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 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
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Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029902768 
 
AS T O P OL O 
 
 By 
 WILLIAM CAMERON FORBES 
 
 FOURTH EDITION 
 
 DEDHAM COUNTRY AND POLO CLUB 
 MANILA POLO CLUB 
 
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 ^1/ 
 
 Copyright, 1919, by 
 WILLIAM CAMERON FORBES 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 PRESS OF GEO. i\ ELLIS CO., BOSTON 
 
 .1 ' M'i5Ui:i 
 V'l i..si I V1!/|,U, 
 Y'/IAH ' I I'""' 
 
TABLE OP CONTENTS 
 
 Note to the Fourth Edition 
 
 PAGE 
 V 
 
 Introduction 
 
 vii 
 
 Chapter I. 
 
 The game 
 
 1 
 
 II. 
 
 The polo club 
 
 9 
 
 III. 
 
 Field, ponies and equipment 
 
 15 
 
 IV., 
 
 Rules 
 
 25 
 
 .V. 
 
 Horsemanship 
 
 39 
 
 VI. 
 
 __ Use- of the mallet 
 
 55 
 
 VII. 
 
 Team play 
 
 74 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Duties of No. 1 
 
 102 
 
 IX. 
 
 Duties of No. 2 
 
 111 
 
 X. 
 
 Duties of No. 3 
 
 . 119 
 
 XI. 
 
 Duties of No. 4 
 
 124 
 
 XII. 
 
 Duties of the captain 
 
 130 
 
 XIII. 
 
 Match playing - 
 
 140 
 
 XIV. 
 
 A possible way of supplying ponies 
 
 146 
 
 Diagrams 
 
 
 
NOTE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 
 
 This little book was first written in very busy- 
 days in the Philippine Islands and sent out with a 
 good deal of hesitation, as the author was in doubt 
 as to the correctness of many of his conclusions and 
 as to the reception that suCh a book would receive. 
 It has been received so cordially that this fourth 
 edition is now complete and is offered to polo 
 players. 
 
 The first edition contained many errors and was 
 shortly replaced by a second, the supply of which 
 was exhausted late in 1918. During the war no 
 effort was made to print a third edition and a few 
 remaining copies of the first were used to supply the 
 unexpected large demand this winter and spring. 
 The third edition contains a small amount of new 
 matter, numerous corrections, some additional com- 
 ment, and one additional diagram. The chapter on 
 rules is mostly new. Although out of date for this 
 edition, the introduction has been left, except for 
 certain verbal changes, as written for the earlier 
 editions. 
 
 The author thought at first of calling the book 
 A Polo Primer, as an indication that it was intended 
 only for beginners, but it seems to have met a fairly 
 general demand and is, I believe, in use by army 
 players and members of several of the newer polo 
 clubs. Commendations have come from various 
 
vi Note to the Fourth Edition 
 
 directions and sometimes rather distant sources. 
 For example, Dillingham writes : 
 
 "Your little book gives a prospective player 
 more information that he ought to know than 
 any book I have ever read. In Hawaii, as a 
 measure of safety, we make all beginners read 
 your book before they are permitted to play in 
 a practice game. I believe that the mutual un- 
 derstanding of the players on our best teams 
 has been largely brought about through the 
 study of your outline on combination play." 
 
 The author has aslfed and received searching 
 criticism from many players and invites further 
 criticism of the book. Some of the earlier critical 
 comments are noted in the text ; others are left out, 
 as sharp differences of opinion have developed 
 among players of great skill in regard to many 
 fundamental elements of play. 
 
 Copies of this edition, which is privately printed, 
 may be obtained by communicating with J. M. 
 Forbes & Company, Sears Building, Boston, Massa- 
 chusetts. 
 
 W. C. F. 
 
 Boston, August 2, 1920. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 In fourteen years' experience as a polo player I 
 have seen many players of several years' experience 
 who had elementary faults that ought to have been 
 eliminated in the first few weeks of their instruc- 
 tion. This has impelled me to write down some 
 points on polo drawn from observation and from 
 the instruction I have been privileged to receive. 
 It is hoped that these may prove useful to others. 
 
 I began polo under exceptionally favorable aus- 
 pices in a growing club, the first team of which 
 played few outside matches and devoted its prin- 
 cipal energies to the home practice games, so that 
 polo was nearly continuous and the practice little 
 broken up by match playing. 
 
 The first team was not composed of brilliant play- 
 ers and had depended for its success upon skill 
 and team play. The four members had played 
 several years together and each one used his head, 
 thought out beforehand the proper strategy of each 
 play, and kept winning matches because the handi- 
 cap committee could not bring itself, in view of the 
 fact that the merits of the individual players were 
 by no means superlative, to give them greater handi- 
 caps than were carried by their more brilliant breth- 
 ren who had lost to them through lack of coordi- 
 nation of the team parts. 
 
 In my second year of polo the No. 2 on this team 
 stopped playing for a while, and in my third year 
 
viii Introduction 
 
 I made his position on the team and, as a result, got 
 into many matches and had the advantage of having 
 three trained men, who had played together for 
 years, holding their posts and keeping me to mine. 
 Credit for this good team play and consequent suc- 
 cess was wholly due to the admirable captaincy of 
 that noble sportsman, Samuel Dennis Warren, of 
 Boston. 
 
 It is much easier to start right than to unlearn 
 a fault to which one has become habituated. If be- 
 fore beginning to play, the player learns to start 
 the stroke from the perpendicular, for example, and 
 to bring his mallet up to the perpendicular again, 
 making one complete circle, he wUl avoid an error 
 most pernicious in its results, which mars the play 
 of a number of players — that is, carrying the stick 
 at any angle or starting the stroke with the head 
 of the mallet near the ground which, while not al- 
 ways fatal, is inimical to good hitting. It seems 
 a pity that any player should ever begin polo with- 
 out learning how to hold his mallet. 
 
 These notes have been very hastily thrown to- 
 gether, without much regard for form, and I have 
 purposely left many repetitions in the text. The 
 same thing will be found to be said over and over 
 again, sometimes under one head and sometimes 
 under another. This has been done with a view to 
 emphasizing the more important things and showing 
 that they are important, not only as a matter of 
 individual play, if found "under that heading, but 
 also as a matter of team play, if found there, or as 
 a detail in the matter of hitting or horsemanship, 
 if found under the chapters dealing with those sub- 
 jects. 
 
 Many of the suggestions herein contained are 
 
Introduction ix 
 
 things which I have personally found useful, but I 
 can not tell whether or not they are accepted by 
 the best players. Where these things are matters 
 of personal development, and such as not learned 
 from masters of polo or found in their books, I have 
 adopted the device of saying "I am accustomed"' 
 to do this or that. I do this to avoid laying down 
 the law or using the didactic form of saying that 
 these things should be done thus or so. It is pos- 
 sible that some players who have had difflculties 
 may find that some of these methods will help them. 
 If I am wrong, and if players know better ways of 
 accomplishing these things, I present my apologies. 
 
 I am not in any way offering this book as a guide 
 to players who have already achieved high rank, 
 because I have never myself held a high rating as 
 a polo player, nor could I hold my own in really 
 fast play. I believe, however, that these suggestions 
 will enable beginners and players who have not 
 had the opportunity of playing on or against very 
 well-trained teams to avoid many of the faults to 
 which beginners are liable and to put themselves 
 in position so that when they have passed the earlier 
 stages they will have less to unlearn and be in 
 position to advance very much more rapidly under 
 worthier instructors. 
 
 This book is written in the hope that it will prove 
 useful to polo. 
 
 W. C. F. 
 
AS TO POLO 
 
 CHAPTEE I 
 THE GAME 
 
 Polo is a most difficult game to learn. There are Three cardinal 
 three cardinal things, each of which must be so elements of 
 learned as to be nearly habitual before the player P°^°- 
 can hope for excellence. The first of these is horse- 
 manship ; the second, hitting ; the third, the strategy 
 of team play. There are many variables that come 
 into the game: there is the personal equation of 
 the men; and there are the characteristics of the 
 different sorts of horses belonging to the different 
 players, each horse having its direct effect upon the 
 play. The attention of the player must sometimes 
 be directed to his horse, sometimes to his individual 
 play, and sometimes to the team work. He should 
 strive to make a reasonable excellence in all three 
 of these so nearly habitual as to be able to direct 
 his attention upon one which is presenting unusual 
 difficulties without letting the others go entirely 
 by the board. 
 
 Where ten or eleven men are banded together Regularity of 
 to play polo on certain afternoons of the week it is attendance of 
 necessary for everyone to be present in order to all players 
 make up a game. Polo enthusiasts should refuse to ®^®®" '^ • 
 allow their business or pleasure to interfere with 
 polo afternoons. They should make these sacred 
 
 1 
 
2 As TO Polo 
 
 to polo. It is not fair to the other players who are 
 maintaining ponies and expecting a game to have 
 them lose their day of sport because one of the 
 number happens to want to do something else for 
 the afternoon. 
 
 The saddling and getting ready the horses, the 
 fixed day, the fact that polo is in the neighborhood, 
 and that people will drive for long distances to see 
 the practice in the afternoon make polo practice 
 such an event as is the practice of no other game. 
 The assurance of regularity in taking exercise is 
 very advantageous to busy men whose work may 
 be so absorbing and the demands on whose time 
 may be so exacting as to cause them continually to 
 neglect to fulfill engagements for other games more 
 easily put oflf, as golf, tennis, or other sports, where 
 it is more easy to fill up numbers in case of delin- 
 Polo quencies. For a busy man, directing large enter- 
 
 recommended prises, I recommend polo as the surest way of keep- 
 for busy people, i^g in trim. 
 
 It is true that polo is a dangerous game. It is. 
 Danger of polo, however, much more dangerous for beginners than 
 for experts, and I see no necessity for players doing 
 reckless riding, nor is there any possible excuse for 
 Avoiding foul riding. The first care of every player should 
 
 danger. fee to make the game absolutely safe by avoiding 
 
 committing fouls, which are usually, per se, dan- 
 gerous riding. 
 
 After watching a number of inexperienced men 
 trying to play polo, I prepared a number of sug- 
 gestions — or one might almost say axioms — for polo, 
 which I wish that every beginner could be com- 
 pelled to commit to memory before he took his 
 place on the polo field. 
 These are as follows : 
 
The Game 3 
 
 It is bad polo — 
 
 1. To take the ball round the field except when 
 saving goal. 
 
 2. To knock out or over. 
 
 3. To hit long strokes toward the sides in the 
 offensive half of the field or hit into the offensive 
 corners. 
 
 4. To try for goal from too great a distance or 
 from too sharp an angle. Play approach shots. 
 
 5. For two of one side to ride for the ball at the 
 same time. This is an inexcusable blunder. 
 
 6. For two of one side to ride out the same oppo- 
 nent. 
 
 7. For two of one side to gallop parallel to each 
 other. Either one or both are inexcusably out of 
 place. 
 
 8. For any player to keep his pony galloping 
 parallel to the ball. 
 
 9. To support your own man from too close. 
 
 10. To let your corresponding opponent, when Fig. 25. 
 in position, ride clear. 
 
 11. To carry your stick anywhere but in the per- 
 pendicular. 
 
 12. To back the ball into a rush of oncoming 
 ponies. 
 
 13. To hit the ball across when a back shot will 
 do. 
 
 14. To call "Go on" when you mean "Leave it." 
 
 15. To ride across the line of play too close to 
 oncoming opponents. 
 
 16. To knock in directly in front of goal. 
 
 17. To play for your opponent's misses. 
 
 18. To leave an opponent whom you have cov- Fig. 11. 
 ered to get to the ball when it was last hit by one 
 
 of your side who is clear behiud you. 
 
