POLO ADVENTURES

Feb 28, 2015

Today I played polo at Fair Hill Farm with my friends; Ben and Savannah. I rode my favorite horse; Lucille, she is a black horse with a star on her nose.

Ben taught me about Polo before I even got on a horse. Ben showed me a polo mallet and he told me to look up "Polo Mallet" on Google, so I did. Here's what I found out about Polo and mallets from Wikipedia:

"The polo mallet has a rubber-wrapped grip and a webbed thong, called a sling, for wrapping around the thumb. The shaft is made of manau-cane (not bamboo because it is hollowed) although a small number of mallets today are made from Composite materials. Composite materials are not preferred by top players, because the shaft of composite mallets can't absorb vibrations as well as traditional cane mallets. The heads of the mallet are generally a cigar shape made from a hardwood called tipa, approximately 91⁄4" inches long. The mallet head weighs from 160 grams (5.6 ounces) to 240 grams (8.4 ounces), depending on player preference and the type of wood used, and the shaft can vary in weight and flexibility depending on the player's preference. The weight of the mallet head is of important consideration for the more seasoned players. Female players often use lighter mallets than male players. For some polo players, the length of the mallet depends on the size of the horse: the taller the horse, the longer the mallet. However, some players prefer to use a single length of mallet regardless of the height of the horse. Either way, playing horses of differing heights requires some adjustment by the rider. Variable lengths of the mallet typically range from 50 inches (127 centimeters) to 53 inches (134 centimeters). The term mallet is used exclusively in US English; British English prefers the term polo stick as the stick technically differs from a mallet in shape and usage. The ball is struck with the broad sides of the mallet head rather than its round and flat tips."

It's best to swing the mallet slow and smooth when at a full gallop or slower. The basic shots are named for the side of the Polo pony from which the mallet swing is made: The "near side" is the left side of the mount horse. The "off side" is the right side of the mount horse.

If you would like to learn more about Polo, check out the Wikipedia page.

While I was riding Lucille, I picked up cones that Ben had put in the middle of the arena with my mallet and gave them to Savannah to stack as she walked next to Lucille. I got a point for each cone I picked up with the mallet. After that exercise, I practiced swinging my mallet while riding Lucille around the ring.

I really like playing Polo, it is fun and I feel smart because I understand what Ben asks me to do. I am learning a lot when he asks me to look things up, it helps me to stay focused and pay more attention while I am doing my job.

See you next week!
Sean