There are several different views as to the subject of mallet lengths. One school is to use the appropriate length for whatever size your horse is. Another school advocates using the same size for all your horses for a better sense of hand-eye. Surface conditions will sometimes enter into the equation. If the grass is [...]
The old polo seat had the player sitting deep in the saddle with long stirrup leathers, without any bend to the rider’s leg. This was also the older traditional hunt seat. Now it is a great skill to be able to ride deep in the saddle and develop a naturally balanced seat, but the current [...]
Tip 3 – Right Lead? What is that? – Fortunately for us, most horses will choose the correct lead when asked to turn at speed on the playing field-. However, knowing how to set a horse up properly for the proper lead or a lead change is a real asset for both reasons of maneuverability [...]
Tip #2: Proper Transitions-Huh? A transition in equitation is simply a change from one gait (walk-trot-canter) to the next. Walk to trot, trot to canter, etc. One of the benchmarks of a amateur developing proper riding skill is learning how to properly execute the walk to canter transition. This requires that you are able to [...]
Holding your reins Argentine-style or English-style. Is one better? By T. Goodspeed English-style (left hand) left snaffle rein through your hand, left curb rein through your little finger and your third finger, the right curb rein through your third finger and your middle finger, and the right snaffle through your middle finger and your index [...]
Proper Bridle Adjustments By Tom Goodspeed Long dangling earrings look beautiful on women, but a long dangling curb chain could be your ticket out of this world. This article is to help the beginner/novice be a little more aware of proper bridle adjustments that have both an impact on safety and performance. Curb Chain Adjustment- [...]
Quarter-swing, Half-swing, Full-swing, or Best Swing? By Tom Goodspeed Ok…lets assume the full swing is the full revolution starting from down, the half-swing is starting at the top of the swing and a quarter swing is starting from around the horse’s hip. Over the years, I have watched and listened to many a player speak [...]
Propping and Stopping by Tom Goodspeed Now stopping is one of the key characteristics in properly assessing top value in a polo pony, whereas the same movement would render a horse nearly useless in both horse racing and show jumping. But the key is to find a horse that will willingly and consistently stop whenever [...]
One Mallet vs. a Whole Bag Full of Clubs by Tom Goodspeed Ok.. so we don’t have sand traps, long grass, angled terrain, and water to contend with like a golf course..,..wait a minute, come to think of it……I have seen some sand traps toward the end of a playing season, and some pretty challenging [...]
Man/line/ball…no…line/man/ball…no wait…line/all player positioning/ ball…no..better still…ball/ball/ball! By Tom Goodspeed How often have you heard…..man/line/ball? More importantly, how often do you apply it? When we first start playing,…………you remember………, that stage where you are being wined and dined as a new recruit. You can trot to the ball at any angle to the line and the [...]
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 [...]
By Tom Goodspeed In one of my articles, I spoke of mallet head positioning at the finish of your swing being crucial to the direction of your shot. There is another element that is equally essential to the accuracy of your shots, and that is what is commonly referenced as the sweet spot. The sweet [...]