4 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 14. 19. To hit to an opponent who is clear. 
 
 Figs. 1, 2. 20. To play in circles. Play up and down. 
 
 21. To try to do the work for another player 
 
 of your side who is in position, in the belief that 
 
 you can do it better. 
 
 It is good polo — 
 
 Pjg 5 1. To turn your horse to the new direction be- 
 
 fore reaching the ball if it is going slow or standing 
 still, and if you have time. 
 
 Fig. 12. 2. To call "Turn" or some equivalent if you 
 
 back the ball or miss it and it changes direction. 
 
 Fig. 9. 3. To call "Go on" if you take the ball along. 
 
 4. To hustle your corresponding opponent even 
 if you can't reach him. 
 
 5. To reach out and try to crook your opponent's 
 mallet when he is hitting, even if it looks as though 
 you couldn't reach it. 
 
 6. When on the right of way and headed to 
 goal, to put on the greatest possible speed at the 
 earliest possible moment. 
 
 7. To know where your corresponding opponent 
 is all the time, and play so as to cover him. 
 
 Figs. 16, IS. 8. To hit short strokes and play for a second 
 
 chance when there is an opponent in front who is 
 clear. 
 
 9. To maneuver to place yourself on the mallet 
 or right side of your corresponding opponent. 
 
 10. To say the same thing always in the same 
 way in calling to your side. 
 
 11. To make the line of play straight up and 
 down the field except when defending goal. 
 
 12. To use your voice constantly to tell your own 
 side what is going on. 
 
 Figs. 15, 16. 13. To look where you are sending the ball be- 
 
The Game 5 
 
 fore hitting and avoid putting it within reach of an 
 uncovered opponent. 
 
 14. Always to wear a helmet to protect the head 
 and face from getting hit by mallet and ball. 
 
 15. Not to leave your position except when tak- 
 ing out an opponent. 
 
 16. To let the ball roll over your back line, if 
 it will, when hit by an opponent. 
 
 17. To watch the eyes of your corresponding 
 opponent and maneuver to cover or leave him when 
 he is watching the ball. 
 
 It is bad horsemanship — 
 
 1. To jerk your pony's mouth at the moment 
 of hitting. 
 
 2. To stop the pony by turning him. Pull him Fig. 21. 
 up and turn him afterwards, otherwise you ruin 
 
 your play and his legs. 
 
 3. To hit the pony with the mallet. 
 
 4. To gallop when a chance comes to pull up 
 and wait. 
 
 5. To use a sharper bit or more harness than a 
 horse absolutely needs. 
 
 6. To hold yourself in the saddle with the reins. 
 
 7. To ride into the line of play at a dangerous Fig. 2. 
 angle. 
 
 8. To turn to get into the line of play from too 
 close to a pony that is riding straight. The ponies 
 may trip. 
 
 It is good horsemanship — 
 
 1. To use the voice before the rein, and both 
 sparingly. 
 
 2. To sit well back in the saddle and let the horse 
 do the hustling. 
 
6 ' As TO Polo 
 
 3. To bring the horse up almost to a standstill 
 before turning him when the direction of the play 
 is reversed. 
 
 4. To save your pony's head from being struck 
 by opponent's stick by fending with your mallet. 
 
 5. To save your pony in every possible way. 
 Don't gallop an unnecessary inch. 
 
 6. To stop your horse by the alternating system 
 of pull and let go, never by steady pulling. 
 
 Pertinent generalities : 
 
 1. An opponent's stroke spoiled is as good as a 
 stroke made. 
 
 2. Match play is the best school for polo. 
 
 3. In case of doubt — 
 
 No. 1 should ride to his man. 
 No. 2 should ride for the ball. 
 No. 4 should ride for the goal he is defend- 
 ing. 
 
 4. If you find yourself with nothing to do, ma- 
 neuver to cover your corresponding opponent. 
 
 5. Anticipation of the movement of the play is 
 the essence of success in polo. 
 
 6. Maneuver so as to keep the ball in sight at the 
 moment it is struck. 
 
 7. Begin the stroke at the perpendicular and 
 complete the full circle with one even swing. 
 
 Pig. 6. 8. In every play know where the corresponding 
 
 opponent is, and remember that if you are not to- 
 gether, either one or both of you are out of place. 
 
 Pig. 24. In case of doubt, assume it is yourself. 
 
The Game 7 
 
 9. To find position, count the men ahead of you. 
 
 If there are two more opponents than of 
 your side, ride hard to catch up with the fur- 
 ther one. 
 
 If there is one more opponent, ride to him. 
 
 If there are equal numbers, ride the man 
 beside or behind. 
 
 If there are more of your side, pull up and 
 let one or two opponents, as the case may be, 
 pass you. 
 
 These rules do not apply if you are on the 
 ball or if the others are far out of position. 
 
 10. Don't lean out of the saddle when anyone 
 whose mallet may reach you is swinging at the ball 
 in your neighborhood. The mallet usually swings 
 up and down. If you sit straight the pony will 
 protect you from below, the helmet from above. 
 
 11. Don't ride fast toward the side and go over 
 the boards at speed ; pull up if possible. 
 
 12. Use the mallet and arm to fend against the 
 possible blow of an opponent's stick whipping in 
 from the side. 
 
 13. Whether in position or not, the man nearest 
 the ball must take it rather than let it go to the 
 other side. 
 
 14. In first-rate polo the ball wUl be traveling 
 up and down the field at a maximum and around 
 and across the field at a minimum. 
 
 15. Remember that opponents may easily be 
 near enough to crook a forward stroke, when a back 
 stroke can be made without interference. The back 
 stroke is the safest for defense. 
 
8 As TO Polo 
 
 16. Watch and make sure that you always strike 
 the ball with the center of the mallet head. 
 
 17. The secret of hitting far is beginning the 
 stroke soon enough on the forward strokes and late 
 enough on the back strokes. Added distance will be 
 given in all strokes by sharp use of the wrist. 
 
 18. The secret of team play is to cover your own 
 position so thoroughly that any adversity will be 
 the fault of the other man. 
 
 19. Good players will try to hit always to one of 
 their own side, not to themselves. 
 
 20. In good teams no one cares who hits the 
 goals. , 
 
 21. Read the rules at least once a year. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 THE POLO CLUB 
 
 The polo club has to conform to local conditions, 
 and it is impossible to lay down any rule as to gen- 
 eral characteristics, as in some places the club is a 
 country club in which polo is an incident, interest- 
 ing only to a comparatively small portion of its 
 members; in others, the polo feature is the whole 
 thing. I shall, however, outline what I consider the 
 ideal combination. This is a small club, organized 
 principally for the purposes of polo, with a rambling 
 and rustic clubhouse, situated in the country within 
 easy reach of a number of men, owners of large es- 
 tates in the neighborhood, who have clubbed together 
 for their polo and other sports. There should be 
 just enough members from some neighboring city 
 who are in the habit of coming out and living at 
 the club during parts of the summer months 
 to give a homelike feeling to the club and a club 
 population, which it would not get were it to depend 
 on people having neighboring estates and living 
 'when in the country at home. People from the city 
 could thus keep their ponies at the club, which 
 should have large stables. There should also be fa- 
 cilities for such other seasonable sports as the coun- 
 try affords. The Meadow Brook Club in Long 
 Island, the Myopia and the Dedham Country and 
 Polo Clubs of Massachusetts are clubs that answer 
 more or less accurately to this description. 
 
 9 
 
10 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Use for two It would be well for the club to have two fields, 
 
 fields. and I have always fancied the idea of having polo 
 
 every day. Three days a week could be given to 
 the men with more than three ponies and the desire 
 for fast and furious play, and three days to one and 
 two pony men, to encourage beginners and players 
 of small means, or men who like exercise and do not 
 care for the strenuous work that comes from the 
 fast play in anticipation of matches, thus encourag- 
 ing polo from the cradle to the grave. In this way, 
 when the first team was off playing matches, all 
 players would be able, by coming on the odd days, 
 to get polo; also if a man happened to be away on 
 one of his regular polo days he could make up by 
 coming out with the other set of players and thus 
 get his chance to play and not lose a day of exercise 
 and sport. 
 Hitting device. Every club should have a wooden horse set in the 
 middle of a room, with sides that slope in such a 
 way that a ball thrown in will roll toward the horse 
 and come to a stop within hitting reach of the 
 mallet. These walls slope up on the sides and end 
 in a net which catches the ball and throws it back 
 upon the sloping floor. A man by sitting on this 
 ■wooden horse can coBcentrate his attention upon 
 the stroke, the direction, the swing and speed of 
 hitting, and the part of the mallet head on which' 
 the ball strikes, without having to think of a lot of 
 other matters which tend to distract the attention. 
 In the Philippines those teams that used the wooden 
 horse regularly came out much the best in the tour- 
 naments. 
 
 The club should have a comfortable series of 
 rooms in which the members could dress, each with 
 a big roomy wardrobe where he could keep his polo 
 clothes. 
 
The Polo Club 11 
 
 An important feature of a successful club is, Club steward. 
 however, the right sort of steward. Each man's 
 property should be known by the steward, who will 
 take personal interest in seeing that everything is 
 in place. When players arrive to dress for polo 
 each man's outfit should be laid out, his boots prop- 
 erly cleaned and properly treed, spurs neatly cleaned 
 and laid by the boots, white trousers, shirt, belt, 
 underclothes, and whip, gloves, wrist straps, helmet, 
 etc., and a selection of mallets on the rack belonging 
 to him. Those mallets which have twisted or weak- 
 ened heads or are damaged in any other way should 
 be laid on the floor below or stuck in a separate cor- 
 ner, so that by no chance will he be misled, in his 
 hurry, to take one of them. I recommend that each 
 polo player have a blanket ulster made with which Polo ulster. 
 to cover himself after play and on the way to his 
 bath. At the Dedham Club each player had part of 
 a large chest of drawers, which are best made with 
 traveling slides at the side, as are the drawers in 
 card-catalogue cases, so that the drawer can be 
 pulled out its full length without dropping down. 
 This enables one to use the full depth of the drawer 
 conveniently. 
 
 On the players' return from play the steward Polo drinks, 
 should have ready for each one his favorite drink, 
 as they will have a raging thirst; and no drink is 
 more grateful than that which first quenches the 
 thirst that one gets on the polo field. I have found 
 the most satisfactory of all drinks to be a "shandy 
 gaflf," made of one part ale and two parts ginger 
 ale. Most of the players that I played with used to 
 take ginger ale, flavored with a whole lemon peel 
 cut spirally from the lemon, a drink which is 
 usually known as a "horse's neck." 
 
