La Low Goal
august 2020
by low goal for low goal
Contents Features
That time when
Women’s Polo began - Part 2
Rule Changes
Are some of the Covid guidelines here to stay?
2020 season quick guide
Amateur polo is back, but what does that mean for the different levels?
37
Horse First Aid
Dealing with cuts and wounds
The Equine Documentalist Equine Thermogrophy - Part 2
Chukka Wellness
How to perform the perfect plank
Josephine Gleeson
Josephine talks SUPA, eventing and 2020 plans
43 43 First Chukka YNBACA Facu Sola
Maths Department Who you should be following News Bites
Ignacio Fernandez Llorente
The weird world of Yak Polo
Top 6 Horse colours
Head to head: Polo vs Polocrosse
10 10
13 13
Amateur Polo is finally back
After the best part of 10 months without grass tournament polo, it is a relief to say that its finally back. Not only because I've missed the thrill tournament polo brings. A thrill, that no matter how good the level, chukkas simply cannot replicate. But also for the magazine. Finally we have something other than endless coronavirus updates to bring to you within these pages. Finally we can bring you match reports, and talk about a season which is actually happening. Its been a long time coming, there isn’t that much of the season left, and the game itself is fundamentally changed from the one we expected just a few months ago. But polo is back. And thats all that matters.
Enjoy the issue Connor Kay (editor)
Al a
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All the latest polo reviews, news and opinions in bite size pieces
First
Top 6
Horse Colours 01 Bay
02
Chestnut
03
The most common and frankly boring colour. If you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, bays are definitely not the way to go.
Still fairy common, but when a chestnut properly catches the sunlight it can be spectacular. Then again, they are basically just ginger.
Greys seem great in concept, beautiful and fairly uncommon. Quickly though, upon owning a grey, your realise that their natural state is much browner.
04
Piebald Rare and very sought after, this makes piebald ponies very pricey. While they are definitely very impressive to look at, you are always going to struggle to shake off the cow comparisons.
05
Grey
06
zebra
Skeleton
Definitely a way to stand out. So rare its reserved almost exclusively for Charlie Hipwood and‌real zebras (which in themselves are fairly rare on the polo field).
Really only 2 occasions here this is a acceptable. Either your a vet or its Halloween. If you don't fill either of these criteria, get someone to look at your horse ASAP because that is not healthy.
You’ll never be as cool as…
Facundo Sola’s out of the air shot Facundo Sola is pretty cool by himself for obvious reasons. Being a 9 goal player, meaning he’s pretty good, as well as an Argentine Open finalist, an achievement which he celebrated by dying his hair bright orange defiantly qualify him for being pretty cool. But thats not specifically what were here for. Facundo Sola is quite well known for his impressive plays on the field, and none stands out more than his air shot goal in the Queens Cup, while playing for Murus Sanctus. While most of us are just elated to touch the ball with our sticks, and if it heads in vaguely the right direction then thats a bonus but thats not enough for Facundo. Facundo instead hits a full shot, way out the air and somehow hits the ball right from the half way line, then the ball rolls straight over the goal line. We don’t know about you, but we think thats one of the coolest goals we’ve ever seen.
Image: ellerstina.com.ar
Maths Department
Although higher goal polo is slowly starting to open up again, many players and patrons are hesitant to get back in the saddle, citing safety concerns about catching the virus, especially when so many restrictions are still in place to protect against it. So what exactly is the chance of you catching the virus on a polo field?
We should first look at the statistical chance of a player or umpire which you may come into contact with actually being infected with the virus. By looking at the COVID Infection survey carried out by the government on the 17th July, we estimate that their are approximately 24,000 active cases of coronavirus in the UK. With a national population of 66.65 million, this gives each person a 0.036% chance of having the virus. Besides yourself there will likely be 9 other people on the field in 8 goal and above (7 more players + 2 umpires), this makes the chance of anyone of the field currently having the virus 0.324%.
This is the point where it becomes messy however. Their is little quantifiable evidence to show the likelihood of the virus being passed on, especially when their are ongoing arguments about the effectiveness of masks. However some studies have reported that, with face masks, the chance of the virus being passed from one person to another when in close contact sits somewhere around 3%. Under the HPA’s new rules, you should only ever come into contact with a maximum of the 4 opposition players. From these we can calculate the chance of you catching the virus from them to be around 0.00432%.
Although we couldn’t find exact data for the chance of catching the virus when socially distancing from your teammates and wearing masks, estimates show that their is approximately a 2.6% chance of catching the virus when staying 1 meter apart, even without using face coverings, so we will use this as a conservative value. For the remaining players your chance of catching the virus from them sits at around 0.0047%, bringing the total chance of catching the virus from anyone on the field to 0.00902%. This means that statistically speaking you would have to play 6200 games with and against completely independent teams before you were more likely to have the virus than not.
With the additional HPA guidelines such as checking temperatures, and encouraging regular hand washing, this percentage could be brought further down. However, with even the most vigorous reviews having large levels of uncertainty, and their results being highly debated, no percentage facts should make up your mind about wether to play. Play if you feel safe to do so, and if not just take the year out. Polo will still be here when you get back.
P.S, Genuinely please do not make any decisions based on these statistics. We don’t really know what we are doing and the calculator was acting up. If the government can’t give you proper statistics, what made you think we would be able to?
