How To Play Polo
A Guide to Learning Horse Polo For the Complete Beginner
Known as the ‘Sport of Kings’ polo is played in around 80 countries worldwide. It once had a reputation as an elite sport but is now attracting a varied younger crowd. So, where can you learn to play if you have never ridden before and what do the new clubs have to offer?
A Brief History Of Polo
Polo is 2,000 years old and hails from China and Persia. It gets its name from the word ‘pholo’, which means ‘ball’ in Tibet. The first recorded game happened in 600BC between the Turkomans and Persians. British tea planters stumbled across it in the 1850s and set up the first polo club at Silchar, near Manipur. The first official rules were formalised in India in the 1870s and the first authorised match took place in Argentina in 1875. It is now hugely popular worldwide and is working towards regaining Olympic status.
Learn To Play Polo
Here are some beginner tips from Fifield polo club: -
- Contact the club to book your first lesson. Lessons will help you to gain confidence and riding skill. You will be taught how to play shots and learn the basic rules of the game.
- Once you’ve grasped the basics you can join the club as a Chukka member. This enables you to get your own polo handicap via Hurlingham Polo Association (to which all clubs belong on a full/provisional basis) to improve your game.
- Once a member you will be taught instructional games, how to play by the rules under tuition, in addition to general riding lessons.
- You can then take your provisional Umpiring Grade, which gives you a grounding knowledge of the games’ rules. Then you can start playing club chukkas*. *There are six chukkas (periods) in a big match, each lasting seven minutes).
Introduction To Polo Day
Most clubs offer a range of lessons from beginner to experienced. You don’t need to be able to ride to take part. An introductory lesson includes theory and rules, practice hitting and swinging the ball, tips on how to control your polo pony and a mini game. You will watch a professional match being played before your tuition with instructors.
Where Is The Best Place To Learn Polo?
Check out Hurlingham's website to find a polo club near you and compare prices. ‘I learned to play at Tidworth in Wiltshire,’ says Matthew Noble, a Tidworth club member. ‘It’s a very friendly club in and offers three full days for beginners for £500, which includes lunch, pony hire, teaching from experienced coaches and three months’ membership to the club, which means you don’t have to pay an additional fee to play afterwards’.
Will I Need To Buy A Polo Kit?
You’ll need riding boots and a hard helmet. ‘It’s also advisable to wear a glove, or you’ll take the skin off the palm of your right hand from all the swinging of the stick’, says Noble. It’s worth noting that polo is played with the right hand. Kneepads, whips and spurs are optional. Speak to your chosen club about kit hire and the best places to buy it. Roxtons and La Martina are two recommended websites.
So now you know the basics, you can get started. Enjoy your game!
Polo Resources
Hurlingham Polo Association - the UK's governing body. Includes a polo club directory.
Playing Polo
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polo - Shoot the Ball
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