12 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 I consider it highly inadvisable to take strong 
 drinks to quench the thirst; as one needs a lot of 
 liquid. And if it is mixed with whiskey or other in- 
 toxicants, before quenching the natural polo thirst 
 one gets a good deal of alcohol into the system. 
 Baths after There should be tubs for those who like to soak 
 
 play after polo; there should also be a room with a num- 
 
 ber of showers, so that men need not be kept wait- 
 ing for their baths. These showers should have 
 both hot and cold water. I strongly advise taking 
 a hot bath after polo. Personally, I like to soak 
 for a few moments in a tub of very hot water until 
 I get the stiffness out and get supple after playing, 
 cooling off then with a cold shower or a plunge in 
 a cold tub or pool. 
 
 In arranging for the bath there should be laid 
 beSide the chair or bed on which each player's 
 clothes are laid a bath towel, and each man's clothes 
 should be laid out ready for use. 
 
 I used to have men trained so that everything 
 prepared for polo was just as a matter of course 
 and without orders. All ponies fit for play were 
 brought to the field, with their respective saddles 
 and bridles. They arrived with the bunch of fifty 
 or sixty ponies composing the strings of all the 
 players, either just before or just after the drag 
 containing the players themselves. 
 
 After polo we all sat down and had a polo dinner, 
 which was not the least enjoyable part of the after- 
 noon, the crowd breaking up early or late, as they 
 liked. 
 Rest before After the bath or after dressing for dinner, I 
 
 eating. think it especially desirable to rest for a few min- 
 
 utes, lying down flat on a bed or couch and staying 
 very quiet for at least fifteen minutes before eating. 
 
The Polo Club 13 
 
 I also advise against drinking cocktails between 
 the play and dinner. The system does not need ex- 
 citement or stimulant ; it needs rest. While I doubt 
 if one cocktail does any harm, to take several or 
 more than one I believe to be injurious to polo men 
 who want to be in condition to play matches and 
 have their nerve and eye in the best possible shape 
 for the game. 
 
 I think, whatever the club may be, there should Polo 
 be a committee to care for the interests of polo, to Committee, 
 be known as the Polo Committee. 
 
 This committee would determine such matters as Duties. 
 the date of beginning games and opening the sea- 
 son and closing it, and such other matters as they 
 may not have delegated to the captain. While the Relation of 
 Polo Committee would make ground rules, fix the Polo Committee 
 hours of play; the terms upon which "the field could *■'* <=^P*^^i°- 
 be used, hours in which it could be practiced upon 
 other than the hours of play, and all matters con- 
 nected with polo memberships, it should in no way 
 undertake to interfere with the captain in such 
 matters as the selection of the team or the con- 
 duct of the play of the team in matches, or of any 
 member in play, except in so far as the general rules 
 of the club are concerned. 
 
 Under certain circumstances it may be desirable Polo 
 to have a polo membership to carry with it the priv- memberships, 
 ileges of the club during the polo season only, and it 
 should not be perhaps so costly as a regular member- 
 ship with polo privileges. The polo privileges, how- 
 ever, whether to polo or to regular members, should 
 carry with them a charge, as each player should pay 
 something for the upkeep of the field and the expense 
 of maintaining the games. As a rule it is not cus- 
 tomary to charge admission to polo games, hence the 
 
14 As TO Polo 
 
 only source of revenue for maintaining the field 
 comes from the general revenues of the club or from 
 the pockets of the polo players. The expense would 
 vary somewhat with the number of players, which 
 either makes two fields necessary or increases cor- 
 respondingly the cost of maintaining one. It is 
 doubtful if a polo field can be maintained without 
 a very substantial call upon the pockets of all the 
 players, except in the instance of a very large coun- 
 try club near some important city where the mem- 
 bership is so large that the proportionate part paid 
 by each member for such a thing as maintaining a 
 polo field is inconsiderable. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 FIELD, PONIES AND EQUIPMENT 
 
 The field should be 300 by 150 or ICO yards, and Field : Its size, 
 the immediate surface is the most important part. 
 While it is preferable to have the field absolutely 
 level, different parts of the field may be at different Levels, 
 levels, or the field may slope slightly from side to 
 side, or from end to end, or from the center toward 
 the ends, or vice versa, without spoiling the play, 
 provided that the ball rolls comparatively true. By 
 this I mean that the surface of the field should be Surface. 
 smooth enough so that the ball will roll on smoothly 
 and not with a series of bounces up and down. 
 This can be accomplished only by having the right 
 kind of turf and by constant care in putting back 
 the torn pieces of turf, and by fairly constant 
 rolling. 
 
 The side boards should be of three-quarters or Boards, 
 inch board, 10 inches high, supported by posts set 
 into the ground on the outside of the field. Great 
 care should be taken that these posts have beveled 
 edges and no nails standing out which could catch 
 a horse's leg and tear the skin as he goes against 
 them. 
 
 Although not contained in the ordinary book on Curved ends 
 polo, I consider it eminently desirable that the side of field. 
 board should curve in toward the goal post at the 
 ends. A plan which I have adopted in laying out 
 polo fields is to cut off 75 feet from each side on the 
 ends, beginning the curve 150 feet from the ends and 
 
 15 
 
16 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 curving in on an easy curve to the goal line. This 
 makes the field 300 feet wide on the goal line, in- 
 stead of 450. The space saved cheapens the cost of 
 construction and maintenance of the field without 
 in any way hurting the game. 
 
 Distance back There should be at least 80 feet clear back of the 
 
 of goals. goal posts, and a back board 18 inches high, painted 
 
 dark, so that balls may be easily recovered when 
 knocked over the back line. This back board should 
 overlap the side boards a few feet, and the ends 
 might very properly be curved a little toward the 
 field so as to stop balls sent through at an angle. 
 
 Goal posts. The goal posts should be skeletons, made light so as 
 
 not to damage a horse by reason of impact ; papier- 
 m£lch6 or some wickerwork covered with canvas is 
 good. The bottom of the post should be a circle of 
 board, which should stand upon a base of the same 
 diameter, set .into the ground IS to 24 inches, the 
 top of the base being immediately level with the 
 surface of the ground; in this a hole should be 
 bored. The goal post is held in place by means of a 
 wooden pin, which sets into the sunken post and 
 also into the circle of board which forms the bottom 
 of the goal post. This pin holds the goal post in place 
 and prevents its falling over when touched or when 
 blown by the wind, but the impact of a horse breaks 
 the pin and the goal post falls down. It can be set 
 in place again by the insertion of a new pin. A sup- 
 ply of pins should always be on hand at the goal 
 post for such contingencies. 
 
 Markings. It is well to have flags placed at the sides of 
 
 the field fifty feet from the goal line so that the 
 player or referee can inform himself by sighting as 
 to the limit of closeness the ball may be approached 
 on the Itnock in. 
 
PiELD^ Ponies and Equipment 17 
 
 A white line should be placed across the center Saving the 
 of the field but need not reach from side to side, center line. 
 The man in charge of practice should see that the 
 teams line up for the throw in at different times in 
 different parts of the center line, otherwise one 
 place will be unduly torn up. In fact, before 
 matches it is well to have the ball thrown in for 
 practice to one side of the center line, in order to 
 leave the center line untorn for the time of need. It Saving the 
 is also well to move the goal posts from time to turf about 
 time, setting them at different places, especially for * ® ^°^ ^°^ ®' 
 the limbering-up practice before polo, as they re- 
 ceive the hardest wear and tear when everybody is 
 trying to make goals. Players are apt to be very 
 inconsiderate, and, having struck a goal, immedi- 
 ately endeavor to round it out by brilliantly pull- 
 ing up their horses or vent their displeasure at hav- 
 ing missed a goal by jerking them up almost di- 
 rectly in front of the post. Pulling the horse up in 
 this way invariably tears up the field and players 
 should make a rule to let the horses gallop in prac- 
 tice until over the back line, where they can pull up 
 without damaging anything. Captains and officers 
 in charge of the play should call the attention of 
 the players to the occasional necessity of saving the 
 field in this way. 
 
 The field should be subdrained and watered, and Drainage, 
 the best results are obtained if a gang of men are 
 ready after each day's practice to come immediately 
 out on the field and repair the most noticeable scars 
 where ponies have cut the turf. 
 
 On practice days the players themselves can help 
 out, after goals, turning over with their mallets 
 pieces of sod which have been torn up and pushing 
 them back into place as they ride back to the center 
 
18 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Ponies. 
 
 Beginners 
 should not 
 train their 
 ponies. 
 
 Docliing. 
 
 Bandages or 
 
 boots on 
 forelegs. 
 
 of the field. The longer roots are exposed to the air 
 the less likely they are to take vigorous hold on 
 being replaced. ^ 
 
 I shall not undertake to go into the question of 
 the selection of ponies at great length. I like to see 
 ponies that are well coupled and keep their feet 
 well under them, and personally I sacrifice speed to 
 handiness, although I know some players who sac- 
 rifice everything to speed. I never begin on a pony 
 that is hard-mouthed. I do not advise beginners 
 to try to teach themselves and the pony to play 
 the game at the same time. They can do much 
 better if they take a trained pony and concentrate 
 their attention on themselves. I know experienced 
 players who have ruined a pony or two every year 
 through inability to handle them properly, usually 
 on account of hard hands. With these players polo 
 ponies habitually go wrong, as only an occasional 
 horse is found that they can manage. Careful play- 
 ers with light hands can get along with almost any 
 horse. 
 
 I consider the practice of docking horses to be 
 brutal and disgusting in the extreme. The only 
 good excuse which I have ever known for this prac- 
 tice is an argument good only in regard to polo 
 ponies — that is, that the tail occasionally gets in 
 the way of a stroke; and there is no doubt that it 
 does where one is taking a full stroke and turning 
 on the ball at the same time. This can be obviated 
 by taking a half stroke when turning on the ball, 
 so that there is no need of ever letting the tail get 
 in the way of a stroke. 
 
 The pony should never be played without band- 
 ages or some sort of boots on the forelegs. In 
 Dedham we always played in bandages, and so 
 
FiELDj Ponies and Equipment 19 
 
 skillful were the gi'ooms that almost never did a 
 bandage become loose. With less skill in placing 
 the bandages they are apt^to become a menace, 
 as a bandage unrolling can throw a pony in such a 
 way as to make it very dangerous. The referee 
 should always stop the play instantly when he sees 
 a bandage beginning to become unrolled. 
 
 The danger of too much pressure on the tendons, 
 by reason of straps around felt boots, can be ob- 
 viated by having elastics on the straps so that the 
 straps will yield to the movement of the leg and 
 not bind. Playing without stout felt boots or plenty 
 of thickness of bandage over the tendons invites 
 disaster. Sooner or later the mallet or ball will hit 
 these tender parts in a way that will ruin the horse. 
 
 I always make a point of getting my ponies of Ponies should 
 the same height. I do not believe in changing be of even 
 heights. I think it hurts hitting. If one changes J^eight. 
 the length of the stick it changes the distance of 
 the hand from the ground, which is unfortunate, as 
 the eye becomes accustomed to a certain distance and 
 a man hits better with the fewest possible variables. 
 In purchasing a string of mounts I should therefore, 
 wherever possible, select ponies of even height. 
 
 Equipment. — The English saddle is the best for Englisli saddle 
 polo. I do not believe in either the Whitman or the best. 
 the Mexican saddle, or in fact in any saddle where 
 the feet are kept under one. One sits too low 
 in the saddle and lacks the rise which one gets 
 from the English saddle in order to turn and to get 
 the nigh-side forward stroke. 
 
