| > | | | | to behold, especially as the horses seem to come |
| Experts say the benefits of horseback riding | | | | within inches of your sideline lounge chair. |
| include the obvious, of enjoyment as well as | | | | Polo is an incredibly fun and exhilarating sport to |
| developing better balance, coordination and the | | | | watch and even more so to play. It is a game |
| exercising of your brain. There are benefits also | | | | played in seven-minute periods called chukkas, |
| of Polo as a sport in respect of team building and | | | | with six chukkas being the normal length of play. |
| character building. | | | | There are four riders and their mounts on a |
| Taking Riding lessons from an instructor with Polo | | | | team. |
| experience and a school of horses rather than | | | | The Grounds and Field On a full sized grass field, |
| hopping aboard your neighbour’s hardly | | | | each team has four people. The Polo grounds are |
| trained 5-year-old nag gives you the twofold | | | | 300 yards long, 160 yards wide if boarded. Being |
| benefits of a knowledgeable instructor and a | | | | boarded means the field has a 12-inch upright |
| highly experienced and well trained horse with a | | | | board bounding the perimeter, which stops the ball |
| good temperament that can tolerate added | | | | rolling easily out of play. |
| bouncing at times. | | | | If the ground is un-boarded, it is 200 yards wide |
| The other benefits of learning to ride a horse are | | | | and marked with a white line. The goal posts, |
| that, it is a great activity for young and old alike, | | | | which are poisoned at each end, are measured to |
| and is also excellent for people with physical, | | | | be 8 yards wide. |
| cognitive or emotional disabilities. | | | | The duration of Play A full Polo match is 8 |
| A quick crash course into Polo You don't want to | | | | chukkas, but often in club matches only 4 or 6 |
| have a bad experience, before you head out into | | | | chukkas are played. Each chukka is timed to last |
| the field you want to make sure that you have | | | | 7 minutes, then a bell is rung, but the game goes |
| control of your animal. | | | | on until the ball goes out of play, or for another |
| A lot of the gaining control of your animal will | | | | 30 seconds when the bell is rung again, the |
| come through experience and just gaining | | | | chukka ends where the ball is. |
| confidence, and realising the horse will do what | | | | The clock is stopped between the umpire blowing |
| you tell it to do when you tell it to do it. That is if | | | | his whistle to stop the play, and the whistle to |
| you know what you're doing, and safety should | | | | restart play if a foul is committed or the ball goes |
| always come first. | | | | out of play. There are intervals of 3 minutes |
| When equipped, each rider has a long-handled | | | | between each of the chukkas and 5 a minute half |
| mallet that they use to try and score a goal by | | | | time. Ends are changed at every goal scored - |
| hitting a white wooden ball into the opposing | | | | this has been found to be fairest when there is a |
| teams’ goal. It is fast, furious and exciting | | | | wind. |