I asked the Argie professional at a club I do that very question last week. Apparently, it's an anachronism. When polo started it was played by all and sundry who used to charge around on whatever they had, invariably a pony. The name has stuck even though the steed most often used today is more like a racehorse in the search for a more competitive mount.
I forget where the sport originated, but it was, quite literally, played on pony sized horses. It seems that it was an island nation, where the horses were all small, due to natural selection.
How I Understood it. Polo or Polo cross. The rule at the clubs over here before the mid 1970s were no mount could be classed a horse. Meaning it had to be a pony or a Galloway 14.3 hands with a 1'' leeway. 15 hands maxim. A shortage of suitable mounts seen the rule drooped . Other rules I believe they had still may apply, such as feathers & some heavy set breeds deemed not permissible
We were taught both imperial & metric. we stopped hanging people in 1973. But we might start making back yard exceptions for Canadians that turn up on our shores
Persia/Turkey area My understanding is that the sport was always played on small arab type or latterly (after 18th century!) on t/b cross arab types But Chris it's not the case that they're ordinarily racehorses. Ordinarily they're purpose bred and whilst I've no doubt that some failed little t/b's might well end up absolutely suitable, that's not normally the case. Most polo ponies in the UK can be traced back to a small t/b stallion and often crossed way back with the mountain and moorland pony breeds and in Argentina most are similarly back to a small t/b and cross with their Criolla stock horse which basically has it's foundations with lots of arab. Basically though you need something with a long thin neck and angular body with strong quarters and relatively upright pasterns in terms of doing the job. The good ones aren't usually really ever more than 15.2 and often are in the range 14.2 to 15.2. Whilst that upper limit is of course a horse if you only use the height definition, I guess the fact they're a cross breed means it may or may not be a horse or a pony.
I lived in Turkey in '68-'69 and '73-'75. At the 2nd time, what I saw the most was a Arab/thoroughbred cross being the sport horse. The first time, well, I didn't look.
Thomas , the vast majority fly over from argentina are all ex racehorses , it massive over there , a actually shoe several and have only ever shod ex racers , i just wondered were the pony came in
not sure; but some ex-racehorses become " pony " lead horses on the track; and if they are talented enough to play polo; then they become polo ponies. that might be one explaination ????
When the game first started on the island of swagamoo all they had wad shetland ponys..the name name polo comes from a island coach name waysub noxxe..and from the side lines you could hear him yelling at the team..( if ya wanna hit the damn ball your gonna have to keep your pole low )... Hence polo..