 It is advisable to buy a complete new set of Xew girths 
 girths, stirrup leathers, and bandages every year, and stirrup 
 Do not trust to old ones. Also the saddles should leathers each 
 
 YGQ.T 
 
 be thoroughly overhauled each year to make sure 
 
20 As TO Polo 
 
 the padding has not got packed down and that the 
 girth straps have not got old and untrustworthy. 
 Polo is dangerous enough anyway without taking 
 chances, and the wetting and drying of perspira- 
 tion from horse and man which the saddle gets 
 three times a week in polo season is enough to rot 
 the strongest sewing. The breaking of a girth or 
 stirrup leather may mean a loss of life, and it is an 
 unjustifiable risk to take. 
 
 Bits. I use many varieties of bits of different grades, 
 
 from a rubber snaffle, which always has a steel chain 
 through the rubber, to the Hanoverian Pelham, with 
 the long bars for curb, which is the sharpest bit that 
 I use. I never attempt to use a Mexican bit with a 
 high port, but will discuss the use of bits under the 
 title of "Horsemanship." A horse should have 
 the easiest bit that he will play well under, and 
 as soon as a horse plays perfectly under a sharp 
 bit he should be given one less sharp. The usual 
 bit that the average horse comes to is a Straight 
 Bar Pelham, with short curb bars, the bit itself 
 being round and smooth and of steel. This can 
 be eased, in cases of sore mouth, by a leather cover, 
 and, if the lips chafe, by leather discs set next to 
 the lips. 
 
 Crane believes that most ponies play much better 
 with a port varying from one-half inch to two inches 
 in height. I have never used ports. 
 
 Martingale. Until the pony is entirely handy he should have 
 
 a martingale. I have no use for a running martin- 
 gale, as it disarranges the curb and snaffle in the 
 hand, bringing the snaffle the lower of the two 
 where it does not properly belong ; and I have never 
 seen that it helped. The standing martingale an- 
 swers every purpose, and I believe it to be the best. 
 
FiELDj Ponies and Equipment 21 
 
 As the pony improves in play the martingale should 
 be lengthened gradually, and finally done away 
 with entirely, on a good many horses, on the gen- 
 eral rule that the less harness a horse is encum- 
 bered with the better. 
 
 Some horses have to have shoulder straps to hold 
 the saddle forward, the peculiar shape of their barrel 
 making it impossible to tighten the girths so that 
 in the course of play the saddle won't slip back. 
 
 The personal polo outfit. — The breeches should be White breeches. 
 white and made of _tml£tt,-which lasts well, holds 
 its shape, and gives excellent protection to the legs. 
 The boots should be tan, and made stiff all the way Boots, 
 down, so as to protect the ankles from blows. Black 
 boots should not be used, as they soil the clothes of 
 everybody who comes in contact with them. 
 
 I never use a glove on my right or mallet hand, Gloves. 
 believing that I have better control of the stick with 
 the bare hand. 
 
 Crane says that a soft glove and tape on the 
 handle save tired forearm and prevent cramps. I 
 have never used either, but have been troubled from 
 time to time with cramps, and should recommend 
 such equipment for those who need it. 
 
 On the left hand I wear a glove until the fingers 
 are tough enough not to be blistered by action of 
 the reins. Soft chamois gloves are the best. Some 
 prefer white cloth gloves, and these are probably 
 better in rainy weather, although as a rule one does 
 not play polo when it rains. All players should 
 make a rule to have one glove always at the field. 
 By turning a glove inside out it can be used on the 
 other hand. 
 
 Players should always wear polo helmets. To Helmets, 
 play without one is to play, in immediate danger 
 
22 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Carry whip 
 and spur. 
 
 .Whip. 
 
 Polo mallet. 
 
 Selection. 
 
 of loss of life or of an eye, and is an unjustifiable 
 risk. These helmets should be made so that they 
 protect face and eyes from blows in front and 
 against chance blows from the side. 
 
 I always carry both whip and spur on all ponies. 
 I use spurs that stand out not more than a half inch 
 or three-quarters of an inch from the heel, so that 
 I have to reach for the pony in order to spur him. 
 I recommend this for all but extremely tall players, 
 as a precaution against spurring the horse uninten- 
 tionally. If there are rowels, they should be filed 
 and blunted so as not to cut or tear him when 
 striking. 
 
 I have found the most satisfactory whip to be a 
 whip about 31/2 or 4 feet long, a sharp cutting whip 
 made very limber, with a horn button about two 
 inches wide, flat on the side toward the hand. An 
 ordinary driving whip, cut off the proper length and 
 fitted with a button, answers the purpose admirably. 
 This whip, carried between the reins and the left 
 hand, will almost never get away and does not 
 need to be strapped to the hand. I drop one barely 
 once a year. The length of the whip gives the advan- 
 tage of being able to hit the pony without losing 
 hold on the reins, as the turn of the wrist while the 
 hand is well forward will still reach his quarters. 
 
 The polo mallet can be conveniently described 
 as being composed of three parts — ^the head, the 
 handle, and the stick, the stick being that part to 
 which the handle and the head are attached. 
 
 Sticks should be very carefully selected and care- 
 fully used. The principal thing to avoid is buying 
 sticks which are whippy toward the handle. This 
 is a most common defect, and I find it ruins any 
 stick for me. Personally, I always use a good stiff 
 
FiELD^ Ponies and Equii'ment 23 
 
 stick, the whole weight of the mallet being from 15 
 ounces to 1 pound; however, the weight of the mal- 
 let is a good deal a matter of preference. In gen- 
 eral I believe the back should have a heavy stick 
 for distance, and No. 2 a light one for quickness. 
 In purchasing mallets, care should be taken to get 
 absolutely straight sticks and to see that the angle Angle of head 
 of the head to the stick is always the same. To to stick. 
 measure this, a model angle can be marked some- 
 where on the wall and every stick verified so as 
 to preclude the possibility of variation in this im- 
 portant particular. 
 
 It has been my experience that flat sides to the 
 handle are far preferable to round handles. Plat 
 sides parallel to the head enable one to tell by the 
 feel of the handle when the mallet is swinging true, 
 a distinct advantage, as the eyes are needed for 
 watching the ball. 
 
 When a stick is secured that suits perfectly, it is 
 a good plan to weigh it carefully and register the 
 weight, and then balance it and register the point 
 at which it balances. If in selecting new sticks 
 care be used to approximate as nearly as possible 
 the weight and balance of the stick that has proved 
 to be the best, one variable element will be elimi- 
 nated, or at least reduced to a minimum. 
 
 The place where a mallet begins to weaken first 
 is usually that part of the stick just above where it 
 is inserted into the head. The reason that the 
 stick goes out at this point is that the ball when 
 struck is likely either to be bouncing up so as to 
 hit the stick just above the head, or perhaps the 
 mallet is swinging a little bit low, bringing the 
 round of the ball against the stick. These sticks 
 are of malacca or bamboo, and have an outer shell 
 
24 As TO Polo 
 
 wliicli cracks in perpendicular slits. Once the shell 
 has cracked the stick loses its strength and the 
 head begins to twist. There are two ways of rein- 
 Reinforce forcing the winding. The first one, and one which 
 the winding. all players should insist on, is by reinforcing the 
 stick at the point just above the head with a little 
 strip of metal, preferably steel, curved so as to fit 
 the curve of the stick and placed under the winding, 
 which is also used for the same purpose, namely, 
 protection of the stick at that point. Two such 
 metal strips should be provided for each stick, one 
 to catch the front strokes and the other to catch the 
 back strokes. The strips should go about one-fourth 
 around the stick and should extend about 3 inches 
 above the head. The other way of protecting the 
 stick is to wind it with rubber bands ; in fact, some 
 players have rubber bands made for the purpose- 
 small circles of round rubber, of which they place 
 from three to six at intervals around the stick over 
 the winding and immediately above the head to 
 catch the impact of the ball. Many players use 
 both of these devices. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 RULES 
 
 The rules that govern polo are simple and, except Read the rules 
 for some very few but important aspects, not difla- once each year, 
 cult to understand and master. All players should 
 master the rules when they first learn to play and 
 should read them carefully once a year in order to 
 keep them fresh in the memory. It would be wise 
 for the captain of a team to read over the rules with 
 his team before all important matches. 
 
 The most important rules are those which relate to Dangerous 
 dangerous riding. As careful observance of these '■^<^™s- 
 rules is likely to be a matter of life and death to 
 players at any minute, and may also change the 
 result of a match by directly affecting the score, the 
 supreme necessity of absolute clearness in the pres- 
 entation and general understanding of the rules need 
 not be further argued. The point at which the great- 
 est danger is likely to occur is when two men are 
 riding for the ball. It is the very essence of polo 
 that such men should strike each other only at such 
 an angle as would not cause danger of knocking 
 either pony down; in other words, at a safe angle. 
 Practice only will tell players just what angle is 
 safe. If either pony goes down it is of course certain 
 that the angle was not a safe one. In case, however, 
 there is a collision between players, without the 
 ponies falling, it doesn't necessarily follow that the 
 angle was a safe one. It might be that the ponies 
 were not going at high speed or that they kept their 
 feet by chance. It is well to err on the safe side and 
 endeavor to get the pony going as nearly parallel as 
 possible to your opponent at the time the impact 
 takes place. 
 
26 As TO Polo 
 
 Eight of way The man who last hit the ball loses the possession 
 after hittmg (y ^^ shall have deviated from pursuing the exact 
 course of the ball" ; that is to say, that a man carry- 
 ing the ball must follow the course of the ball or 
 lose his right of way. If he turns and comes at it at 
 an angle, he must be prepared to give way to a 
 player following nearer than he the direction from 
 which the ball was last hit. 
 
 At the time this chapter is being rewritten the 
 polo authorities of the United States and Great 
 Britain are making an earnest effort to agree upon 
 a universal set of rules, uniform in all countries. 
 This desirable object is in process of consummation 
 and until such time as the work of the Committee 
 shall have been completed it is too early to endeavor 
 to speak with any finality about rules. I am, how- 
 ever, giving some of the rules adopted by the Philip- 
 pine Islands Polo Association, which were carefully 
 worked out after studying the rules used in England, 
 India and the United States, and present my ideas 
 as to some of the best features to be found in all 
 three of these. In these rules, fouls are classified 
 as dangerous or otherwise and lesser offenses are 
 called infractions of rules and not classed as fouls. 
 In case of a foul which in the opinion of the referee 
 is deliberate and dangerous, the player must be 
 suspended, a penalty of one goal assessed, and, if in 
 the opinion of the referee the play was affected dis- 
 advantageously to the side fouled, the referee must 
 stop the play and throw in the ball in addition to 
 Sty Should *?' ''*''•''■ *^^ penalties. This takes away from a 
 lie made player any inducement deliberately to ride down a 
 
 mandatory. man who is just going to make a goal in order to 
 save the game at the last minute of play by accept- 
 
Rules 27 
 
 ing a half goal penalty in place of the goal which he 
 knew would have been made. I believe the best in- 
 terests of the game are served by expressing the 
 referee's duty more vigorously. The matter is not 
 made optional with .him; he is obliged to do it. 
 Most rules empower the referee. 
 
