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W
ITH just six weeks left before the start of
the polo season, our green-horse polo
draws to a close, as we bring up the
‘made’ ponies that have been on holiday for the
last few months.
These youngsters being trained have spent the last
few months being introduced to the sport and getting a
taste of what their
future could be like.
They wi l l now
take a break, some
wi l l make their
debut in 2013, oth-
ers may wait anoth-
er year or two, or
find another line of
work!
Meanwhile, the hopefully fat and rested polo ponies
that have been on vacation in a large paddock, head
back to their stables.
At the end of the season, they are usually slightly
burnt out and maybe a bit foot sore and/or muscle sore.
They look forward to just being left alone.
However, by the end of the holi-
days, they are usually very
happy to get back to their
routines and their feed
pan! I swear some look
forward to the new
season just as much
as their owners.
EXERCISE REGIME
To s t ar t wi th ,
they wi l l get shod
and start their exer-
cise regime by walk-
ing out in groups for
at least an hour each
day.
Their coats will be
brushed out daily and
some will need clip-
ping as they can get a
bit thick at this time of
year.
With the heat and
humidity of our cl i -
mate, the thick coats
make them sweat exces-
sively, causing them to
lose weight and make
their coats harder to
clean.
Short periods of trotting
will then be added to the
exerc i se plan, whi ch wi l l
gradually be lengthened almost daily until they are
doing more trotting than walking.
Some cantering will be periodically added and some
gentle stick and ball sessions. In a few weeks, they will
be ready for slow chukkas and some may need some
intense schooling sessions to tune them up.
During this time, it’s not just their muscles that have
to be hardened up. It is a good idea to make sure
that a good portion of their early,
slow work is on a hard surface so as to harden up their
bones and tendons as well.
SPECIAL STABLES
In some years, the ground can be very soggy from
excessive rain and some of this work will have to be
done on roads.
For a few special stables that have access to the sea,
swimming is an excellent way to get their muscles fit,
but their legs will need to be hardened up a bit as well.
Their skin, too, will be very soft and will bruise easi-
ly until that, too, hardens up where there is the most
wear and tear.
Just behind their elbows where the girth sits can
often gets sore so it is important to make sure that the
girths used are clean and soft, particularly if they
haven’t been used for a
couple months.
Sometimes the hors-
es have lost some of the
muscle tone along their
backs and their sad-
dles don’t fit as well
as they did before
they went on holi-
day, so may need a
l ittle
extra
padding.
Other places
that may rub are
the corners of their
mouths where the bit lies
and, occasionally, behind their
ears where the bridle sits.
During the off season is when most people have their
tack repaired and may buy some new stuff to replace
the irredeemable.
SPECIAL CLEANING
Even if it is all fixed up and backed up with new stuff,
if it hasn’t been used for several weeks, it will need a
special cleaning and conditioning to soften it up for the
tender skin of the unfit horses.
As the polo ponies work load increases, so will the
amount of feed they get. Like people, all horses have dif-
ferent metabolisms and some will always need more
than others.
Some will need additional vitamins to pick them up
and a few will the need the vitamins added when the
season gets stressful for them.
Some will need more work than others to get fit, some
will have to work off excess fat build-up. Others will
have lost some muscle tone and not have much fat to
burn off.
Each animal’s exercise regime and feed will have to be
monitored individually to get them to peek fitness.
24
SportGlobe
December 5-11, 2012
Email: sportglobe2005@yahoo.com
BACK FROM
PASTURE
Nearside
with
Lesley
LESLEY-ANN FONG-YEE
With the heat and humidity
of our climate, the thick
coats make them sweat
excessively, causing them
to lose weight and make
their coats harder to clean.
LESLEY-ANN FONG-YEE
‘Reina’, recently clipped and shod,
getting ready for the polo season.