CONSIDERING the present popularity of polo, and the great development of the game within the last few years, it may not be out of place to consider the training of the animal whose qualifications do so much to make or mar the pastime.

To such importance has polo arisen, that no less an authority than the Commander-in-Chief in India, Sir Frederick Roberts, has deemed it worthy of a somewhat lengthy general order a compliment which no other game has ever had paid to it. It is true that this order has been called forth partly in deference to public opinion, and the sentiments aroused by the number of lamentable accidents at polo that have occurred within the last year in India: but, anyhow, it demonstrates the importance that the game evidently possesses in the eyes of our military authorities; and if anything were needed to strengthen this argument, the speech made lately by Sir George Greaves, the Bombay Commanderin-Chief, at Poona, should be conclusive. Both Sir Frederick Roberts and Sir George Greaves touch upon the dangers of polo, and attribute the accidents that occur mainly to one very important point-viz., the too frequent use of untrained ponies. There is not the least shadow of doubt that these gallant soldiers and sportsmen-for they are both are right in their conclusions; and that to the use of improperly trained animals are attributable the majority of accidents that occur at polo, many of which have had fatal results.

That the game per se is either more or less fraught with danger to players and cruelty to ponies is a very common argument advanced against it by its detractors; but a moment's reflection and calm consideration, particularly if based upon experience, will make it manifest that neither of these pleas will bear discussion,

If we analyse the dangers attendant on polo, statistics will go far to prove that they are not greater than those consequent on other sports, such as hunting, pigsticking, racing, steeplechasing, and shooting, in the pursuit of which many men annually lose their lives, or break limbs; and as to cruelty, those who know what they are talking about-those who have watched the game, and followed polo-ponies in their career— will admit that they are not treated any worse than many a race-horse and hunter. A racehorse, it is true, is only called on to make a supreme effort for a moment or two, but in those moments he often gets fearfully punished with both whip and spur. A hunter has his endurance taxed still higher, for not only has he to undergo great fatigue, enhanced often by a thoughtless rider who never thinks of getting off his back or easing him, but he has to go without food for many hours, besides having to run the chance of severe blows and cuts if he jumps a fence carelessly.

Compared with either of these, a polo-pony's life is not an unhappy one, and that it is not so very trying as some would have us believe is attested by the fact that more than one celebrated

pony has played for eight or ten seasons consecutively. He may have to exert himself on occasions, and often drops in for a hard blow or two, but so do both hunters and race - horses; ergo the plea of cruel treatment must be dismissed.

To recur to the dangers of polo, however. There is no doubt that the majority of accidents, particularly in India, have generally arisen from the wild play and reckless riding of the sufferers, and to the fact that many of the ponies used are insufficiently trained or unsuited from temper to the requirements of the game.

A perfect polo-pony is not made in a week or a month. It requires many days, nay weeks, of patient careful training and handling before such a result can be attained, and comparatively few men have either the inclination or the leisure to devote themselves to the task; but where they do, the result is not only very apparent, but decidely satisfactory.

Some ponies, and notably Arabs and Barbs, take to the game naturally, and from this cause can be played much sooner than others; but there are few, even amongst the most high-bred and highcouraged animals, that by the exercise of patience, kindly treatment, and firm but gentle handling, cannot be induced to learn and play the game, and these, like mischievous foxhound puppies, will generally turn out trumps.

To those that have hitherto not attempted the task of training their ponies let me give a few hints, which, if followed, will, I feel sure, be attended with beneficial results. Much, of course, will depend on the age at which a pony is taken in hand, for if its education is begun whilst young,

