Preparation
Polo ponies need to be trained so that they are not afraid to bump into other horses, and not to shy at the ball or at mallets swinging near their heads. They need to be quick and agile so they can turn and follow the ball through its many movements. They also need to be in good physical condition; there are usually four to six chukkas per match, each chukka lasting seven minutes, with the horse being on the move throughout. It is typical for a single player to have numerous horses available for each match, using a separate horse for each chukka, sometimes two. Thus there are significant costs of ownership and time required for exercise and conditioning of a polo string.
Read more about this topic: Polo Pony
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