We continue with excerpts from interviews of high handicap players, who have provided us with some valuable insights into everything related to Polo Ponies.

ALFONSO PIERES
Num 11 Yearbook, 1997
I never turn a stallion into my mares if I have not ridden it and seen what it is like as a mount. I think that a herd is more affected, or improved, by the stallion. Whatever we do, or whatever pains we take, the mares will never be uniform.Four years are necessary to have an idea of what a stallion is throwing, if you made a mistake, by then you have a whole lot of horses you don’t want.
With reference to the type of Polo Pony I look for it is the same type everybody else wants: short cannon bone, deep ribcage, good quarters, good legs and I am very demanding about good straight legs, good lines. I think that the horses that play in Palermo have got slightly larger over the years.
At this point in time, what I want is a horse that turns easily. Speed in the game depends on turning faster than another player. I think that if one can put together a team with all the players mounted on the type of horse that was always recommended for num 3, one should win all the cups. I have an idea that previously most breeders wanted purebred horses of a Polo type, and that’s all; only some who were more demanding looked for performance, form, etc.
Since the founding of the Argentine Association of Polo Pony Breeders (AACCP), there is a greater interest on the part of the breeders in using better horses, and to do so their history and form must be carefully studied.

HECTOR MERLOS
Num 12 Yearbook, 1998
I think that it is very important to get to know and feel the sensitivity of a horse. The important thing is, therefore, to “feel a horse” when one is on its back, that’s why it is so important to mount it.
Frequently a horse looks good from the ground, but when one mounts it one finds defects in its movements.
The main points I would look for in a stallion, as well as its bloodlines, are that it move “close to the ground”, as we say, and also have a correctly positioned head.
There are horses that from the ground have good conditions, but when we work them their action is too “high”, too far from the ground. This is not good because these horses jump and their heads are too much in the air. A good horse has to conform to a prototype, an aerodinamic design, which is the common factor I look for in a horse. The closer a horse is to my aerodynamic prototype, the greater are the possibilities it will turn out to be good. If to this is added an intelligent, vigorous expression in the eyes, then one comes closer to a handsome horse that can turn out very well indeed.
Experience has taught us that the offspring of a good playing mare is usually one of the first horses to stand out. A horse must look good, to do so it must not be too big. A large horse is lacking in proportion.
I like a horse to be between 1.50 –1.54 m, that’s the ideal size. When I mention sensitivity I am referring to what we call “light”. One feels that these horses are really outstanding when you pull them in, turn and they start out with impressive force; and they are also enthusiastic about playing. These horses are special, and stand out from others.

EDUARDO HEGUY
Num 13 Yearbook, 1999
The herd in Argentina is now selected on the basis of aptitude and correct pysical attributes, also a good mouth and tidy movements are important. Before the game was more open, there was more running from end to end, now the ball is more controlled. We need more horses with the correct physical attributes. There are excellent horses in Argentina, but many very good horses are coming from the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Each year the demands are greater. You can’t go to play in the Palermo Open with a horse that is just fairly good, because you get run over.
As far as size of the horse, this depends on the position you play. Smaller horses move closer to the ground and also, the ball is nearer. But at Palermo, or the bigger fields, though a smaller horse can be more agile, in the long run, it does not have the strenght of a larger horse.
An ideal horse is small, very compact and very strong. If a horse is very large it is slower in short runs and also it is more difficult to hit the ball from its back.
As far as bits, I would say that 95% of horses in Palermo play with a snaffle. A horse must be very special to play it with a bit. At the speed the game is played at a bit makes it very hard on a horse’s mouth due to tugging and rough movements.