say at three or four years old, the necessary instruction will have virgin soil in which to take root, flourish, and bear fruit. As a rule, however, few men have the opportunity of buying ponies of this age, and fewer still have either the time or the inclination to commence and carry on their education by easy and gradual stages. As a rule, ponies, when bought for polo, vary from five to seven years old, and may have been used for all sorts of purposes before they are trained as poloponies. Consequently it is necessary that their education should commence de novo; and they will have to forget much that they have learnt, and learn afresh. One thing, however, must be borne in mind by those who would train their purchase into a perfect polo-pony, and that is, that a polopony's education has to be conducted on much the same lines as that of a child. It must be gradual, and he must learn his business step by step, without any undue hurry or cramming. animal's brain is limited in its capacity; and moreover, you have the timidity natural in all animals, and especially in the equine race, to contend against; so, if you would impress your pupil, you must overcome this natural timidity, and lead him on step by step, and inspire him with confidence. If you attempt to do too much at once, and teach him in a week what should be the outcome of months of study, most probably your efforts will end in failure. Another, and no no unimportant point, is to invest the lessons with interest to your pupil-in fact, make him keen; and this object can only be attained by kindness, gentleness, and patient handling, coupled with firmness.

An

Harshness or injustice-two things that the equine mind soon detects -should be abjured; and a few carrots, a lump of sugar, or an apple, when your charge has acquitted himself well during "lessons,' ," will associate those lessons with delicacies, and appeal to his senses, which, after all, are much the same in the human and brute creation.

We will suppose that you have purchased an animal which, for make and shape, promises well. What that make and shape ought to be I will not here enlarge upon. Ponies, as well as horses, go well in all shapes and forms; but presuming your purchase satisfies you on these points, and gives promise of being possessed of a fair turn of speed, the first thing to consider is what is required of him in his capacity as a polo-pony.

Briefly, these qualifications may be thus summed up :—

He should be able to start quickly, and strike off from the halt into a canter or gallop.

His mouth should be so "made" that he will be able to go at any rate of speed, from the slowest canter to the fastest gallop, that his rider may desire.

He should be able to be pulled up to a halt in a very few strides when at his greatest speed.

He should be able to change his leading leg the moment he gets a hint to do so, and able even to

"passage at a canter.

In very few owners' hands can a pony be trained to do all this, but there is a course open to all who would have a really good polo-pony, and that is to send him to school; in other words, send him to a military riding-school, where he will be taught those primary and most important rudiments of his future profession. It

may be argued that very few men can go to all the trouble and expense of doing this, but where it is done the results will be very apparent.

And now, having got your pony passed as "broke "" in the school, and after riding him about a few days to establish that feeling of mutual confidence that is necessary between teacher and taught, you will take him in hand yourself.

In order to prove that he has profited by his "school" training, it will be as well in this initiatory part of his education to canter him about in a figure of 8. Let the 8 be at first large, with wide curves; and when, in doing his circles, you find that your pupil answers to bit and leg-pressure, narrow the circles gradually until you can get him to do the smallest 8 at the greatest speed.

The "bending course " should be the next step. This, though very simple, needs perhaps a word or two of explanation. To make a "bending course is not a matter of any difficulty. Two lines of sticks each seven feet high should be set up-say, with an interval of twenty yards-in parallel lines. These sticks should be about eight yards apart, and you can extend the length of the lines to any distance you like, though eighty to a hundred yards will be quite sufficient for all practical purposes. The sticks should be about an inch square, placed perfectly upright in the ground, but not too deeply, so that they can easily be knocked over if touched. Having made your "bending

course, canter your pony up it on one side, zigzagging between the posts till you reach the last one, and the rapidity with which he turns round this to

commence the return journey will be a great criterion as to his future powers. As your pupil shows an aptitude in turning suddenly to right and left, increase your pace till you can go up and down at a really smart gallop. This will have a most beneficial effect. It will teach your pony to turn, twist, and change his leg when going at speed-accomplishments which will be invaluable to him whilst playing in a game. If he can have a companion in the lesson-viz., a pony going up the other row of sticks-all the better, for a rival is always an incentive to learning of any description. Of course, if your pony has gone through the riding-school, and learnt all the mysteries of "passaging," ," "reining-back," "circling," and " changing," your task will be considerably facilitated; but even if he has had a certificate of proficiency from his academy, the " bending course will still be found very beneficial.