Errr
The weird world of…
Yak polo
I know what you’re thinking. How many derivatives of the polo game can they find? Surely they must have almost exhausted the supply. Surely there can’t be many more different animals or things you can ride while swinging a polo stick. But thats where you’d be wrong. We’ve scraped the barrel once again and came up with Yak Polo, a close derivative of the traditional game, where, you guessed it, they ride Yaks instead of horses. Since apparently every country needs their own polo spin off to attract the tourists, Yak Polo brought into existence in Mongolia, and made its first widely reported appearance in 2005 at the Shandur polo festival in Pakistan. Since then the game has been played at every following running of the festival and has grown into a popular
Image: AWE365.com
tourist attraction in its own right, mostly due to the high intensity of falls and tumbles as players lean from their unwieldy Yaks, much to the crowds amusement. The game is very similar to horse polo, borrowing many of its rules, however as with all the newer variations of the game, with the regulations slightly relaxed. Most commonly 5 players make up each team, although this can range from 3-6 depending on the local rules. Since Yaks are far slower than horses, the pitches are commonly smaller than a regular polo field too. Since 2005 the game has grown in popularity in both Mongolia and Pakistan and continues to draw both locals, who see it as a celebration of the Yak, which is extremely important in the local economy, and tourists.
News Bites The Cartier Queens cup started on the 28th July
Next Generation win the Gold Cup, the first high goal tournament of 2020
HPA announces amateur polo may resume under update 11
Ignacio Fernandez Llorente
2020 polo rules After 3 years of study and analysis we have found the methodology to teach how polo rules are applied in Argentina. We had a hard time finding a simple way to explain the rules since they were written a long time ago. But the regulations, like anything, when interpreted, may end up contradicting what they actually said. This also happens with judges with laws. The best way to combat this is by writing the rules in such a specific way that they cannot be misinterpreted. For this reason, although we found a very simple way to explain, we decided to put as many examples in as possible and to show each example we use images as it is much easier to understand. We also looked for the methodology to analyse each situation. We classify fouls into groups and determine the key factors that must be paid attention to in each play. We measure the chance of a collision in each of the plays, which ultimately is the most important thing in determining the severity of a foul. We analyse complicated fouls and define the way to interpret them to ensure similar decisions are given in the future, especially when they are such complicated situations. Many plays, which were not previously defined by examples, created uncertainty about wether it was a foul or not. Therefore it is appropriate to define it, to end the appealing and discussions.
The big change, (which is difficult for the players to understand) is that it is not a foul if a player who is late claiming the line, is crossed as he has no chance to compete for the ball. Before, a player who had a better line claimed a foul when the line was crossed even though it was known that he was late, and they still got the foul. Now the one who comes earlier can play the ball even if they are off the line, and the one who is late just has to think about the next move. This causes fluid play and less thoughts of fouls within the play. We legitimise possession of the ball, and not the player who creates danger by calling foul. In polo hitting the ball is most attractive for players. Although it is difficult to get the ball, the previous rules meant that it was preferable not to have the ball because you could then win a foul in your favour. Now the player who has the ball is favoured, and the one who does not have it worries about getting it, and not about how to get a foul. ANY FOUL MUST BE A CONSEQUENCE OF THE GAME, AND THE GAME MUST NOT BE A SEARCH FOR FOULS. By having many examples we can show when a small difference in timing and positioning can completely change a umpire's call, and we show that difference and explain why it changes so much.
We show the difference between the point of view of the referee and the players. We show the spirit of the regulations that proposes a game with great ball circulation and speed. Where fouls are due to the possibility of colliding with players contesting the ball and not just the line. Where the player looks for free space to run and move the ball. Where the player does not want to run and wants to appeal for fouls does not get the fouls. We show that the spirit of the regulations is not that the player can carry the ball and not take it away, but that the player wants to hit the ball, make a pass, run. Back to the basics and the long forgotten view that it is the possibility of collisions
and not to the eternal right of having a better line which should define fouls. With these videos we hope to unify the rules throughout the world. We hope to awaken interest in the authorities so that they get involved. The rules are not the same everywhere since different interpretations are possible when you just look at what the regulation say rather than the true spirit of them. By just looking at the wording, referees and players can intervene with their own interests which ruins this sport. You can see the videos in: http://www.poloin.com.ar/rules/reglas-2020
Who you should be following @g_garcialenguas
Guzman Garcia Lenguas over on Instagram, posts these incredible stylised paintings. While he also paints many different equine scenes, polo has made up a large proportion of his recent work, depicting high goal teams and players from across the globe.
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Following on from part 1 in this series (last month's issue), where we looked at the first forays into women’s polo in the pre war era, we will now take a look at how the ladies game grew from being niche and mostly unappreciated what it is today. By 1938 things were starting to look promising for the ladies game as more and more women were being introduced to the game and educated to the rules, mostly by other successful established ladies players. The increase in uptake was so great that the Ladies Polo Foundation was formed. The LPF then issued the very first Ladies handicap list in August 1939. This success was short lived however, as just a month later war broke out again, setting back not only the ladies game, but the whole sport by several years. Although the war greatly damaged polo, decimating with club and membership numbers, a small silver lining could be found for the women's game. Due to many of the older established players disappearing from the polo scene, the attitude towards ladies players, which pre war had still been fairly negative shifted to a more accepting one. Unfortunately this wasn’t the end of the struggle for the ladies players as even though they now were a frequent sight in mixed teams around the country and were finally given handicaps, they were still not permitted to compete at the high goal level. The HPA repeatedly refused Claire Tomlinson’s request even though her 3 goal handicap was higher than many of the male players who were competing at that time.