 I give the Philippine Islands rules on these points 
 in their entirety. 
 
 The rules and diagrams concerning right of way 
 and defining dangerous riding are modeled closely 
 on the rules of the Indian Polo Association, and in 
 some cases taken verbatim. 
 
 FOULS 
 
 16. A foul is any violation of Field Rules No. 18 (de- Philippine 
 fining dangerous riding), 19 (in regard to right of way), Islands rules 
 20 (in regard to players meeting), or 21 (illegal use of about fouls, 
 mallet). Except in extra periods played on account of a tie 
 fouls will be penalized as follows : 
 
 (a) If the foul is of such nature as, in the opinion Fouls involving 
 of the referee, to be dangerous to the life of man or danger, 
 horse, the referee shall impose a penalty of one goal. 
 
 If the foul is not of such nature as, in the opinion of 
 the referee, to be dangerous to the life of man or horse, 
 the referee shall impose a penalty of one half goal. 
 
 (b) If, in the opinion of the referee, a foul involving Deliberate 
 danger was deliberate, he shall suspend the player com- fouling, 
 mitting the foul for the match, or if, in his opinion, any 
 
 player for any reason shows himself incapable of playing 
 safely, he may suspend him ; or in cases of repeated com- 
 mission of fouls not involving danger or of repeated viola- 
 tion of rules after attention has been called to them, the 
 referee may suspend the player for the match. 
 
 (c) If, in the opinion of the referee, a foul shall have Stopping the 
 affected the play disadvantageously to the side fouled, play. 
 
 he shall In addition to other penalties stop the play by 
 sounding a whistle and shall throw the ball in at the v» 
 
 point where it was when the foul was made. 
 
28 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 (d) If, in the opinion of the referee, a foul has not 
 affected the play disadvantageously to the side fouled, 
 he shall permit the game to continue and declare the 
 penalty to the offending player, if practicable, and, at 
 the end of the period, to the scorer. 
 
 Repeated or 
 deliberate 
 infractions 
 of rules. 
 
 Refusal to 
 play. 
 
 INFRACTIONS OF RULES 
 
 17. Infractions of General Rules 3 (specification of balls 
 and mallets) and 4 (qualifications of ponies) and of 
 Field Rule No. 22 (covering use of elbow or hand in 
 riding off, assistance coming on to field, etc.) do not consti- 
 tute fouls but may be penalized as follows : 
 
 (a) The referee is authorized to give the offending 
 player one warning before assessing any penalty. 
 
 (b) If, however, the offense seems to be deliberate or 
 aggravated or is repeated, the referee wiU, in his dis- 
 cretion either (1) assess a penalty of one half goal, or 
 (2) in case the infraction of the rules shall have, in 
 the opinion of the referee, affected the play disadvanta- 
 geously to the side fouled, the referee may stop the play and 
 throw in the ball. But in cases covered by this rule the 
 referee shall not, however, both stop the play and assess 
 the penalty of one half goal. In extra periods played 
 on account of a tie, as provided for by Field Rule No. 10, 
 a deliberate, aggravated or repeated infraction of rules 
 will be penalized as provided for fouls in Field Rule No. 10. 
 
 (c) In case of failure to appear at the proper time or 
 of infraction of General Rule No. 9 (uniform and hat) 
 or of Field Rule No. 6 (keeping field clear), which infrac- 
 tion shall not have affected the play, the referee may im- 
 pose a fine of ten pesos on offending player or players. 
 
 (d) In case of refusal of either team to play after 
 having been ordered to by the referee, the referee shall 
 after a reasonable time, declare the game forfeited and 
 award it to the opponents. 
 
 DANGEROUS RIDING 
 
 18. Careless or dangerous horsemanship or lack of con- 
 sideration for the safety of others is forbidden. 
 
Rules 29 
 
 The following are examples of riding prohibited under 
 this rule : 
 
 (a) Bumping at an angle dangerous to a player or his 
 pony. 
 
 (b) Zig-zagging in front of another player riding at a 
 gallop. 
 
 (c) Pulling across or over a pony's forelegs in such a 
 manner as to risk tripping the pony. 
 
 A ,.-B- 
 
 ,,,-'--------B" 
 
 ^,.''''' Diagram A 
 
 — S'-UIed; Diagram B 
 %o ----.-. 
 
 O BacK CBlue) 
 
 > y . » > -=•• 
 
 ■ staa > '■ X- 
 
 No.l CRed) 
 Diagram C ^^^ 
 
 A 
 
 B<;'^ / 
 
 •X 
 B' 
 
 RIGHT OF WAY 
 
 19. (A) A player may ride out an antagonist, or inter- 
 pose his pony before his antagonist, so as to prevent the 
 latter reaching the ball, but he may not cross another 
 player in possession of the ball, except at such a distance 
 
30 As TO Polo 
 
 that the said player shall not be compelled to check his 
 pony to avoid a collision. 
 
 (Example.) 
 
 A hits the ball to X. 
 
 If B can unquestionably reach the ball at X, without 
 causing A to check to avoid a collision, then B is entitled 
 to possession, and can take an off-side bacldiander at B^ 
 
 But if there is reasonable doubt, then it is B's duty to 
 swerve towards B' (the line of the ball), and take a near- 
 side backhander, and if, in taking that backhander, or 
 afterwards, his pony in the slightest degree crosses the 
 line of the ball, a "foul" should be given against him. 
 
 (B) If two players are riding from different directions 
 to hit the ball, and a collision appears probable, then the 
 player in possession of the ball (that is, who last hit the ball, 
 or if neither have hit the ball, the player who is coming 
 from the direction from which the ball was last hit) must 
 be given way to. 
 
 (Example.) 
 
 No. 2 (red), in possession of the ball, hits to X. 
 
 All three players ride for the ball. No. 1 (red), riding 
 ofC the back (blue) all the way, and a collision between 
 the three is imminent at X. 
 
 No. 2 (red) is entitled to possession. 
 
 A dangerous foul should be given against No. 1 (red) 
 either If : 
 
 (1) — No. 2 has to check to avoid collision with the back 
 (blue), caused by the latter being forced into the position 
 shown, by the riding oft of No. 1 (red) ; or, (2) — Back 
 (blue) has to check to avoid accident, from being shut in 
 between No. 2 (red), and No. 1 (red). 
 
 (C) Any player who follows the exact line of the ball 
 from the direction from which it has been last hit, is in 
 possession of the ball rather than any player coming from 
 any other direction. 
 
 (Example.) 
 
 E, on the ball, hits to X, and, being on a fast tearing pony, 
 swings round in a semi-circle. A, on a good polo pony, is 
 following the line of the ball. 
 
 At A* B' a collision is imminent. 
 
EULES 31 
 
 Although B hit the ball last, he loses possession, because 
 A has ridden on a line closer and more nearly parallel to 
 the line on which the ball has been traveling. 
 
 A is entitled to possession of the ball, and must be given 
 way to. 
 
 Diagram D 
 
 A X ^o 
 
 A»»^_^ __0 Goal 
 
 B »*-^ j::.::.-— -=--- A' 
 
 " B' 
 
 \B 
 
 Diagram F 
 
 Xii(-,. 
 
 A\ Goal 
 
 (D) The last hitter is in possession; provided that no 
 other player can, without causing the hitter to check his 
 pony to avoid a collision, get on the line of the ball in front 
 of him. Under these circumstances the last hitter may not 
 ride into the adversary from behind, but must, if necessary, 
 take the ball on the near side of his own pony. 
 
32 As TO Polo 
 
 B hits the ball to X. 
 
 A rides him off at A^ B*. 
 
 A is entitled to possession. 
 
 (B) No player shall be deemed to be in possession of 
 the ball by reason of his being the last hitter if he shall 
 have deviated from pursuing the exact course of the ball. 
 
 (F) Any player who rides to meet the ball on the 
 exact line of its course is in possession rather than any 
 other player riding at an angle from any direction. 
 
 (Example.) 
 
 A hits the ball out from behind to X. 
 
 B rides to meet it, and to take it on. 
 
 A collision is imminent between B and C at X. 
 
 B must be given way to, because he is on the line on 
 which the ball traveled, even though coming in an opposite 
 direction, whereas C would cross that line. 
 
 (G) Any player riding from the direction from which 
 the ball has been last hit, at an angle to its course, has 
 possession rather than any player riding at an angle in the 
 opposite direction. 
 
 (H) If two players are riding from the same direction, 
 that player is in possession whose course is at the smallest 
 angle to the line of the ball. 
 
 (I) The line of the ball is the line of its course, or that 
 line produced at the moment any question arises. 
 
 Note: The Bight of Way, as defined in the previous 
 rules, shall not be entered upon until players coming down 
 a previous right of way have had a chance to check or turn. 
 
 Note : Where the ball hits the side boards or a pony, 
 the direction in which the ball was last hit will be assumed 
 to be the course of the ball. 
 
 PLAYERS MEETING 
 
 20. Whenever two players are riding in opposite for the 
 ball, each shall take or leave the ball on his ofE side. 
 
 If a single player on the right of way meets two or more 
 players coming down the right of way in the opposite direc- 
 tion trying to ride one another off, the single player must 
 give way, even though one or more of the others is forced 
 across the line so that the ball is on his left side. 
 
Rules 33 
 
 21. (a) A player shall not intentionally strike an ad- 
 versary or an adversary's pony with his hands, whip or 
 mallet, nor strike the ball when dismounted, nfir hit inten- 
 tionally with his mallet the pony he is riding. 
 
 (b) A player shall not crook his adversary's mallet, 
 uhless he is on the same side of his adversary's pony as 
 the ball, or in direct line behind, and his mallet is neither 
 over nor in under his adversary's pony. The mallet may 
 not be crooked unless his adversary is in act of striking at 
 the ball. 
 
 (c) A player shall not put his mallet over or under 
 his adversary's pony either in front or behind, or across 
 the pony's fore legs for purpose of striking at the ball, or 
 of crooking an adversary's mallet. A player, however, who 
 rides in from behind on an adversary who is in the act of 
 striking at the ball does so at his own I'isk and may not 
 claim a foul if the adversary hits across or in front of 
 his pony. 
 
 As regards infractions of rules, in which class Referee may 
 are put the lesser offenses, such as pushing with the warn, 
 hand, head, or elbow, it is especially provided for 
 the referee in his discretion to give warning before 
 assessing a penalty. He can stop the play and 
 throw the ball in if he thinks the game has been 
 affected unfavorably to the side offended, but he 
 cannot do that and give a half goal penalty as well, 
 as he must do in cases of fouls. This seems to be a 
 fairer way of making the penalty less severe for 
 minor offenses. No referee not a martinet or one 
 looking to throw the game to one side or the other, 
 would think of giving a half goal because a groom 
 put his foot over the side boards in passing a mallet 
 to a player. It is a good working policy to make inadvlsability 
 the penalties reasonable and proportionate to the of too severe 
 seriousness of the offenses. penalty. 
 
