advanced, and the all-important skill of understanding and anticipating the flow of the game. Horsemanship obviously plays a big role in this sport and accomplished riders would find even the basic swings simpler
to master. That said, even I managed a few whopping thwacks of the ball, and anyone who has punished a golf ball with a big, meaty driver or smashed a tennis ball past an opponent will understand the satisfaction in that. Genghis Khan obviously did; he is said to have been a skilled polo player who used his enemies’ heads as practice balls.
Although polo is rated by insurance companies as the most dangerous of contact sports, and I understand that charging about on half a ton of rippling muscle is dangerous, I must say there is a remarkable sense of respect on the field. The game is played with passion, but also with chivalry. I gained a lot from my lesson. Not only did I conquer my fear of anything equestrian, I also learned that horses’ names can be misleading and discovered a game of immense skill and power, with a rich and colourful history and a sense of tradition and honour that is often lacking in sport today.
