A horse that serve the sport of polo is called a polo pony. When the sport originated, Manipuri ponies were preferred as mounts.
They stood only 13.2 hands or 54 inches at the shoulder. The preferred height rose when the game of polo migrated to the West.
Description of a Polo Pony
The ideal polo pony has a combination of speed, intelligence and endurance, as well as a love of the game. A polo pony must have strong leg bones to be able to carry riders at full speed and turn or stop at a second’s notice. Many experienced polo ponies develop an ability to anticipate the roll of the ball and precede it to its destination. Today’s polo ponies are actually horses standing 16 hands, or 64 inches, at the shoulder, or more.
Argentinian Polo Ponies
The Argentine polo pony is a cross between the thoroughbred and a native Argentinian breed called the criollo. The criollo is a working cow horse who lends his ability to move quickly and turn sharply as a competitive advantage. The cross with the thoroughbred gives the horse speed and high performance. This breed called Argentino Polo is the best to play polo professionally and only found in Argentina.