We will presume that you have now got your pupil thoroughly handy, and that he obeys quickly and willingly your slightest hint to turn to the right and left. The next step will be to introduce him to the stick and ball, which, to some otherwise perfect animals, possess unknown terrors. Many ponies shy away at the sight of a stick, particularly if at any time they have been beaten or ill-used, and your object ought to be the removal of all fear from his mind in this respect. Walk alongside him with the stick in your hand, moving it about; let him look at it and smell it, giving him occasionally a carrot or an apple, so that he may learn to understand that neither stick nor ball will hurt him, and further, that he may associate them with delicacies.

Then get on his back, and move the stick up and down gently past his eyes, until he learns not to

flinch. After this you may begin to hit a ball about at a walk. Probably the first time or two he will start away as the stick meets the ball, but his fear will soon be overcome. Then hit the ball about at a slow trot, increasing your pace by degrees to a canter, and then to a gallop. Remember one thing, however do not attempt all these paces on the same day. Devote a few days to hitting the ball at a walk, a few at a canter, and a few at a gallop, and do not advance these steps until the last has been performed in a thoroughly satisfactory manner.

When your pony has thoroughly mastered this part of the performance, proceed to hit "back-handers," making him turn directly you have hit the ball. Should he possess any intelligence, he will in time learn to turn of himself on these occasions. And now having got him fairly handy, canter him about with other ponies, in order that he may learn not to become excited during a game. If you can ride him about during a game in which you are acting as umpire, tant mieux. He will then learn to control himself, and get accustomed to being calm, whilst other ponies are galloping all round him,-for nothing is so detrimental to a polopony as getting excited, and wanting to race directly he sees another pony alongside of him, though of course he will often be called on to do so.

If

When hitting the ball, your reins should invariably be loose and your pony's head free. the reins are held tight, ten to one the pony's mouth will be jerked and wrenched, which will not unnaturally cause him to associate

the fact of hitting the ball with pain to himself, and this will make him inclined to be ball-shy the very worst fault a polo-pony can have. Some men endeavour to counteract this fault in other wise good ponies by riding them in blinkers. In my opinion these are abominations, and should be forbidden on all polo-grounds, for they are a fruitful source of accident. If a pony cannot play without blinkers, my contention, which is borne out by the opinion of many first-class players, is that he is not fit for polo at all. One last lesson before playing your pupil in a game. Get two other ponies to meet him at a gallop one on each side-first wide apart, and gradually decreasing the distance till as you pass between them you almost brush past. This will give your pony confidence, and teach him to meet an opposing force without flinching. When he has thus far perfected his education, you may begin to play him in an easy game, where it will not be necessary to call on him for much exertion, and where he will not be pulled about and turned too much. Once you can get him to like the game, and to take an interest in it, the battle will be won; for, after all, in the education of all young things, no matter whether they be boys, dogs, or horses, unless the subject possesses interest, they will never attain high proficiency in it.

A word or two on the choice of your training-ground may not be here out of place. The largest and most open space should be selected as a school-room, for if the ground be confined, a pony will get to know his way about it too well, and will probably pull or hang back, according to whether he is going in the direction by

which he has entered or the reverse. To counteract this, it will be as well for you to place your spare sticks, &c., in a different part of the ground every day, so that your pupil may never know the exact spot where he will begin or finish his lesson. This may seem a trivial point, but those who have had much experience in training polo - ponies will, I am sure, bear me out that it is not unimportant, for it is astonishing how cunning ponies become. Once you prove that you are the sharpest, and can puzzle him, the material advantage will have been gained on your part of making him understand that his will must be subservient to yours, and thus one of your primary objects will be attained.

With regard to the use of spurs, I am aware that opinions vary greatly; still I cannot but believe that the less they are used the better. Few men know how to use them, and fewer still use them judiciously; and unless your pupil is most pig-headed, you will accomplish more without them than with them.

Thus far I have endeavoured to sketch in broad outline the main principles that should be attended to in making a pony fit to play polo. It must, of course, depend a great deal on the rider how his charge is going to turn out, and whether the pupil will reflect creditably or the reverse on the instructor. One thing, however, cannot be said too plainly. Unless a man has good temper, and an almost inexhaustible fund of patience, let him not attempt to train a polo - pony, but let him relegate the task to some one who is fortunate enough to possess those attributes.

I cannot conclude without say