June 2021 Polo Players' Edition - Instructors Forum: Kicking Tires

Choosing a Horse to Add to Your String

By Megan Flynn

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.

Be honest about what you are looking for, how much you are willing to spend and what you expect of the horse.

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 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 it will go a little faster.

I’ve had a lot of people tell me what type of horse they want, but at the end of the day, it is not always what they end up buying and loving.

My personal preference is a Thoroughbred. I love them, but that is just my style. That said, I have a barn full of Quarter Horses because they are generally easier to train for polo and they tend to be more tolerant. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of them have some color on them (i.e., paints, palominos, duns, etc.), which some people look for.

If you tell me you like a horse with a big stride, I am probably not going to show you a small horse. I don’t want to waste my time or the buyers. If a buyer says they like a horse that is 15.2-15.3 hands, and I have one that is 15.1 but I think will suit them, I’ll say, hey, this is a really nice horse but it’s a little smaller than you want.

I consider the buyer’s answers as I put together a group of horses for them to try. I prefer if I can also watch the player ride and play and see the horses they already have in their strings. I try to match that style with what horses I have in the barn. I also try to gather horses from other reputable sellers I know so the buyer has a variety of horses to try. I don’t just sell my own horses, or my friends’ horses, I pick horses that will suit the client best, no matter who they belong to.

Where I spend time—places like Indio, California; Sheridan, Wyoming; or Houston, Texas—I can see horses being worked around the clubs. I can see owners riding, stick-and-balling and practicing them so, usually I’ve seen a horse regularly before I show it to one of my clients.

Many of my buyers come from out of state to purchase horses from me. Ultimately, I try to have around six horses ready for them to try. I generally allow the buyer to stick and ball the group of horses first. They can eliminate any horses they don’t get along with before playing a practice. After the first practice they eliminate any horses that aren’t a good fit. They can then practice the remaining horses one more time before making a decision. I do not recommend buying a horse that you have not played.

Minimally, do the basic pre-purchase exam of any horse prior to buying it. If a flexion test finds any issues, x-ray the leg to see what the problem is.

Once a horse is chosen, I strongly recommend getting it vetted, which protects not only the buyer, but the seller and any agent too. The buyer generally picks their own vet, however, if they don’t have or know a vet, I can offer them a few local vets for them to choose from.

There are different levels of vetting you can have done. People coming from other disciplines, like jumping, often know what they want checked. If it is a new player competing in lower-level polo, a basic vet check with flexion will likely be enough. If something comes up on the flexion test, then I recommend going further, like taking an x-ray to see what might be the problem.

If an issue is found, discuss with the vet whether it is something that will limit the horse’s use or if it is something that can be treated or may go away. If, for instance, the horse doesn’t sweat and you live in a hot, humid climate like Houston or Florida, it probably isn’t a good idea to buy the horse. Some injuries, like minor bowed tendons or bone chips, might be OK depending on how bad it is and what level the horse is going to play. You really have to look at it on a case-by-case basis.

If you decide to buy a horse, be sure to ask the seller or agent what the horse eats; if it has been staying in a stall, in turnout or both; how much exercise it is used to getting; and what type of bridle it goes in. When someone buys a horse from me I always take a picture of the bit that they played the horse in when they tried it so they can order the same one.

The key to buying a horse is to be honest about what you are looking for and what you expect of the horse and convey that to the seller. This will help the seller or agent find something that suits you well, which will make polo all the more fun.

Minimally, do a basic pre-purchase exam of any horse prior to buying it. If a flexion test finds any issues, xray the leg to see what the problem is.

Megan Flynn is a USPA certified polo instructor. Her Hidden View Farm Polo specializes in polo for the amateur player. She runs a polo school as well as buys, sells and trains polo horses for amateur players. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram, or for more info, go to hiddenviewfarmpolo.com •