“things were starting to look promising for the ladies game”
Dunster Castle Polo grounds, the site of the inaugural Women’s Open Championship
Nina Clarkin
The HPA’s objections were finally overturned in 1978 following the submission of a petition by Claire after she collected signatures from almost all of the high handicapped players in the Gold Cup. If any further proof were needed to confirm that women players had a place in the high goal, it was provided by Claire Tomlinson the following year when as part of the Los Locos team she went on the win the Queens Cup. This was the last major barrier to be broken but it has remained a long hard battle for english Ladies players to receive recognition and opportunities within the game. The first woman player to win the Gold Cup was Nina Clarkin as part of the Hilton team in 2003.
Claire Tomlinson, the first lady in high goal polo
Image: telegraph.com
The ladies polo is a slow success story and history was made in 2007 when an all women team first won a tournament for all comers. The winning team was Coombe Farm playing at Cirencester Park in the Gerald Balding Cup. The team consisted of Lucy Taylor, Emma Tomlinson (daughter of Claire Tomlinson), Nina Clarkin and Tamara Vestey. The International Women’s Polo Association was founded in 1997 and assists with identifying international playing opportunities for its members alongside increasing sponsorship and financial support for women’s polo. Along with the work of the LPF, providing training and scholarships, the opportunities for ladies players is growing both in the U.K. and worldwide. Along with the Victrix Coombe Farm, the first all ladies team to win a mixed tournament in 2007
Ludorum there is now a strong ladies Calendar of tournaments plus opportunities to play all levels within the mixed game. The last 115 years (since the first women played polo in the U.K.) have seen the ladies polo come a long way but it was a slow and challenging path, we look forward to a smoother ride in the years to come and the women’s game growing further and receiving the equal opportunities our unique sport can offer.
we look forward to a smoother ride in the years to come
in With the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe, people have been forced to change their way of life to limit the risk of infection. Sport, upon its reintroduction, was also forced to abide by stricter guidelines with the same aim. Polo is no exception to this, bringing in a host of rule changes , which have constantly evolved as the health situation changed and evolved. However, when you look below the
surface, their may be more to these rule changes than meets the eye. Although these rules are firstly and most importantly in place to keep people safe and to abide with the government guidelines, it is not outlandish to assume many of these are being trialed for future introduction once the pandemic eventually fades away. It is no secret that the HPA has been looking at rule changes
They say
Crisis breeds nnovation And when a sport such as polo is so stuck in its ways, said crisis has to be fairly significant to incite change. A crisis, so significant in fact, that perhaps it reaches every continent on the planet, cripples the global economy, and fundamentally alters the livelihoods of thousands of people worldwide‌. But what are the chances of that?
to alter the dynamics of the game. After years of fairly static regulations, the HPA have previously introduced a number of measures to improve the pace of the game and make it more appealing to spectators. It is surely not a coincidence then, that the new covid rules only go to furthering this aim, doing away with messy and slow areas of play such as line outs, and replacing them with less complicated and more open plays such as hit ins
and penalties. This has led many to suggest that even when the pandemic finally draws to a close, polo will never truly return to how it was, instead sticking with a handful of the latest rules, while relaxing other measures. So what exactly would we like to see stay? And what will players be happy to see the back of? We looked into the covid rules to bring you our opinions on the likelihood of the new rules hanging around.
The end of the line for line outs? We are in two minds about line outs. While they are obviously one of the slowest and messiest parts of the game they have also become a fundamental part of the sport, and something which has been present in the game for decades. While many players and especially umpires would like to see the back of line outs, we cannot see them disappearing entirely, especially since they have already returned to the game (all be it in a socially distanced form) after the complicated ‘fair play drop’ rule was scrapped. Although at the minute line outs are only used in select situations such as when the ball is
buried, broken, or when fouls are overturned or offsetting, we expect they will return to the beginning of the game as well, as they offer spectators a great chance to view the players and horses up close, and are a historical aspect many will be unwilling to let go of. However, this is not to say that line outs will escape the rule changes unscathed. We would predict that line outs will no longer be used between every goal, as many seem in favour of restarting play with hit ins, rather than wasting large amounts of the chukka waiting for players to meander back to the half way line.
Swapping ends? This is one of the areas where we are most confident. We simply cannot see the HPA returning to swapping ends after every goal is scored. After all, how many times have you found yourself flying down the pitch on a run with you teammates in tow, screaming at you for going the wrong way. If you can’t keep up, what chance do the spectators have? Although there have been rumours about simplifying the system even further, by having teams only change end at half time, rather than after each chukka as is currently used, we would predict the current system will remain in place. This system seems to offer a nice compromise between simplifying the rules and ensuring neither team has and advantage due to the weather conditions or field. The only area where this system seems to fall a bit short is on the restarting of play after a chukka break. Under the current regulations every chukka starts with a hit in, with teams taking it in turns to hit in from their own 60 yard line. However with line
outs likely coming back is some shape or other, this rule would have to be looked at. With the old rules a line out would be thrown in from wherever the ball ended in the last chukka, meaning even if a team didn’t have time to score they would just try and get the ball as close the opponents goal as possible before the end of the chukka, giving them the greatest chance of an early goal when play gets back underway. With changing ends every chukka however, this goal which they are previously attacking becomes their defensive goal, a point where the team want the ball away from. Obviously the umpire could just mirror the positioning of the ball, however this would likely be inaccurate and a little confusing for viewers. If we had to put money on it, we would guess play will always start with a line out from the centre, with the position of the ball at the end of the previous chukka having no impact on the next play.
The full chukka A bit of a weird one this. It certainly seems to be a trail run for this rule, as their are no obvious social distancing or Coronavirus ties with it. It allows players to continue playing, even in situations which result in any kind of set play, such as a goal being scored, the ball going over the boards or a fouls being blown.