34 As TO Polo 
 
 Fines. Other infractions of rules not afiEecting the result 
 
 of the game are usually penalized by fines, such as 
 failure to play in uniform, to turn up on time, or 
 playing without a safety helmet. Repeated infrac- 
 tions of rules can be handled by the referee either 
 by suspending the player or by imposition of a fine. 
 Minor defect of There are certain other niceties which no rules 
 rules regarding quite cover, as, for example, how quickly the right 
 right of way. ^f ^g^y jg established along a new line of play. Let 
 us say the ball is going across field and followed 
 closely by the red back. Yellow 2 crosses directly 
 in front of him so close that the back has to check 
 his pony to avoid a collision, but yellow hits the ball 
 before the back checks his pony. If he had missed 
 the ball, it would clearly be a foul because the right 
 of way would then be along the old line. If, how- 
 ever, he has hit the ball, the ball taking a new di- 
 rection has established a new right of way which he 
 is occupying. The red back then is fouling if he 
 doesn't check his pony and avoid the collision. It 
 is obvious that the new right of way is not estab- 
 lished instantly because the red back must have 
 time to clear. In other words, the yellow player has 
 got to cross far enough in front so that red can clear 
 him after he hits the ball. But there is nothing in 
 the rules that prevents the curious anomaly that a 
 man may cross another so close that with a tech- 
 nical interpretation of the rules he commits a foul 
 if he misses the ball, and yet doesn't commit a foul 
 if he hits it, owing to the creation of the new right 
 of way by virtue of having hit the ball. I think this 
 should not be. It would make for safer play if such 
 crossing were not allowed and the rules definitely 
 prohibited it. And I think most referees would so 
 interpret the present rules. I should. 
 
Rules 35 
 
 Another ambiguity in the American rules as they Several players 
 stand to-day is where two or three players are charging down 
 coming together down an old line of play and the oM right of 
 ball changes direction, being backed or cut across. ^^^' 
 Intelligent self-interest will keep most players from 
 getting in front of a group of onrushing ponies as 
 it is often physically impossible for them to slow 
 up or change and a man might perfectly well be 
 ridden into a technical foul in spite of his best ef- 
 forts to avoid it. There should be a distinct pro- 
 vision in the rules qualifying the technical right of 
 way by inserting a clause similar to that provided 
 in the rule of the Philippine Islands Polo Associa- 
 tion quoted in fuU above. (See first note at end of 
 Rule 19, P. I. P. A., p. 32.) 
 
 Nothing is said in English, American, or Indian Curving ends 
 rules about curving the field. A field that is curved ot field. 
 in at the ends so as to cut off 75 feet on each side, 
 or 150 feet or one-third of the total length at the end 
 of the field, is a much faster field to play on, the 
 dead territory is reduced in an important measure, 
 the cost of the field to build and to maintain is 
 lessened, and the play improved. In describing the 
 field, therefore, it seems as though these advan- 
 tages might be indicated by including some pro- 
 vision for curving in the ends when giving the di- 
 mensions of the field. 
 
 In order to make an absolutely uniform and clear Official signals, 
 system of signals, it is suggested that four beUs 
 be sounded five minutes before the beginning of the 
 game; three bells sounded two minutes before the 
 beginning of each period, excepting the intermis- 
 sion, at which time three minutes are allowed; two 
 bells sounded thirty seconds before the beginning of 
 each period; and one bell when the ball is put into 
 
36 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 play. This leaves room for no doubt on the part of 
 
 anyone as to which signal is being rung. 
 
 Duties of ' It seems as though rules would be more conven- 
 
 referee should lent if the duties of the referee are set forth clearly 
 
 be assembled, j^ p^g paragraph. A referee thus can run his eye 
 
 down the line of duties and not have to read the 
 
 rules through in order to pick out those things 
 
 which pertain to his job. This was accomplished 
 
 in the Philippines by the following rule : 
 
 It shall be the duty of the referee : 
 
 A. To order the sounding of the preliminary signal of 
 four bells five minutes before beginning of the game. 
 
 B. Before the beginning of the game to toss up a coin 
 in the presence of the field captains or representatives of 
 both teams for choice of sides. 
 
 C. To throw in the ball at the beginning of the game, 
 at the beginning of each period, whenever the ball goes out 
 of bounds, and after time has been called for any purpose. 
 
 D. To carry a whistle which he will blow to indicate 
 cessation of play, either by reason of the end of a period, 
 or because of a foul, or for other reasons, and at the be- 
 ginning of play when necessary to inform the time-keeper. 
 
 13. To decide at what point the ball shall have gone out 
 or over and to see that the ball goes in at the proper point, 
 and to decide whether or not goals or safeties have been 
 made. 
 
 F. To enforce rules and to exact penalties for infraction 
 of rules and for fouls as provided for in Field Rules Nos. 
 16 and 17. 
 
 G. To see and award fouls ; and, in case fouls are 
 claimed, to judge whether or not they have been committed. 
 For this and for any other purpose the referee is authorized 
 to take evidence from the players, the goal-judges, the timer 
 or scorer, and from such other persons as he may see fit. 
 
 Widening goal The rules of the Indian Polo Association have a 
 
 in case of tie. good provision calculated to save the strain on men 
 
 and ponies of a protracted play overtime in case of 
 
Roles 37 
 
 a tie, that after the first extra period the goal posts 
 shall be placed 48 feet apart instead of 24, thus 
 making it much easier to score. With the same 
 object in view, the Philippine Islands Polo Asso- 
 ciation adopted the following rule : 
 
 9. At the end of six minutes of play the timer's signal Device to 
 shall be sounded and play shall cease unless the ball is reduce 
 within fifty feet of either back line, in which case play overtime play, 
 shall continue until the ball goes out of bounds by being 
 Isnocked over the back line or over the side boards, or until 
 it is knocked over the fifty-foot line toward the center of 
 the field, or until a goal is made. 
 
 If a period ends by a ball being knocked over the fifty- 
 foot line toward the center of the field . . . play will be re- 
 sumed at the beginning of the next period by the ball being 
 thrown in towards the side boards at the fifty-foot line. 
 
 Players should study so as to understand the Crooking, 
 limitations in regard to crooking mallets. New 
 players find difficulty in doing this scientifically, 
 and I have seen players who felt that they could 
 not crook on the nigh side of their pony because it 
 was putting their mallet across a pony. The rule 
 is that the mallet shall not be placed across an 
 opponent's pony to crook the stick when the ball is 
 on the other side of the opponent's pony from the 
 player; in fact, the player must be either on the 
 same side of the pony of the opponent whose mallet 
 he is crooking, as the ball, or in a. direct line before 
 or behind him. 
 
 One of the rules most frequently violated is that use of elbow. 
 which prohibits the use of the elbow in riding out. 
 Many beginners, particularly if they have been foot- 
 ball men in the past, and a good many older players 
 who should know better, keep jabbing with the 
 elbow. The rule provides that riding ofif shall be 
 
38 As TO Polo 
 
 done only with the arm kept close at the side and 
 that the pushing be done entirely with the shoulder 
 and the outside of the arm, and not with th^ point 
 of the elbow. Keferees should be very particular to 
 warn players against this practice and should not 
 hesitate to award the penalty provided in the rules. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 HORSEMANSHIP 
 
 The management of the horse is a most important 
 element in polo. A good horseman does not neces- 
 sarily make a good player, but a man who is not a 
 good horseman is very seriously handicapped in his 
 effort to become a good polo player, very much as is 
 a lame man in the matter of running races. The 
 first thing to get is a seat. When I was a boy I 
 made a point of coming in from my ride every day 
 with my gripping muscles tired to the point of Gripping 
 aching, and I recommend this practice to every muscles, 
 horseman. It gives one an unconscious seat. When 
 I began riding, I was told by my preceptor that 
 a man should always turn his toes in so ^s never 
 to give the appearance of riding with his Seat, 
 toes pointed diagonally away from the horse. 
 I gradually came to acquire this way of riding, 
 and it was not to be accomplished by bending 
 the ankles in such way as to make the toes Position of 
 point forward, but it lay in the position of the *®®^- 
 muscles of the thigh. When a man takes a seat in 
 the saddle he should move himself just a little for- 
 ward so as to throw the fleshy muscles of the thigh 
 outward and backward and place in direct contact 
 with the saddle the inside of the leg from the knee 
 bones up. Having placed himself thus, he will find 
 that automatically his feet now hang so as to throw 
 them directly forward, and that in order to get them 
 out of this position it is necessary to turn the ankles 
 
 39 
 
40 As TO Polo 
 
 in an awkward position outward or to let the upper 
 part of his leg assume a different position in con- 
 nection with the saddle and ride gripping with 
 the back of the leg rather than the inside of it. 
 Stirrups, Having set himself in his seat, the player should 
 
 length of. next look to his stirrups, which, in my judgment, 
 
 should be of medium length, short enough so that 
 he can stand up entirely clear of the saddle and 
 turn around, so that in making the nigh-side for- 
 ward stroke his right shoulder may be about over 
 the ball on the left-hand side of his horse. 
 
 He should endeavor to acquire a position sitting 
 quietly, well back in the saddle, with the feet well 
 forward, and letting the horse do the speeding. He 
 Do not lean. should not habitually stand up or lean forward, but 
 by sitting right down in the saddle eliminate the 
 greatest number of possible variations in the dis- 
 tance from the hand to the ground when hitting. 
 
 My cousin, Allan Forbes, is of the opinion that 
 men should hit leaning forward, as he considers 
 that in this way they get better direction and more 
 distance to the stroke. There is no question but 
 that when it is desired to hit the ball across in 
 front of the pony it is necessary to lean forward; 
 but I am a firm believer in having the seat pushed 
 well back toward the after end of the saddle, and 
 not varying the distance to the ground, as is done by 
 leaning forward or standing up in the stirrups in 
 making a stroke, excepting always for the nigh-side 
 work, when it is necessary. 
 
 Avoid, as much as possible, hitting under the 
 pony's belly, as the stick or the ball is too likely to 
 hit the pony's legs, and either of them may damage 
 the pony. 
 
 The following remarks apply only to horses which 
 
Horsemanship 41 
 
 have been thoroughly trained to the saddle and are 
 well bitted. I do not undertake to give directions 
 for the earlier instruction of a horse that has never 
 learned the use of the bit. I have found that some 
 men who understand the training of horses have 
 differed with my theories on the ground that be- 
 ginning a horse with a sharp bit makes him afraid 
 of it and that the best authorities recommend a 
 light bit at first. To these I answer that I begin 
 where they leave off; that my work is training a 
 pony for polo, and that I assume that he is already 
 bridle- wise. 
 
 In training ponies, the most important thing Training 
 is to get them interested in the game first and ponies. 
 afterwards develop their speed. In training a pony 
 I never let him get to speed until I have got him 
 so much the master of the game that the desire 
 for racing will not exclude the interest in the play. 
 
 The most important thing in handling a horse Pulling. 
 is the use of the reins. Many riders indulge in the 
 practice, so pernicious in its results as to be almost 
 wicked, of holding themselves in the seat with the 
 reins. They seem to think that reins were given 
 to them by a Divine Providence to steady them- 
 selves on the horse. When one considers that the 
 mouth is one of the most tender parts of the horse's 
 anatomy, and with well-trained horses the least 
 touch can produce the desired result, it is nothing 
 short of brutal to blunt this fine sense of the horse 
 by misuse. New players should get horses to learn 
 on that have extremely tender mouths and so little 
 desire to run that they can be played with an abso- 
 lutely loose rein. If they can not get such a horse 
 I should recommend putting on an extremely sharp 
 bit, at least sharp enough so that the horse will not 
 
42 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Suggestions 
 to prevent 
 pulling. 
 
 press against it and will stop instantly if the pres- 
 sure is put on too sharply. 
 
