Retraining polo pony?

[ellevt]

I board at a polo facility and will occasionally gallop the ponies on their non-playing days for a bit of extra cash. There is this one mare that I LOVE (and it’s not often you’ll hear ‘mare’ and ‘love’ come out of my mouth together). I’ve been out of hunters a long time but all I can think every time I ride this mare is what a nice hunter she would make! I never said anything to the owner about her, didn’t want to insult the mare’s polo chops, even though the owner HATES the mare. Apparently she’s crap as a polo pony.

So out of the blue, owner says to me, you should take that mare and retrain her to jump! AHHHH I’m so stoked! Ready to get started tomorrow BUT–

Any tips on how to retrain a horse that neck reins how to go back into direct reining? She’s been polo-ing for 10+ years. This is completely new territory for me.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I rode polo ponies as a kid and most of ours we taught to jump just fine. I don’t have any suggestions as I don’t remember doing any special tricks. Getting them to canter in a nice pace down the long side was far harder than re-schooling a direct rein or teaching her how to jump. Good luck!!

[GucciJumper]

My horse is a failed polo pony and as far as I know did perfectly fine. It is nice having a horse who neck reins and direct reins.

[candysgirl]

Its generally not that hard. They were usually broke out using direct reining so it should be in there somewhere. I managed a string and taught most of them to jump (though most of them were more jumper than hunter…) quite easily. They’re already sensitive and athletic and most have a pretty great work ethic already installed.

I’d take a polo pony and retrain it for just about anything.

My 25yo ex polo pony LOVES to jump. She does very well in the jumpers ring. She played pro polo on the east coast for the first 10 or so years of her life, got donated to a university’s program - played there for another decade or so, got sold to a h/j barn where they were morons (not knocking all h/j - these people were just idiots) and nearly severed her tongue with something, I bought her a year ago and she now gives jump lessons to little kids.

I’d just pick up the reins and go. Most of them don’t miss a beat.

[MHM]

A friend of mine got an ex-polo mare years ago who ended up being a successful Grand Prix horse. So you never know!

[ellevt]

Just an update: here she is free jumping! I’m super excited!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/my7nji260wzklsj/2013-10-16%2018.22.36.jpg

[MHM]

^ Nice!!

[crosscreeksh]

Just a tip…Don’t lean and ask for a turn…you’ll be eating dirt!! PP’s are taught to be very quick and responsive to rider weight and position!!! If you stay in the middle…and you’ve already been riding her… she should work well for you. Good Luck!!!

[To_the_MAX]

She looks great! You have a good eye for a horse!

[ride_the_pony]

Most polo ponies are BROKE! well beyond mere “direct” rein. As in most horse sports an athletic horse is very useful–and in polo players need a very athletic type. And a good mare makes a great horse.

As an earlier poster mentioned–a polo horse and scoot and turn at the same moment…buy SaddleTite!

[iEquitate]

Lovely type, I can see why you’d like her as a hunter. Make sure to post a video when you start really jumping her!
I have an old, definitely not polo pony :lol: jumper who picked up a little bit of the neck reining thing somewhere, and it’s definitely not going to hinder you beyond perhaps falling off if you ask too hard for a turn! I almost think it (eventually, once she figures out what you want) might help in hunters, just keeping the reins on a nice loop and turning with a tiny big of outside leg.

[ellevt]

She just seems like she’s got a bit of a hard mouth and is not very supple. I am trying to get her to ride mostly off my seat and leg, and try to stay out of her mouth for now. Seems to be working so far!

[findeight]

No such thing as a hard mouth, she just does not understand how to carry the bridle yet. Same thing working with one going western to hunt seat or coming off the track but they have the advantage of being well (more or less;)) broke with no baby boogers and a work ethic installed. You can work with that. Fix specific issues without worrying about getting bucked or spooked off or seriously run off with.