The HPA have been working towards this for years, with the older rules ending the chukka early if any set play was called or the ball hit the boards within the final 30 seconds of the chukka. This was then altered to allow play to continue further into the final 30 seconds if the ball bounced off the boards and
Line outs will not escape the rule changes unscathed
remained on the field, but it still ended if a foul, hit in or goal was called. Now the HPA have allowed play to continue throughout the final 30 seconds, even if a set play is required. Although, in principle I am in favour of any rule which allows me to play more polo, this does seem a little messy. With all the timings that the umpire has to abide by when carrying out a set play (countdown to hit in, drop ball, etc) there is scarcely enough time for players to do anything meaningful before the end of the chukka, by the time the ball is out back into play. Furthermore, since players are no longer inclined to get the ball as close the the opponents goal as possible, as all chukkas start with a hit in anyway, players have a tendency to just play it safe and hold the ball until the end of the
chukka, which is boring to watch. As I have already discussed I imagine that going forward chukkas will still not be able to influence each other, instead each chukka beginning with a line out from the centre rather than a hit in, meaning this would remain a problem. For this reason I would not be surprised to see the HPA revert back the the original rule, ending the chukka early in the case of a goal being scored or the ball going out of play. A notable exception to this rule would be for fouls. Since one chukka can not influence another, the fouls would have to be played out within the 30 seconds of the previous chukka. However since the clock is stopped for fouls, there would be sufficient time to play these out, even if they are not direct goal shot penalties.
Non Contact Currently players are not allowed to make contact with each other before the ball is in play. This has obvious covid consequences, as players are minimising the contact, and therefore chance of infection, between them. However, although it seems like a short term solution, this rule may hang around in some form or another for a while. Although I cannot see it being as strictly policed when there is not a global pandemic making the rounds, the HPA are looking at ways to make the game interesting by stopping players man marking. We’ve already had the no blocking rule coming into force, requiring one
player of the opposition be allowed to go to the hitter, and this would fit in a similar vein. Although obviously brushing past each other would still be permissible, the rule may stick around, making sure players don’t attempt to man mark a player off the field, as many low goal players in higher level teams are instructed to do. Although I see this becoming a bit of a ‘nothing rule’ as situations where this would be enforced are very few and far between, I could easily see this staying in the rule book for years to come.
LLG Rule Predictions
Throw Ins
Swapping Ends
Throw ins will take place at the centre at the start of every chukka, as well as in situations which currently result in a line out (buried/broken ball, overruled foul, etc). However hit ins will replace throw ins after each goal is scored, a carry over from the COVID rules.
This is an area where we see the emergency COVID rules hanging around. Since our game will see play resume after a goal is scored with a hit in, ends will only be changed after each chukka. This seems to strike a good balance between making the game fair and making it easier to follow for spectators.
Chukkas
Ride offs
Chukka lengths will revert to the original pre cover rules, where the chukka will end if a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play in the last 30 seconds of the chukka. However if a could is given this will continue to be played in the original chukka.
The rule currently banning contact before the ball is put onto play will stick around, however we see it being severely relaxed to only cover situations where players are obviously blocking their opponents from getting anywhere near the play.
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quick Guide Amateur polo is back. Exactly what does that mean for players, and what is on for players at all the dierent levels
Outlook
For context, I have just finished writing an article debating wether we would actually get to play any polo this year. An article that will now never see the light of day. And I couldn’t be happier for it. The HPA recently announced the opening up of amateur polo. Widely following the rules already set up for the 8 goal and above after the government approved a set of regulations proposed by the HPA on the 22nd July. Although the rules remain relatively unchanged, one major rule change has crept in,
rules
As already discussed masks will no longer be compulsory when playing. Apart from that teams will also be expected to appoint ‘Covid marshals’ who takes responsibility for ensuring their team adheres the coronavirus protocols, such as maintaining a distance when off the field and ensuring no hard
namely the removal of the necessity to wear masks when playing. At present it appears that masks don’t need to be worn at all on the polo field, although they are still required off the field in situations when social distancing isn’t possible.
surfaces such as drinks bottles are contaminated between players. In order to enforce these guidelines, the HPA has set out a £500 pound fine which can be applied immediately to the team captain, if a team is found to be in breach of the cover guidelines.
Season Nobody can ever really predict when the polo season will end, as it is almost entirely dependent upon the weather. Saying this, there seems to be a general consensus at many clubs to try and extend the season for as long as possible to make up for the lost time at the start of the season. This will likely see the season ending in late September or early October,
but it could go all the way into mid October if the weather holds. With the added enthusiasm of players, having missed are large proportion of the season, we are also less likely to see players abandoning the season early, so we can expect decent team turnouts right up until the end of the season.
Amateur polo is back
Junior Back in July the pony club confirmed that their 2020 season was off. This doesn’t mean that all junior polo is off however. The HPA will be running a streamlined version of their Junior HPA tournaments throughout August, and with more
SUPA
Unfortunately this year's University summer nationals at Offchurch have been canceled.
However, many clubs around the country are now offering polo lessons and horse hire again, and some polo schools and clubs are offering student rates on lessons, horse hire, chukkas and club membership. While the nationals may be off, their is
clubs now able to open up their doors again, we may see some junior tournaments held within these clubs, although at present nothing has been confirmed.
still the opportunity for matches to be played between universities, or even for university players to get their polo fix by branching out into club polo.
If you’re interested in finding some university polo this year, make sure to join the university polo network on facebook for the latest details and offers.
