The history of horse polo goes back centuries. Like other modern equestrian sports, this game owes its origin to the training of cavalry. For example, since the 19th century in Great Britain, horse polo has been considered part of the aristocratic lifestyle, and for a long time it was part of the mandatory training of officers in the cavalry.
Today, equestrian polo is one of the most popular equestrian sports, especially in England, the USA, Argentina, Australia, the UAE, India, Pakistan, etc. Among the equestrian polo players, you can meet members of royal families and top officials, and there are many celebrities among the fans of this sport. High-level matches are a kind of meeting place for representatives of high society (similar to horse racing in the UK).
What is horse polo?
Equestrian polo is a game in which participants of two teams on horseback try to score the maximum number of goals into the opponent’s goal with special sticks. The peculiarity of this sport is that each team member must master the art of riding and be able to make accurate shots at the ball at high speed. In recent decades, a special breed of polo ponies has been bred specifically for horse polo: short, hardy, very lively and maneuverable horses. In the most intense moments of the game, athletes’ horses can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, horse polo was presented at the Olympic Games five times.
Rules of horse polo
Each horse polo team has four players. The first two are forwards, the fourth defends the goal, and the third is a versatile player and, depending on the situation, can help both offense and defense. The referee also moves around the field on horseback, and may be assisted by one or two line judges (also on horseback).
The stick must always be in the player’s right hand. Different types of strokes are allowed: forward, sideways, backward, from the right and left side of the horse. Only the referee can pick up and throw the ball on the field, he has a special stick for this.
The game of horse polo is divided into periods called “chukker”. Most often, matches are held for 6 periods, but they can also be for 4 or 8 periods. The duration of a chukker is always 7-7.5 minutes.
Horse polo is most often played outdoors (on grass or snow), so after each goal is scored, the teams change goals. This is done to ensure that both teams are on equal footing. In addition, between periods, players must change horses: it is forbidden to ride more than two chukkers in a row and in general per game on one horse.
The appearance of the equipment of both horse polo players and their horses is regulated by the rules:
- protective helmet, white breeches, brown shoes and leg protection for riders,
- a tail tied up in a ponytail and a shorn or short braided mane for the horse.