Gear Guide

Now you have the helmet, boots and whites. If your skills are growing like your polo wardrobe you should be able to pass as a polo player by now. You can hit the ball and you’ve learnt the rules so now its time to get serious and get a pony! And that means one thing….you need some tack.

Saddles

Have a look at the article elsewhere in this issue that tells you all about the importance of a saddle on your horse and your game. This will give you some idea of what you need to be checking for to make sure your saddle is comfortable for your horse. With this in mind where do you look?

So whats the choice?

Budget to exclusive, lets take a look.

The budget end will always mean searching the internet for second hand but this can be risky. Or…. you may fall on a bargain, and if you manage to find a deal nearby you might be able to arrange something with the vendor regarding checking the fit on your horse before you complete the deal. But more often than not (as with all second hand) you will need to ask the right questions and take the plunge. But beware, this may leave you with a saddle that doesn’t fit, out of pocket and no further forward in getting your pony correctly attired for that upcoming match.

Chukkout polo on facebook is a great place to look for all kinds of polo equipment and saddles do frequently come up for sale. Varying widely in style, condition and price. Also eBay occasionally has polo equipment fo sale. Personal contacts are another great way to find tack and this should eliminate some of the risk. Hopefully this means you can examine the goods carefully, take measurements, check for damage and try tack on before parting with any cash. Also, some stores sometimes have second hand stock they are happy to sell.

If buying new, we have included below some of the options available.

Polo Splice 19" (Traditional ) Wooden Tree Polo Saddle

New improved model with reinforced pommel head & a smooth rounded seat, also adding more padding over the seat making it less deep then previous models but softer, the underneath has been improved with more padding on the panels to fit the horse and giving a soft & more comfortable fit to the horse and rider. Still come's with Large flaps and stronger girth pulls & extra slit for overgith as before ,available in Full suede & 1/2 Suede (Pig print) these saddles can also have the panels dropped a little so it makes the saddle sit lower to fit a broader wither These trees are similar as used in Tackeria,Texas Polo & KB saddles

RJ Polo Handmade English Leather and Suede seat Polo Saddle

Handmade English saddle with suede seat.designed with the help of top professionals to bring you a lightweight polo saddle. This saddle comes with a lifetime guarantee for the tree, available in 18inch as standard and 19inch available to order.

Black Country polo saddle

This internationally renowned Polo Saddle is a unique design which has been developed with the assistance of top international riders and trainers. The tree has reinforced forged steel to provide extra durability and saddles can be custom-made outside the realms of the standard narrow and medium fits with natural hand-whipped close-contact foam panels. This fabulous saddle is available in full Polo leather or Buffalo. We also offer this model as one of the worlds first truly “custom” made Polo saddles with pure wool flocked panels allowing for fitting adjustment.

Berney Brothers Polo Saddle

This Dynamic light weight saddle features a medium deep seat, square cantle and forward cut flap with a slot for the over girth. It also has leather lined half panels flocked with pure new wool for a perfect fit. This polo saddle provides a balanced seat and leg position made on a specially designed tree with a reinforced gullet combined with best quality leather throughout and Buffalo hide girth straps makes this saddle very durable. Available in all leather, all suede (for extra grip), and suede seat leather flaps.

Ainsley “MVP” saddle

◦ The MVP is available with three different styles of panels:

1. Alto (memory foam) - ideal for most horses, even those with less defined muscle tone

2. Medium (wool flocked) - ideal for all shapes of horses (additional charge)

3. Slim line (memory foam - ideal for young horses with muscular backs

◦ Exchangeable gullet plates ensure perfect fit for all shapes and widths, providing exceptional clearance at withers. Supplied with the MVP in three sizes, and can be exchanged in less than 5 minutes

◦ Light, yet strong synthetic saddle tree (polypropylene copolymer) with spring steel reinforcements. The saddle tree comes with a 5 year warranty for any material or manufacturing defects.

◦ The MVP saddle tree has a natural flex, both longitudinally and diagonally, allowing the MVP to follow the horse's movements

There are a number of master saddlers that would happily discuss your needs regarding producing bespoke polo

saddles. The Archer Polo Saddle is handcrafted in England using fine English materials. The tree is especially designed so it doesn't impede the horse's shoulder movements. The short quilted panel allows more air to flow cooling the pony, it also minimises bulk under the riders legs improving communication between pony and rider. It is wool flocked so the wide bearing surface can be adjusted and balanced to help distribute the rider's weight evenly. It also has a wide gullet which gives room for the spinal processes, particularly when turning. The saddle is made from durable and grippy brushed leather and a comfy suede seat as standard but are also available in soft grain leather or full suede. These saddles can be custommade outside the realms of the standard NW fit. From £1250.00

There are may more makes and models of polo saddle available manufactured in the UK and many quality polo saddles can be bought and imported from the USA and Argentina. This list is in no way exhaustive and time and research should be done before purchasing a saddle for your horse. Expert fitting advice is recommended.