Club polo is returning. Much like the system which has been in place so far, the level system for clubs is going to be retained, although it has been overhauled with some levels been deleted and levels 6,7 and 8 been added in preparation for the further easing of lockdown restrictions. Simply put, the level system oers a sliding scale from 1, allowing limited stick and balling, to 8, which allows full tournament polo and spectators. Currently level 5 is the highest any club is permitted to reach, which allows tournament polo with no spectators.
Before Update 11 a few clubs, (namely those hosting the high goal), had reached level 5 status, but with the removal of the requirement of tournaments having to be 8 goals or above hosts of new clubs have now levelled up including:
Club
- Beaufort
- Burningfold
- Cambridge County
- Cheshire
- Druids Lodge
- Emsworth
- Holyport
- Kirtlington
- Ranelagh Farm
- Silver Keys
- Westcroft Park
- White Waltham
These clubs will now be able to oer 4 on 4 tournaments played behind closed doors. Unfortunately we are not able to bring you a concrete fixture list, as the existing lists are currently being heavily revised.
High Goal With the first major high goal tournament in the UK already completed, with the honours going the Next Generation, the Queens Cup, held at Guards Polo Club will already be in progress by the time this article goes to press. The Queens, Cup, usually held before the Gold Cup, will see all of the teams retained from the Gold cup, with the addition of 2 new teams, MT Vikings and Segaves, with the Thai Polo teams also being majorly overhauled, replacing half its original line up. Play commences on the 28th July, with Scone taking on Thai Polo.
NKC Equestrian Training
Dealing with
Horses sometimes seem to have a knack for injuring themselves, and factor in the studs, a polo ball and lots of other horses and cuts are fairly commonplace for a polo pony. It is useful to be able to deal with minor cuts and grazes, although it can be difficult to know which wounds to care for on your own, and which cuts require veterinary attention. Wounds can be deceptive, a small wound in the ‘wrong place’, for instance on a joint or tendon, can be far more dangerous than a larger superficial wound on the neck or hindquarters. Read on to find out about different types of wounds, suggestions about which wounds might need a vet, and highlight some basic first aid steps to treat a minor cut. This information is intended as a guide, if you are in any doubt about a cut or wound on your horse you must seek veterinary attention.
Types of wounds: Abrasions An abrasion can be likened to a grazed knee in a human, as usually the top layer of skin and hair has been scraped off. Such cuts can often be treated at home, but it is important to
assess that the wound is purely superficial, and it hasn’t penetrated deeper than the primary layer of skin, and that no other structures are involved.
Puncture wounds A puncture wound can be caused by a foreign body, which has punctured the skin and is clearly protruding, such as a nail in the foot. Likewise the injury could be a very small cut which has punctured the skin (like a thorn), and swelling and infection often occurs as a
result. The wound may be a lot deeper than it first appears, and puncture wounds can be a source of infection. Both types of puncture wound will require veterinary attention, and the risk of infection is a concern.
Laceration A laceration is simply a slice through the skin, often these are deep cuts and may involve other structures such as muscle and tendon. The face, lips and lower leg (especially the coronet) are common sites of laceration injuries, and overreaching, or electric fencing are likely causes.
If you find your horse with a laceration it is important to assess the depth and the location of the injury, and discuss with your vet if you are at all concerned. You must call your vet immediately if there is a skin flap, profuse bleeding or if a joint or other structure is involved.
h cuts and wounds
Wounds near joints Wounds on, or near joints (or any other synovial structures) can be very dangerous due to the risk of infection within the joint or tendon. It is essential to call your vet ASAP with such an injury, so that they
can determine if the joint capsule has been penetrated. Some joints are larger than they appear (such as the elbow), so a wound could involve a joint without this being apparent.
Assessing a wound Firstly it is essential to consider human safety. Try and move the horse to a quiet area to prevent further injury, and assess the situation. As you move the horse, try and determine if the horse lame and is the wound bleeding. Next you need to assess the
location and depth of the wound, consider if any joints, bones or tendons are involved. Double check that the horse has an up to date tetanus vaccination, if this has lapsed do speak to your vet about the need for a tetanus antitoxin injection to protect the horse.
Which wounds require a vet? There are many times that a wound needs veterinary attention, perhaps to remove a foreign object, to clean a contaminated wound, provide pain relief, or to suture a wound. Some other key times that a vet would be required would be a wound that is bleeding profusely, or if the entire thickness of the skin has been broken. It is essential to assess the depth of the wound, determine if any other structures are involved (muscle, tendon, bone) or if any skin flaps are present, all of which
would need veterinary attention. Likewise if the horse is lame, or the wound is contaminated you need to call the vet. It is always best to consult with your vet and discuss a wound further if you are in any doubt, and many vets are more than happy for you to send a photograph of a wound. Whilst owning or caring for polo ponies means you have probably seen an extensive range of wounds it is important to liaise with your vet.
Treating minor cuts Having assessed that the cut is superficial and not in the 'wrong location’ (i.e. not involving other structures, or situated over a joint or tendon) the next step is to clean the wound before dressing and bandaging the area.
Cleaning the wound Firstly grab a pair of disposal gloves to protect yourself, and prevent any further contamination of the wound. You will also need a clean bucket or small bowl for wound cleaning. A head torch can be a useful addition for cleaning a wound at night, or in poor light. We recommend on our Horse First Aid Courses that wounds are cleaned with saline solution and gauze swabs, which are preferable to cotton wool as no residual ‘fluff’ is left in the cut. Saline solution can be purchased ready to use, or it can be simply made up using a teaspoon of salt in a pint of cooled boiled water. Many owners use hibiscrub (chlorhexidine) to clean wounds but this can cause damage to the wound and delay wound healing, so we suggest that hibiscrub is best kept for cleaning your hands, and only to be used under the guidance of your vet. It may be necessary to clean a very dirty wound with a hose first, but be careful not to use too much pressure as this could damage the delicate skin cells further. A clean 50ml syringe can be helpful to irrigate the wound with, and is another useful addition to your horse first aid kit particularly to clean wounds straight after matches.
