INSTRUCTORS FORUM
Kicking tires Choosing a horse to add to your string By Megan Flynn
Be honest about what you are looking for, how much you are willing to spend and what you expect of the horse.
When shopping for a new horse, find a reputable seller who is willing to work with you to find the right one and will take it back if you don’t get along with it. That person could be your polo school instructor, your pro or someone else you trust. Most reputable sellers will also take the horse in on trade or resell it for you when you outgrow it. I do that with not only my own horses, but horses I have sold as an agent. I have good relationships with many players who I go to when I have a buyer. If I sell someone else’s horse, it is because I feel comfortable endorsing it. You also want a seller who will be honest with you about the horse. It may be a good polo pony, but if it kicks at other horses or doesn’t stand at the trailer, you want to know ahead of time so you can determine if it is something you can deal with. When someone comes to me looking for a new horse, I always ask them a few questions that help me determine what kind of horse would work best for them. It is important for a buyer to be matched with a suitable horse so they will feel safe and won’t be scared riding it. You don’t want to put a buyer on a horse that is going to run off with them or leap around. The more a player enjoys their horses, the more fun they will have and the longer they will stay in the sport. It helps when the buyer knows what they want before they start shopping. These are some of the questions I ask prospective buyers: Does it matter if the horse is a mare or a gelding? Some people have a preference for either mares or geldings. I find players that come from other disciplines, like jumpers, would rather purchase a gelding
14 POLO P L A Y E R S E D I T I O N
because that is what they are used to, while polo pros often only want mares. I sell a lot of horses suitable for 8-goal polo and below. At that level, there usually isn’t that much of a difference. How tall are you? Size matters since I don’t want to put a big guy on a little horse. A player that is too big for a horse will likely break it down after a while. I also don’t want to put a little girl on a huge horse since she will have to swing a longer, and thus heavier, mallet and might strain her arm swinging it. What is your budget? Be honest about what you can spend. I am not going to show someone a $35,000 horse if their budget is $20,000. If you are on a tight budget, I can usually find something nice in a lower-price range but it may take me a little longer and the horse may have a little age on it or might require some maintenance. I still try to find a suitable, safe horse. Just because it is in a lower price range, I’m not going to show a horse that isn’t a nice horse, like a runaway or one that is fried. What is your level of play? A lot of my buyers play 6-goal and under and some are beginners. A starter horse, or one suitable for 2goal polo, is likely not going to be the horse they could play in the 8 goal. I find a lot of Quarter Horses that scoot around and are easy for the 2 goal but won’t have enough go for the 8 goal. The position you play likely won’t make much of a difference when choosing a horse unless you are playing at the higher levels. The horses I sell for 8 goal and under can usually work well in any position. What type of horse do you like? Sometimes what a person describes as the type of horse they like is not what they mean. A beginner might come and say I like a fast horse. What that often means is they don’t want a horse they will have to really work on to get it to move or wail-on it before it will canter. They want something they can kick and it will canter and they can kick again and
