Polo is a global sport. Though it’s not as high-profile as sports like soccer or basketball, it has a foothold in almost every country that was once a part of the British Empire. There are plenty of polo players in places like the US and Canada. There are also several great polo schools that they can attend in order to improve their game.
Some of the most important skills involved in polo are the equestrian ones. It’s important that a rider is in sync with his or her mount. They should flow together as one unit, not work in opposition to one another. In modern polo, most horses are thoroughbreds or thoroughbred crosses. It’s important to work on this relationship. Polo ponies who only see their riders during a match just don’t know them that well. It’s important to make time to practice together.
As a polo athlete, it is, of course, important to manage diet and fitness. However, it’s also crucial to do the same thing for your polo horses. Keeping them well-fed and well-exercised is perhaps the key thing in having a successful polo-playing experience. Keeping the horses in great condition will make everything about the game easier.
Finally, the importance of hand-eye coordination when it comes to polo cannot be overstated. It can be tough to hit a small white ball with a four-foot-long mallet. Mastering this skill, however, really involves that partnership between the horse and rider. Without that solid relationship, it’s difficult for the rider to perform well.