Products to apply Many owners simply reach for 'blue spray' to treat a wound, but there are in fact far better products to help a wound heal. We don't recommend using such sprays on cuts or wounds, as they are too drying, and in the majority of cases it is important to keep the wound slightly moist to provide the best conditions to heal. One useful product to apply is hydrogel, this is a sterile gel which helps keep the wound moist and promotes an ideal healing environment. Hydrogel is appropriate to use on many types of wounds, but it will require a dressing and basic bandage so that it doesn't simply slide off the cut. The other product we suggest owners use on superficial cuts is flamazine, which is a silver based cream available from your vet. It is great for healing and it has efficiency against many wound pathogens. Flamazine cut be used without a dressing, so might be more appropriate for areas that can’t be bandaged.
The basic bandage Many wounds in horses occur on the lower leg, and as mentioned wounds do not need to be dried out, and generally heal best when covered and kept slightly moist. Once a topical product has been applied (such as hydrogel) the wound can be covered with a basic bandage. Bandaging is certainly a skill, and significant damage can occur with incorrect bandaging. Firstly apply a non-stick dressing, such as melolin, which will absorb any discharge from the wound, and hold this in place with a secondary layer of soffban, which is like fine cotton wool ready rolled. This provides padding and even pressure on the leg, it is easy to use and will simply tear if applied too tight. It would usually be suggested to add a layer of cotton wool for more padding, before an outer layer of
vetrap, or similar cohesive bandage, is added to hold the bandage in place. In summary it is essential to remember location, location location when it comes to wounds, as a small wound in the ‘wrong place’ can be life threatening, if in any doubt speak to your vet. I have highlighted several useful products to keep in your horse first aid kit, if you would like to update your kit you can download a free checklist of what to include from my website www.nkcequestrian.com.
By Nicola Kinnard-Comedie NKC Equestrian Training
La Low Goal Shop Available at lalowgoal.co.uk
With the easing of the coronavirus lockdown measures, can we finally look forward to a polo season in the UK?
Part 2
The Equine Do
Visit last month’s issue to read part 1 of this article
Equine Ther
Hot or
Last month we have addressed protocols, image acquisition, veterinary knowledge, clinical history and specialised experienced interpretation as possible limiting factors depending on how they are done, one limiting factor that is not down to how its done is the fact that thermography can not see structure and is therefore most often a pre-requisite to further investigations, however this is no way lessens its usefulness. Diagnostics often follow a line of investigation (see my article on diagnostics), from clinical observation and diagnostic analgesia through to further paired modalities, with each tool adding a part to the picture (Fig.9). Thermography provides localization and physiological information however it lacks structural specificity and can not outline aetiology and so has its place amongst other diagnostics as a piece of the puzzle (Eddy et al 2001).
Fig.10 (see top right, Page 38) clearly shows that thermography, with experienced veterinary interpretation can provide vital and extensive physiological information relevant to the clinical signs. In the authors opinion this (in conjunction with all the other factors expressed) is what outlines a thermography service as being useful. The subtle complexities of thermographic acquisition and interpretation express that the reliability of thermography as a diagnostic modality depend on it being respected and utilised as a veterinary tool, it requires medical grade biological screening cameras, with images taken in a controlled environment after clinical preparation by a trained technician who understands its potential artefacts and then interpreted by a specialised veterinarian who understands the cases clinical history. Without these points in place you
on
Fig.9 Thermogram vs radiograph. Thermography can save a lot of time in pin pointing areas of dysfunction and experienced interpretation vets can give detailed (Fig.10) however the structural damage assessment will need further diagnostic modalities.
ocumentalist
Fig.10 Veterinary report by Vet-IR
rmography
r not?
are essentially paying for some pretty pictures! So having addressed the questions asked of the modality and establishing what makes it a useful tool, we can now look at its potential applications in equine veterinary care. Von Schweinitz (1999) clearly outlined thermography as a highly sensitive diagnostic tool for back pathology, Eddy et al (2001), Radaelli et al (2014) and Soroko and Howell (2018) all list many applications and potential uses for the modality, unfortunately there is limited evidence based research in comparison to human medicine on thermography’s application in specific pathologies, but these reviews clearly express that its applications are widespread and will become more established as more research is completed. Soroko and Howell (2018) most recently outlined the applications and limitations of the modality appertaining to the equine, essentially any musculoskeletal
d indications as to the structures most likely affected
pathology involving an inflammatory process can be detected, as well as hypothermic neurological pathologies, there are of course pathologies that are non-inflammatory, such as proximal suspensory desmopathy and chronic osseous changes that have past their inflammatory phase, this is a potential limitation of the modality but is in no way different to any other diagnostic tool, as each one has its applications, for instance you would not use ultrasound to look for a broken bone. This fact can often be overlooked and can add to the scepticism in cases where the final diagnosis of a non-inflammatory pathology does not correlate with thermographic findings. The various pathologies and applications listed by the reviews can be summed up into a few categories, lameness detection and localization, poor performance and behavioural assessment, preventative care, rehabilitation and complimentary physiological information. Most horses will need a certain amount of lameness investigation done to ascertain areas of pain, this can be a long, complexed and often nonspecific process (Dyson 2013), thermography’s ability to quickly and non-invasively assess the whole horse can be a huge benefit in quicker localization of causality. Studies by Sue Dyson have shown a large number of working equines presumed sound are in fact lame, her study on the ethogram of facial and other bodily expressions also highlighted that a vast amount of behavioural issues are also linked to pain, horses will work through a lot of discomfort but should they have to? Lameness investigations and diagnostic analgesia can not be effective unless the horse is lame enough to detect a difference, but with the findings of Sue Dyson we can see that there has to be a way of assessing sub clinical pathologies because our horses shouldn’t have to wait until they are broken to be fixed. Thermography can be a valuable tool in preventative care, due to its early stage detective ability (Fig.11), sub clinical pathological causes of pain can be assessed and treated before they become full blown veterinary issues. Soroko and Howell (2018) expressed how thermography could be used in monitoring the training programmes of performance horses to help keep them at peak performance and prevent injury, stating that thermography can detect the physiological response to progressing injury before any other modality could pick up structural change, in the authors opinion this benefit
Fig.11 Thermography can detect inflammatory process associated with developing pathology and therefore help to prevent injury. Its use in distal parts of the limb as well as the rest of the musculoskeletal system could be a valuable preventative tool.