 Having thus got a horse which can be ridden 
 with a loose rein or by a series of the lightest kind 
 of touches, they should then acquire their seat with- 
 out ever holding on or assisting themselves in the 
 seat by pressure on the reins. It is my positive 
 belief that more good horses and more good polo 
 ponies are ruined by this fearful habit of pulling 
 than by all the rest of the causes put together. It 
 takes two to pull, the rider and the horse. If the 
 man won't pull, the horse can't. I have known 
 superb saddle horses that were almost unmanage- 
 able by men and which were mild as kittens with 
 women. The reason was that they could not en- 
 dure the hard hand of a man on the bit. Had they 
 had a rider with sufficient skill to indicate to them 
 by light touches, such as a woman must give owing 
 to the lack of physical strength necessary to hurt 
 the mouth, they would have been as docile as they 
 were with women. 
 
 I have sometimes thought that an excellent way 
 to learn how to press lightly on the rein would be 
 to have the snaf&e rein cut and tied together on 
 each side by bits of string, which would break as 
 soon as the pressure exceeded a certain reasonable 
 amount, like a lightning arrester which fuses as 
 soon as the current gets too strong. This would 
 automatically prevent a man from falling into the 
 crazy habit of wrecking his horse's mouth, and yet 
 this is what at least one-half of the players do when 
 beginning, and a good many of them do through 
 life. I have known players with whom all good polo 
 ponies became pullers, and at the end of each year 
 they found it necessary to buy new ones in order 
 
pressure on 
 reins. 
 
 HOKSEMANSHir 43 
 
 to keep themselves mounted. I attributed this tend- 
 ency, in many instances, to the player's poor 
 seat. 
 
 I have sometimes wondered why a little machine Suggestion of 
 has not been invented for registering the pressure machine to 
 on the mouth of the horse by different men. It ^^^'^^^^^ 
 surely would not be a difficult device to have the 
 two parts of the rein entering a machine, connected 
 by means of a spring to a dial which would register 
 the exact maximum pressure exerted by the rider. 
 If the cold, hard fact that such-and-such a horseman 
 managed his horse with a pressure indicated by the 
 number 3 was presented to another horseman who 
 habitually came in with a registration of 7 or 9, 
 he would begin to study the causes for this phe- 
 nomenon and perhaps correct the worst fault which 
 a horseman can have. To polo men especially would 
 I recommend the study of this very vital part of 
 horsemanship. I have never heard of any such de- 
 vice as this having been attempted, so that it is 
 merely a suggestion and might prove in practice to 
 have none of the value that I imagine it would. 
 
 The function of a rein is not physically to stop Use of reins. 
 a horse, but to telegraph to him the desire of the 
 rider. Horses should be trained so that the least 
 touch will indicate to them what is wanted and to 
 obey this least indication as soon as they receive 
 it. That the rein is a physical means of stopping 
 the horse is about as much of a fallacy as that the 
 bootstraps are an excellent way of raising oneself 
 from the ground. One might as well adopt the 
 equal and opposite fallacy that the stirrups were 
 an advantageous means for pushing the horse ahead, 
 as all force used in pulling on the reins is derived 
 from pressure on the legs and feet in the saddle and 
 
44 As TO Polo 
 
 stirrups, so that by completing the vicious circle 
 you are exerting your force to push the horse ahead 
 in order to stop him. The fact is, of course, that 
 the horse wants an indication of the desire of the 
 rider, and as the inertia of going is something which 
 he does not like to change, particularly if there is 
 another horse going pretty fast right alongside of 
 him, the signal to stop must sometimes be fairly 
 forceful to make the horse obey it. 
 Position of I hold my reins with the snaffle on either side of 
 
 rems m hand. ^j^g little finger and the curb on either side of the 
 middle finger, thus having one rein outside of the lit- 
 tle finger and one rein in between each of the 
 four fingers. As the hand is held thumb down, it 
 results that the two upper reins are the snaffle and 
 the two lower reins the curb. In order to hold 
 them at the same tension I can place my thumb 
 over the reins and by pressing and gripping the 
 reins with the hands I get a good grip. With this 
 arrangement one can very easily adjust the reins 
 by gripping the four reins with the right hand, and 
 by slipping the whole left hand forward one gets a 
 closer grip near the neck. By catching the upper 
 part of the reins the snaffle is shortened, by catch- 
 ing the lower as it hangs the curb is shortened. 
 The snaffle should always have a buckle and the 
 curb never, so that in reaching for the snaffle if you 
 feel for the buckle or look down and pick it out 
 and slip one finger of the right hand through that 
 you can be sure of shortening the snaffle. If you 
 look for the sewed end and slip a finger through 
 that or catch it with the hand to pull on, you can 
 be sure you are shortening the curb. 
 
 I have adopted the following general methods of 
 signaling my horse which have served my purpose : 
 
Horsemanship 45 
 
 For ordinary play the hand is held low and Position of 
 about over the pommel of the saddle. The pony hand. 
 understands that riding with the hand low indi- 
 cates slight changes of direction rather than a sharp 
 turn or turn about. When I want speed I throw 
 my hand forward, giving loose rein and touching 
 the pony on the neck low down. The whip, which Polo whip, 
 is always carried in the left hand, as I have ex- 
 plained elsewhere, is about four feet long and lim- 
 ber. I use it on the shoulder for starting the pony 
 and on the quarters for extending him. I use the 
 spur for steadying him as he approaches the ball and Use of spur. 
 for making him press over to ride against another 
 pony and for getting him away from the pony when 
 he is pressed up against him. I also use it to start 
 a pony quickly. I never use the spur for speed. To 
 stop the pony, instead of taking hold of the curb Use of curb. 
 rein, I find it infinitely more effective to raise the 
 hand. This changes the angle of pull. A pull on 
 the snaffle, which should always be a light one, is 
 merely to steady the horse at the speed at which 
 he is going and to hold him on the ball. 
 
 The advantage of lifting the hand is that the Lifting the 
 pony can instantly see and he instantly knows that hand. 
 it is desired to change the play and stop. Before 
 putting any pressure on the curb the voice should 
 always be used, but its effect should not be spoiled 
 by an agonized "Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!" such as you 
 often hear players galloping down the field address- 
 ing their ponies, who are not paying the slightest 
 attention to it. Give one good sharp "Whoa !" and Speak to the 
 then a sharp lift on the curb, the body being thrown pony. 
 well back on the back part of the saddle, so as to put 
 the weight on the quarters, not on the forelegs, and 
 then loosen the rein up instantly in order to 
 
46 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Don't turn 
 round at 
 speed. 
 
 Pig. 21. 
 
 To turn 
 rapidly. 
 
 let the pony get his head free and stop if he will. If 
 he fails to stop, a second sharp pull on the curb, 
 loosening the rein immediately, should bring him 
 to hand. The moment he has stopped the reins 
 should be thrown immediately loose and the hand 
 lowered. 
 
 There is nothing more wicked and pernicious in 
 polo than turning in circles at speed, and yet how 
 many players will do it! Ponies should be turned 
 always by stopping them in their tracks and then 
 starting them again on the new course. There are 
 occasions in polo when the exigencies of the game 
 require turning at speed, as in following the ball 
 around, but these are so few, compared to the cases 
 when ponies should stop and turn, and are more 
 apt to occur in playing against poor players than 
 against good, that all players should first train 
 their ponies to stop and turn and afterwards use 
 them for whatever turning in circles may be neces- 
 sary, because the ability to stop and turn does not 
 preclude the other, whereas a habit of turning 
 around at speed will prevent a horse from being of 
 any use for really good polo. 
 
 In turning the pony, when it is my desire that he 
 turn very rapidly and fast, I always lay the rein 
 on the upper part of the neck, so as to get it in an 
 unaccustomed place. The rein is pressed against 
 the lower part of the neck more or less continually, 
 so that there is nothing particularly new to the 
 horse in the feel of the rein at that point. It almost 
 never touches the upper part of the neck, near the 
 ears, and I have found that a pony will jump 
 around, when he feels the rein up there, infinitely 
 faster than he will when the rein is pressed at the 
 base of the neck; in fact, it makes the signal for 
 
Horsemanship 47 
 
 quick turning a distinct one, as opposed to a shift- 
 ing of direction. I am able to turn my best polo 
 ponies almost on a loose rein, touching the mouth 
 very, very lightly, and by shifting the rein on the 
 neck they know instantly whether I am attempting 
 to shift the direction slightly so as to get nearer 
 the play or whether I want to bring them around to 
 place them in position to go in an opposite direction. 
 
 A most important thing in polo is the care and Save the pony. 
 saving of the horse. I have spoken elsewhere of 
 using the mallet to protect the horse from getting 
 hit by opponents. I should only, under the most 
 important circumstances, hit the ball through under 
 the pony's belly when going fast, for fear of hit- 
 ting the horse's legs either with the stick or the 
 ball. 
 
 A horse may be greatly saved by resting him in 
 play. A great many players, particularly begin- 
 ners, feel that they have to gallop all the time, that 
 they are not playing if they are not galloping, and 
 when the opportunity comes for a moment's rest, 
 when the horse can stand still or be galloping 
 slowly, they are still galloping madly about and 
 getting themselves out of position. To save a horse 
 properly, it is necessary to know exactly how to 
 play to an opponent. If you place your pony in 
 such relation to that of your corresponding oppo- Fig. 24. 
 nent that he can not get at the ball without passing 
 you, and you are vigilant about watching him, you 
 can very often save your pony and hold him with 
 very little exertion on the part of man and horse so 
 as absolutely to cover your opponent. Thus if a 
 ball comes back you may be able to meet it or if it 
 passes you will be ready to turn and, by crooking or 
 hard riding, prevent your corresponding opponent 
 
48 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 The line of 
 play. 
 
 Time to speed. 
 
 Needless 
 galloping. 
 
 Bitting. 
 
 from getting the ball, and thus entirely cover your 
 position. The polo player should make a rule never 
 to gallop one unnecessary foot. 
 
 The best players get in the line of the play, which 
 is the line the ball is traveling, and, always watch- 
 ing where the corresponding opponent is, hold 
 themselves ready to pick up the play with a rush 
 when the time comes. As soon as it is necessary, 
 in order to prevent the opposing player from get- 
 ting by or getting the ball, they should get up speed 
 and hold it while the rush lasts. If a chance comes 
 to hit the ball the player should then put his pony 
 at top speed and come right along the right of way, 
 going at such speed that nobody will risk coming 
 into it at any angle but a safe one. 
 
 Ponies that are saved in this way get to know 
 when speed is wanted of them and will respond to 
 the master's signal in a way which ponies that are 
 needlessly galloped about by their masters never do. 
 A pony that is needlessly galloped is always look- 
 ing for a chance to save himself, as otherwise if he 
 goes constantly at top speed he will soon be played 
 out. The pony that is saved by his master is fresh 
 and eager for a rush and all the time waiting for 
 a signal to move. 
 