I am a fan of lunging in side reins so they can learn self carriage and balance with contact. Start loose, maybe 5 min each way mostly trot. Then hop on and work her gradually asking her to give, reward at the slightest indication she is starting to “get it”. Keep sessions short at first, quit if she is good or go hack out. I wouldn’t lunge every day either, maybe 3 times a week followed by riding.

Increase lunge time as you go to 10 min each way-no need for more then 20 minutes-and you might want to substitute a lunge session for a riding one a couple of days a week as she shows improvement. Hopefully you can drop to lunging only a couple of days a week and just ride the rest of them. Goal is to not have to lunge and, IME, 4 to 6 weeks and you won’t need it .

Remember she will be using her neck and top line differently and come off her back end a little which should make her a little less quick in the turns. Give her time, let her muscle up.

I don’t think the neck/direct rein thing is much of an issue when they are broke and know to listen to body cues and weight shifts, as she accepts contact, it will get easier for her.

She looks like a fun project and expect updates and pictures.

[billiebob]

We used to jump most of the polo ponies at my first barn (a few of them went foxhunting, and a lot of them also did double duty as lesson mounts). A good polo pony tends has to have an excellent brain and work ethic. Most of them absolutely LOVED jumping, and there were several that could clear 4’+.

Getting her supple on the flat is going to take a bit of work. The good news is that she’s probably quite familiar with basic lateral work–there is no better equine to learn turn on the forehand/haunches than a polo pony, and leg-yielding is normally not too difficult. Neck reining/direct reining shouldn’t be an issue. I agree with findeight as far as her mouth–it’s probably more uneducated rather than hard.

Have fun! I miss riding polo ponies…they’re like driving a sports car!

[teal_tea]

I can’t give you any tips on retraining. I do have an ex polo pony mare and she is fabulous. I will say that whoever had her before I got her had her in a strong bit and complained that she tossed her head too much. My trainer had me put her in a Happy Mouth French link and she’s great now and doesn’t toss her head.

[candysgirl]

FWIW, my 25yo ex polo pony played in a gag with draw reins and now goes in a fat rubber D ring snaffle. She’s never going to collect like a dressage horse (she does it more like a western horse), but a lot of that has to do with the fact that I really don’t care at this point. Its not really worth putting a ton of retraining into her at 25 when I have an 8yo Arab who is my main mount.

If you were to ride her, you’d likely think she has a “hard” mouth, but really its just uneducated in terms of direct reining finesse like an English horse should have. She’ll neck rein all day long and turns off your seat quite well. She is also very stiff when it comes to bending like an English horse should, but by golly she will turn out from under you if you’re not careful what you ask for! Again, I’ve not got the time to put into her to re-educate her especially since she’s basically a retired pet at this point. I get on, point her at some jumps every now and again and she pretends she’s a 4yo then goes back out to her field to boss all the younger mares around.

[Satin_Filly]

I had a wonderful opportunity last year to retrain a polo pony as a hunter. I think the hardest part was getting her to pick up the left lead because she was so used to going on the right lead. She had a wonderful brain and I think most of them do! Within the same year I was showing her at the TB celebration shows and doing lead changes. I didn’t have any issue using a direct rein, and the neck reining did come in handy!

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/11261_619617988054258_990709035_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/295667_628274397188617_416166080_n.jpg

Good luck and have fun with her!

[ellevt]

[QUOTE=Satin Filly;7225929]
I had a wonderful opportunity last year to retrain a polo pony as a hunter. I think the hardest part was getting her to pick up the left lead because she was so used to going on the right lead. She had a wonderful brain and I think most of them do! Within the same year I was showing her at the TB celebration shows and doing lead changes. I didn’t have any issue using a direct rein, and the neck reining did come in handy!

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/11261_619617988054258_990709035_n.jpg

https://scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/295667_628274397188617_416166080_n.jpg

Good luck and have fun with her![/QUOTE]

Super cute! You are both lovely over fences! I think I will be lucky in that regard because the owner makes them all go on both leads. The weather’s been nasty here this weekend but I hope to get back out there this week!

Thanks everyone for the tips!