Is this how you train a polo pony?

OK, maybe not, but it was fun to play with a ball with Becky!

Of course having proper "equipment"- i.e. a long bat to hit the ball with - would've made it easier, but hey - improvisation is part of the game.

Try it for yourself, and see if you can come up with a variation. I was thinking I'll try horse-soccer next time. :-P

Comments

[Suzanne Bergemann]

I once helped a friend teach her horse how to kick a ball. Her and I would kick it to each other back and forth as the horse watched. I kicked the ball to the horse and he kicked it lightly with his front foot. We made a big deal out of it and rewarded her with a treat. She caught on to the treat/kick combo and we had a great time. We saw her kicking the ball in the pasture by herself. Horses are curious and smart.
By the way never let someone else cinch up your saddle. I did and two times I ended under the horse as I dismounted!

[Anna]

I have to say, your mare is a chunker! I love it. Watching her reaction to the ball being rolled under her was funny. "Okay, whatever, do what you want, you're weird." LOL!

[Anya Dyskin]

Apologies for the late response to this - as I've mentioned in my latest post, I've been flat-out studying and doing assignments for uni.

Thank you for your comments - it's great to receive feedback and encouragement.

Yes, I have thought about trying to combine psychology and horse-training in theory; I know from my own experience that spending time with horses can be psychologically therapeutic for depression and/or anxiety. Also, the practice of natural horsemanship makes you take a long hard look at your own behavior and habits and expectations, which translate into all other aspects of your life. The study of Psychology has the same sort of effect, in a way: the more you study, the more you start to understand how you and people around you function and, more importantly, why. Hopefully, that makes one more patient. Together, the two disciplines could, indeed, be fantastic therapeutic techniques. However, for the moment, my knowledge in either area is still limited, so I am not looking ahead much further than just enjoying the learning process.

Anna,

Yes, Becky is a bit on the chubby side :-) Actually it's beginning to really concern me now that it is spring time. Normally she loses a bit of weight over winter, but we had a mild winter and the grass grew rich through all of it, so she, in fact, gained! I am afraid I will have to lock her up in a private paddock or put a muzzle on her to avoid the danger of founder.

That wasn't the first time she encountered an inflated ball though. I took her to a clinic a couple years ago, where we were encouraged to play games with horses, and the ball was one of the games. It was amazing to see the reaction of different horses to the ball. Some where terrified of it, and it took a while to introduce it to them. Some became absolutely fascinated and would kick it and follow it without their riders' influence whatsoever! It was like they were playing their own private soccer game. Becky though - when I rolled the ball to her, she sniffed it, and then looked at me as if to say "and...?" When I encouraged her to kick it - or walk up to it and bump it - she did, but again there was no interest. In fact, it almost seemed like there was a scorn on her face as she looked at the others following the ball. Like "those BOYS, just how silly are they!?!"

At least this time, with the "polo" session, she started to show some interest in the excersise by the end - she actually started to look for the ball. The downside of having a very smart horse: I have to constantly raise the bar to maintain her interest. Then again, that challenges me improve, so, really, it's also an upside. :-)

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