Chapter 4 - Your Boss is on the Field Now

After your boss goes out on the first pony, you should begin filling three water buckets. One will be used for bathing the horses after they've played, unless your boss has a pressurized hose on his trailer. Another will be designated as drinking water. The third will be filled with water and soap for cleaning tack. Murphy's Oil Soap is a good rinse to use. Mix about one third of the bottle of soap to five gallons water. The mixture will be cloudy. Set this bucket aside for later.

As you send your boss out onto the field on each mount, your job becomes trickier. Your eyes and ears have to be open because anything can happen. (If you can put your head on a swivel, you'll be in great demand!) Not only are you still tending to those horses that are tied to the trailer, or those that have just come off the field, but you're also making sure your boss has everything he or she needs to get back on the field promptly. You also have to be in tune to his or her voice in case they need something on the field during match play. Sometimes, mallets get broken or whips get lost and you have to be ready to run to the edge of the field to hand them a replacement without scrambling around. It's a good idea to have all of the mallets in an easy to reach place in case this happens. Each mallet head is stamped with the length of the mallet.

If your boss uses multiple sizes of mallets (51" - 54") you should line them up in order of size. He or she should yell out the number as they're charging toward the trailer. If they're lined up properly, you should be able to grab the right size without fumbling around.

There's only a three minute rest between chukkas except at half time which is ten minutes. You've got a lot of scrambling to do in a short period of time. If you can take the horse that just played off your boss's hand as he or she comes off the field it will be greatly appreciated. The players are hot, thirsty, and need to rest a minute.

Depending on how hot the horse is, you can choose to walk them for a few minutes. This is commonly referred to as "hot walking". Or you can immediately begin removing tack and leg wraps. If you're the only one working at the trailer that day, it may be tough to "hot walk" unless your boss says to go ahead in which case he will probably help out by getting the next horse in the line-up. If you choose to start removing tack, you can begin doing so, quickly. Make sure you have the halter and lead rope handy. First remove the saddle then the bridle. These ponies are usually too tired to go anywhere, but in case they spook, it's always a good idea to put the halter on while the reins are still over the neck. This way you can still hold them with the reins. There is a proper way to remove the bridle so as to keep the reins and martingale from becoming twisted.

Place the tack in a designated area for cleaning later. The pony will most likely start nibbling on grass, so you don't have to worry too much about it going anywhere while you do this.

Next remove all of the leg wraps. You can place them in one spot also, but remember you're going to hang them out to air dry later. Get the bucket of water for bathing and with a sponge start at the top of the head and neck and soak the horse with the cool water. Don't forget to wash the face. You'll work your way down the horse just like before, paying close attention to removing all of the sweat especially under the tail. Sweat scrape the horse off and return him to the trailer. Offer a drink of water to the horse, but only let him drink small amounts. Later on, when they're cool, they can have all the water they want. If your trailer has a pressurized hose, this task becomes a little easier and you stay a lot drier.

Take the tail down so they can resume swatting flies. Also, reapply fly wipe to face and body. Offer water every couple of minutes. Check for any cuts that may have happened while on the field and treat with topical ointments. If something looks stitch worthy, tell your boss as soon as you can.

Each chukka lasts only seven minutes with a thirty second overtime. When penalties are called, the clock stops running so your boss can actually be out on the field longer than seven minutes. In case you can't hear the announcer, you'll know when the period of play or chukka is close to being over when the first horn blows. Thirty seconds later the horn blows again which ends the period.

Sometimes your boss may want to change mounts in the middle of a chukka. He will usually let you know that this is the case beforehand and will ask you to have a certain horse ready to switch to. I will usually ride the second horse along the side lines, following the play, so that if the change is to happen, I can minimize the distance my boss has to travel to get to his new mount.

During a game, your boss may want to change horses in the middle of chukka for other reasons, and you will have no prior warning about his intentions. In this case, you have to retrieve the horse he wants and get it to the field side as quickly as possible for your boss to make the change and get back into the play. Your boss may tell you the reason for the change especially if the horse is lame. However, sometimes they're so focused on getting back on the field that you may have to wait until the end of the chukka to find out why. Then you can determine what to do with that horse; change bridles, un-tack completely, etc.

Tips:

1. If you dunk each bridle in the soapy solution after you take each one off the horse, your clean up time after the match goes a lot quicker. It's always best to get the sweat off the leather as quickly as possible.

2. Remember to make sure each pony is tied to the trailer in a quick release fashion in case of a panic. (Illustration) And always have a buck knife handy in case a lead rope won't come untied and a pony is in distress.

3. If your boss plans to replay a horse in a later chukka, still remove the tack and wash down. Keep the leg wraps on and tail up so you don't have to redo these things.

4. Some people like to use liniment in the bathing water to help relax and soothe the horse's tired muscles. Follow the mixing directions on the bottle carefully.

5. If you're lucky enough to park the trailer in a shady area, your ponies will appreciate it. Because of the size of these trailers, many times shade is only available on one side of the trailer for the afternoon. After a pony has played, put them on the shady side until they're cool.

6. We place rings of tape on the shaft of the mallet to help us designate the length. For instance, one ring of tape means it's a 51". Two rings of tape a 52", and so on. This way at a glance you can immediately grab the right mallet size when in a hurry. Also by using different colors of tape you can tell whose mallets are whose in case two people are playing out of one trailer, i.e., husband and wife teams!

7. It's not uncommon for a horse to occasionally come up lame or get a cut. If any injury happens, you must be ready to act. The more you know about first aid with horses, the better. I would suggest reading a handbook on this subject just to familiarize yourself with the terms. Suggest to your boss that he or she keep a vet kit with them at all times. (Most players have one, but maybe some of the newer players do not) If you notice any supplies getting low, make a note of it and let your boss know.

8. Always ask questions. It's the only way you'll learn. Ask your boss, other players, other grooms for advice or help at anytime. Polo is a team sport and everyone is willing to help.

9. Move slowly around the trailer. Even though these horses are tied for a long period of time and tired after playing, they are sensitive to quick movements. Don't throw stuff around unless you want to be replacing halters and lead ropes.

10. Keep an eye on the horses at all times. If there is trouble to be found, they will find it.

11. If any of the horses start nipping at the horse tied next to them, separate them.

12. Keep spectators clear of the horses and ask them to keep their children close at hand. Polo ponies are typically calm. However, if one of them kicks or bites at a fly, this could cause an injury to an innocent bystander.

13. Dogs and polo go together. Sometimes I think a polo match is more of a dog show than a horse event. If your boss doesn't mind you bringing your dog to the match, keep it tied so it won't go out on the field. You will not have time to tend to your dog while you're grooming. Some dogs who are new to the sport think they need to go on the field and join in the fun. Some clubs will impose a fine on the owner if this happens. If it's a hot and humid day, leave them at home in the AC. Believe me, they're much happier.

Part I - Polo Handbook by Sandy Herron | Part II -Handbook By Sue Sally Hale |

Part III - Grooming the Polo Pony by Carol Barker | Introduction | Preface
Chapter 1| Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4| Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Summary