should be more widely utilised, as an equine care professional, horses with performance issues are a subject of daily discussion and as a person who has equine welfare at the heart of practice the author believes we should be using this modality to help keep our horses pain free when they do so much for us. As discussed previously lameness diagnostics can be a diďŹƒcult and complexed process, often many pathologies are present and complimentary issues arise as horses compensate for discomfort, as thermography can be used to assess the horse in its entirety, each route and complimentary issue can be treated in unison, therefore giving the horse a more wholistic treatment that ends perpetuation, this complimentary physiological information can Sync the work of each professional working on the horse, from the vet to the physio, the trainer to the farrier resulting in a more comprehensive care package.
As well as preventing injury, thermography can be a great tool in monitoring rehabilitation (Fig 12), its ability to monitor the inflammatory process can give information on how a pathology is regressing. To conclude answering our original question, is thermography a useful tool in equine care?
One of the biggest limitations of the modality is its lack of research, Vet-IR and the author have started to address this and the author is personally embarking on research projects to further establish the modality, as these studies become more widespread we can expect to see a surge in its veterinary use as we can see in human medicine. The potential benefits of thermography for horses and the equestrian world are huge, it could help keep horses at peak performance, help prevent injury and be a valuable diagnostic tool. IF the modality is applied correctly, by trained technicians and interpreted by qualified veterinary professionals, it could go a long way in helping provide better and more comprehensive care for our horses and at a much earlier and preventative stage. The author has taken a personal interest in the use of thermography, its ability to help that huge percentage of horses that are in sub-clinical undiagnosed pain is something that can not be ignored.
Fig.12
Thermography is used in human medicine to monitor the treatment of breast cancer and can be used to monitor the rehabilitation of many inflammatory pathologies in the equine post-surgery and during physio and other treatment.
Updated VL Schedule Following the opening up of polo at all levels, the HPA has announced an updated calendar for the Victor & Victrix Ludorm series. Featuring all the normal levels, ranging from 22 to 4 goal the calendar is set to squish as many tournaments as possible into what remains of this season. While 22-8 goal has already been able to run for a while now, under elite sport status, the 6 and 4 goal leagues will just be beginning as this issue goes to press, with the 6 goal kicking off at Ham Polo Club on the 11th August, while a streamline 4 goal schedule will have to wait until the 18th August at Cheshire. The remainder of the schedule is shown below with the season officially ending on the 27th September with a 4 goal at Kirtlington and 15 goal at Beaufort.
You may be doing it all wrong India, founder of Chukka Wellness has been a Personal Trainer for 7 years and regularly encounters people in the gym performing exercises incorrectly. This can inhibit not only progression in training but also increase the risk of injury later on in life. Over the next couple of months, Chukka Wellness will provide coaching points on common exercises that are usually found in the standard training program and that can easily be performed incorrectly. So far, we have focused on the Lunge and Push up technique! This month we will be discussing the Plank as it is such an effective compound exercise, yet many people perform it incorrectly which can lead to back and shoulder issues!
How to Perform the Perfect Plank The plank is a powerful whole-body exercise; not only does it strengthen your core, legs and arms but it also improves shoulder and hip stabilisation.
Common Mistakes •
Hips too high or too low
•
Shoulders not directly over the elbows
•
The body is not lengthened creating a lot of unwanted pressure on the hip flexors
•
Core is not engaged correctly
•
Too much lower back overextension.
Now let’s run through the correct coaching points 1. Start on your elbows and knees. 2. Brace your core and raise your hips off the ground until they are in line with your shoulders. 3. Lengthen your body (imagine you are being stretched away from the crown of your head and your feet). 4. If you feel any lower back pain perform a pelvic tilt to correctly engage the lower core. 5. Ensure your shoulders are tracking over your elbows and that your chin is tucked in. 6. Contract all of the muscles in your body, not just your abdominals. 7. Hold this position and be sure to breathe!!! *If you struggle with lower back pain, try the plank on your knees until you build up the strength to perform the full version. *Make sure that your upper back is not overly-rounded by retracting the shoulders and engaging the upper body muscles.
Competitive? To monitor progression, see how long you can hold the plank for. Re-test every 4 weeks!
