by Tom Goodspeed
Another solid trait that we look for in a polo pony is what some call traveling true. The definition of traveling true is a horse that travels in whatever line that you place them on. Once you establish the direction, the horse continues on that course almost as if they were on a set of railroad tracks. The only time they will make any lateral movement one direction or the other is if you ask them to do so with your leg and hands. This trait is very beneficial as you can place more focus on stroking the ball as opposed to just getting to the ball. If a horse doesn’t travel true, they tend to drift left and right as if the sail of your boat was just flapping in the wind and your rudder was up out of the water.
A horse that doesn’t travel true requires much more effort from the rider to simply just get to the ball. This type of horse, though possibly playable, can drain us of the needed energy that is required to execute our plays. A horse that travels true is also a bit more beneficial when we are making our shots, as they are better at maintaining the proper course and not turning into the side we are swinging on.
People often ask me if cutting horses or reining horses make good polo ponies. It has been my experience that you never know where the next great polo pony may come from, but with that said, sometimes the reining horses are almost too responsive for polo. If they are trained to quickly shift with a slight shift in the rider’s weight, it could make it a tad challenging to play them, It seems like the solid ranch horses are often the better prospects as there are so many similarities in the nature of the two activities.
It is true that if we are better balanced on the horse, especially during our strokes, that the horse will travel more true, but it doesn’t hurt if the horse is a little less responsive and a bit steadier while we are in the act of swinging. But that is a little along the lines of having our cake and eating it too…..being responsive and steady at the same time is somewhat of a polo paradox.
In any event, I wish you your cake and the ability to eat it as well.
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