If you struggle to get fit for polo or have the desire to become a more effective and stronger player; Chukka Wellness have just launched their VIRTUAL EQUINE HUB which is an online resource designed to help riders become fitter and stronger athletes. The mobile-friendly hub is full of polospecific home workouts, stretching & mobility routines as well as nutritional aids. Each member also receives a monthly guide to help them stay on track with their fitness journey! ** There is currently a 30% Off introductory offer ** Visit www.chukkawellness.co.uk for more information
Josephine Gleeson
ing into lk and I am currently go ffo Su m fro d ol s ar ye Gleeson, I am 20 icultural My name is Josephine Business at Royal Agr d an e nc ie Sc ne ui Eq rsity studying my third year of Unive r. University, Cirenceste at Carlton House Polo on ss le a ng vi ha er th fa ays polo was watching my me from playing I alw My earliest memory of ho e m ca he r ve ne he w ting was 6. From then on, Club, Bungay when I fast moving and exhaus g, tin ci ex d de un so It . t or how he played at polo, I asked him how it wen I wanted to have a go if d ke as !) lly na (fi he n! When but most of all great fu ve played ever since. ha d an it, d ve lo I . ty ni jumped at the opportu
rt of d doing some so n u fo s ay w al ies nd, I was friends and pon Club backgrou h y n it o w P d d n u an o g ar n lo m a Hunti had the odd po or just messing I a, d an an h k es m rs y o g Having come fro h , g y ny racin peting m for polo rt; dressage, po I would be com s er m m ut my true love su B e . equestrian spo n th o g d n n o ri u L D in .. every Polo Club ckless riding and played polo brother at Ham ed d bareback and ta ay an st er e th w fa k y ee polo For a w there with m ch the high goal Hill, Barbados. at es w p lesson here and d A an to t t si en ld w u got the ings, we wo as a family we rom then on, I F ns. In the even . o sparked when g o in rn rn te o af m e t th kas the nex laying golf in r practice chuk u o morning and p r fo n io at ir oking for insp tournaments lo mosphere, ssomed. The at lo b lo o p r fo e e to not e my lov polo bug! detail they gav nde, Spain. Her to ra g n o to ti o n S te y, at le d al e went The care an went to Polo V ley so much w was beautiful. al V ed July 2018, we lo er o ff P o ed ey v th onal. We lo the hospitality e result of the th imals is excepti e an se r the ponies and to ei g th in to rn so d to retu and me but al looking forwar am I e. only my family m sa e th d canine. f nds, equine an 019 for more o ie 2 fr l ri ld p o A e in se k to ac b South and ct Polo Valley je ro p n o si an p ex
Since being at University in Cirenceste r I have played for the University Pol o Team and played in the Winter SUPA Nationals 2019 in my first tournament. I find the overlap bet ween my eventing and polo has so far has been manageable. I hav e played polo for my university during the arena season so far, with instructional chukkas at Longdole Pol o Club, Gloucester. In a normal year my event season would start when the University term ended which is usually June time, giving me enough time to make the transition from polo to eventing.
I currently own two event horses and event them alongside each other throug hout the event season. They are completely different. Brett is 14.2hh, 18 years old, compet ing up to BE90 Level and at numerous Pony Club Champio nships, whilst Ruffian, bought as a 4 year old, is 16.2hh and I have produced myself (he is now 8yr s old). Winning our first ever affiliat ed event at Horseheath 2019 last season was a fantastic ach ievement. Combining polo and eventin g this has allowed me to develop into a more adaptable rid er, as I need to be able to switch my riding style for the chosen equestrian discipline. June 2019, I purchased my first polo pony, Diamond Dagger, otherwise kno wn as Piri (or in the stable, Chicken). Piri is a 15.2hh, 13 year old , dark bay gelding. We bought Piri so that my father, brother and I could stick and ball at home with the aim to take Piri back to University wit h me to play. The idea was to keep up the polo practice at home, alas despite the wonderful weather COVID -19 intervened to put a stop to this.
I got the
polo Bug!
They all get along nicely, At home we have four horses, my two eventers, Piri and my father’s horse. my event pony Millfields Flight despite their different roles and height. I have attempted to play polo on a mallet above his head (Brett), who took a keen interest in the sport, right up to the moment I lifted Piri on the other hand, I did take shortly after which he was waving at the aeroplanes with his front legs. enjoyed), and he was able to to Pony Club with me to give polo demonstration (which he thoroughly as the show jumping was quickly pick up the skills needed for eventing albeit at a low level as far concerned. ‘Horses for Courses’ was never truer than for the polo pony. venue and continue my eventing In regards to my 2020 season I had intended to work at a Polo hospitality lockdown we had high hopes of career, to take my HPA rules test and continue to play polo. Even with the is a write-off as far as coming out of it earlier, but this was not to be. Essentially, this 2020 season ng season with my horses. It competing is concerned. Thus, I have been treating it as a training and planni ing, however, given is refreshing to see some training venues reopening and some events restart be comparable to previous years. government social distancing and other guidelines these events will not
Not only do I train and compete my horses, I also have an active social media platform notably: YouTube, Fast forward Eventing: https://www.youtub e.com/ channel/UCeed1lteQEpFjKjRfbf0DPQ?view_as=subscriber which I started in 2014, which provides training tutorials and video edits. I also give regular and more personal updates on the horses through my Instagram: Josey_Gleeson. I am also a brand ambassador for DVR Equestrian a sustainable equine/ active clothin g brand. My future aims are to be able to play arena polo back at University come the Autumn, complete my rules test and to continue with my studies at Cirenc ester, graduating in 2021.
Contributors Ignacio Fernandez Llorente Chukka Wellness Josephine Gleeson The Equine Documentalist NKC Equestrian Clare Hamilton Connor Kay
by low goal for low goal
August Issue
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