 In speaking of equipment, I mentioned the matter 
 of bits, which is one of the most important elements 
 of horsemanship, and one that seems to be least 
 studied and understood by men who are accustomed 
 to use horses. I know in my own case, although I 
 had ridden from the age of four, I knew practically 
 nothing about bits or the science of bitting when at 
 the age of twenty-four I took up polo. I grade my 
 bits as follows : 
 
Horsemanship 49 
 
 1. Rubber snaflBe that has served me for but one of the 
 very many ponies I have played. 
 
 2. Steel snaffle, broken. I have always preferred this 
 vrith large and flat rings. 
 
 3. Straight-bar Pelham. This bit I find most of my 
 ponies come to play. I have them with four different 
 lengths of the curb bars giving different degrees of leverage 
 on the curb chain. Ponies with very light mouths can be 
 helped by covering the bit with leather. 
 
 4. Bit and bridoon. I use these with two different 
 lengths of curb bars, medium and long. Some ponies have 
 to be used permanently with a bit of this severity, but I 
 try to work the ponies gradually to an easier bit. 
 
 5. Gag snaffle without curb. 
 
 6. Gag snaffle with curb. 
 
 7. Hanoverian Pelham, with and without steel rings 
 which revolve on the bit and prevent the horse from get- 
 ting a grip on it with his teeth. This is the severest bit I 
 have ever used. 
 
 I am not sure but that a horse might be broken 
 of a desire to pull by the use of the Mexican high 
 port, but I advise against the use of a bit like that 
 for playing. 
 
 When first putting ponies into polo I test them Sharp bit and 
 until I find a bit they are afraid of and that they liglit hand at 
 won't under any circumstances take hold of. Play- 
 ing them then with a very light rein and an easy 
 pull, I get them to obey the voice and the indica- 
 tion of raising the hand which presages a pull on 
 the curb. At the start I usually have the curb 
 chain very tight, so that the pressure on the jaw 
 comes very quickly. In his first stages of develop- 
 ment I usually have the pony's head tied down 
 fairly low with the standing martingale. As soon 
 as the horse has responded to this bit in such a way 
 as to make me feel confident that he understands 
 the signals and will obey them without the neces- 
 
 first. 
 
50 As TO Polo 
 
 sity for punishment, I immediately make the bit 
 Easing the bit. easier. The first step in this process is loosening 
 the links on the curb chain so the curb will not 
 begin to press until it is pulled a little farther 
 back and lengthening the martingale to gite the 
 head more freedom. The next process is to move 
 up into the next easiest bit in the way I have men- 
 tioned, sometimes skipping one or two. Sometimes 
 I pass from Hanoverian Pelham clear to the 
 straight-bar Pelham with the long bar on the curb, 
 sometimes merely to the bit and bridoon, and this 
 process continues as long as the horse is naturally 
 at home and going satisfactorily with the easier bit. 
 Martingale As the horse gets more and more perfect in the 
 
 done away game, the standing martingale may be lengthened 
 
 ^itl^- until finally, in some good horses, it can be taken 
 
 off. 
 
 Crane has found that the position of the bit in 
 the mouth makes a great difference with his ponies; 
 some play better if the bit is not too high. I play 
 all of my ponies with the bit just easily reaching 
 the corner of the mouth without pressing. 
 Most useful bit. The straight-bar Pelham with 3i/^ to 4 inch curb 
 bars I consider one which is usually the most sat- 
 isfactory; most ponies will come to play well with 
 it. 
 
 The first three bits on the list can be used only 
 on ponies with the most delicate and tender mouths 
 and unusually responsive to the bit. In my experi- 
 ence only one out of four or five good ponies have 
 such mouths, and there is no need of paralyzing the 
 pony's mouth even if you have a sharp bit. If the 
 policy which I recommend is adopted, the indica- 
 tions may be given with a very light touch, and 
 horses will get along perfectly well even with the 
 
Horsemanship 51 
 
 sharpest and most cruel bits. I play with very 
 loose rein and pull on the bit the least possible 
 amount. 
 
 After the earlier stages of training and testing are Easy bit adds 
 past, it is inadvisable, however, to play a pony under to speed. 
 a very sharp bit, relying upon a light hand not to 
 use it. The pony with a light mouth will be afraid 
 of a sharp bit the minute it is in his mouth, and 
 many ponies refuse to gallop against a bit which 
 they are afraid of. If a man wants to get speed out 
 of a pony with a light mouth, he should put on the 
 lightest bit with which he can stop him, because in 
 this way only can he get his highest efficiency. The 
 gentle handling of a pony in stopping has a great 
 deal to do with the speed which can be gotten out 
 of him, and light-handed players are apt to be the 
 fastest. As speed is the essential requisite for really 
 first-class polo — enough said. 
 
 The ponies also get to understand the feel of the Use of legs in 
 legs in the saddle and will respond to them in turn- guiding ponies, 
 ing, but I will leave to the expert horse trainers 
 the various uses of the legs, to indicate to the horse 
 the desire to turn, changing leads, etc. I have never 
 made much of a study of this, and have let my horse 
 learn about the pressure of the leg more uncon- 
 sciously than otherwise. Of course, he does learn 
 it, because a man shifts his position in the saddle 
 in order to bring his horse around. 
 
 When a pony that has been playing steadily well When ponies 
 begins either to pull or to have some trick, it indi- acquire faults. 
 cates that something is the matter, and instead of 
 putting on a sharper bit the player should find 
 out the reason for this change. Nine times out of 
 ten he will find that the pony's legs are beginning 
 to go, or that he has trouble with his teeth, which 
 
52 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Weakening of 
 fore tendons. 
 
 Practice the 
 pony on tlie 
 boards. 
 
 Do not jerk 
 when hitting. 
 
 is most likely to be the case if the pony holds his 
 head to one side. The first indications I have of 
 a pony weakening in his forelegs is the fact that ^ 
 he begins to take hold of the bit when he has not 
 done so before. This means that the pony doesn't 
 want to stop and that he is afraid of it. The cure 
 is to lay the pony up and either "blister" or "fire" , 
 him, or if these measures are not necessary give him 
 a good rest. If the groom is careless and does not 
 tell the player that the legs are beginning to bother 
 or swell and show signs of weakness in the tendons, 
 by sharpening the bit and keeping on playing, it 
 is possible to ruin a first-rate pony that otherwise, 
 by immediate care, would be played for years. I 
 have played some of my ponies seven years, and 
 Allan Forbes played one of his ponies in all of his 
 matches for a period of ten years. He played the 
 position of No. 1 and often played only two ponies 
 in his very important matches. He was active and 
 light and knew the art "of saving his ponies. 
 
 There are a number of niceties about polo which 
 it is well for players to learn. In the first place, 
 almost all ponies, when beginning, are awkward 
 about taking the boards. Players should have their 
 ponies trained to run along the boards and jump 
 them at speed, going over them at angles without 
 swerving, which they very readily learn to do. If 
 the ponies are not specially trained to this they 
 are apt to trip on the boards some time and go 
 down or shy at them and possibly shy into another 
 pony going at speed, which might make a foul which 
 would be perfectly avoidable by a little foresight. 
 
 In coming up on the ball before hitting, the hand 
 should be held low and exerting a slight pressure 
 
HORSEMANSHII' 53 
 
 on the pony's mouth, enough to steady him and 
 show him that the rider is alert. The greatest 
 care should be taken to give no jerk whatever nor 
 any very great change of the hands or legs at the 
 moment of hitting. A jerk on the rein or a jab of 
 the spur will surely result in the horse giving some 
 little check as the stroke is made which will be most 
 disastrous to the accuracy of the stroke. Ponies 
 are often spoiled in this way, and it is a fault which 
 takes a long time to cure. The best way I have 
 found to cure ponies of a defect of this kind is to 
 get them out where there are a number of balls 
 lying around and to swing all the time so that the 
 mallet is continually moving. If one ball is passed 
 over without hitting because the pony tried to shy, 
 the next ball may be taken, but in any case the 
 utmost care should be taken not to catch the pony 
 either on the bit or with the spur or whip when the 
 stroke is made. 
 
 If the pony has a practice of shying from the 
 ball occasionally, it is well to touch him with the 
 spur before he reaches it, making the stroke with- 
 out any touch either of the curb or spur; but if he 
 shies at the time of hitting, punish him afterwards 
 by giving him a sharp dig with the spur, possibly 
 a sharp stroke of the whip, and accompanied by a 
 good active reminder on the curb, all as in the 
 nature of punishment. The pony should be then set 
 at the ball again and reminded once again with the 
 spur before the time comes to hit, not as the stroke 
 is made. If he still persists in shying, he should be 
 carefully drilled to eliminate it, but I recommend 
 strongly against digging with the spar at the mo- 
 ment the stroke is made. 
 
54 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Training 
 exercises. 
 
 Be quiet with 
 your horse. 
 
 It is well to hang a polo mallet in the stall with 
 a new pony in order to accustom him to the sight 
 and nearness of it. 
 
 I shall not make any extended comment on the 
 subject of training horses. Anybody who wants to 
 train his pony had better read that which has been 
 written on the subject by masters of polo. There 
 are a great many exercises at which ponies should 
 be put, such as bending between posts, riding past 
 other ponies going at speed, pushing against other 
 ponies, and turning and following the ball, etc. I 
 have little time to do it, and do not feel expert at it. 
 What little training of ponies I have accomplished 
 has been dope by taking a mallet and going out and 
 hitting a ball around until I could get the pony into 
 the game and then playing him until he became good, 
 only staying by those which showed sufficient apti- 
 tude for the game to play after this imperfect and 
 casual method of development. 
 
 The only suggestions I should make are that the 
 rider should always try to be quiet with the horse 
 and very firm with him. If he develops any par- 
 ticular trait, such as shying, checking, or objecting 
 to nigh-side work, throwing his head when the ball 
 is struck, swerving over the ball or on back strokes 
 turning before the ball is struck, practically the 
 whole time should be devoted to curing such defect 
 or defects until they are eradicated. It is most im- 
 portant that the horse should feel that the game 
 is a matter of course, that it is the easy and natural 
 thing, and that there is nothing unusually exciting 
 or strange about it. 
 
- CHAPTER VI 
 USE OF THE MALLET 
 
 In treating this subject, "Use of the mallet," I 
 shall take up first the subject of hitting and then 
 the manner of carrying the stick and its uses in 
 crooking. 
 
 Strokes may be divided into the following general Classification 
 classes : of strokes. 
 
 1. The full stroke forward (on the off side), 
 which can be subdivided into — 
 
 (a) The straight stroke, or one which follows the 
 line of the ball to send the ball straight ahead. 
 
 (b) The cross stroke, which swings across the line 
 of the ball ; and 
 
 (c) The cut stroke, or stroke in which the head 
 of the mallet is held at an angle to the direction 
 of the stroke, with the object of deflecting the ball. 
 
 2. The back stroke (on the off side), with the 
 same subdivisions as in the full stroke forward. 
 
 3. The nigh-side stroke forward. 
 
 4. The nigh-side stroke backward. 
 
 5. The half stroke forward, which also is di- 
 visible into the general subdivisions (a), (b), and 
 (c). 
 
 Three-fourths of the game lies in the ability to Value of 
 play the full stroke, forward and back, on the off full strokes. 
 or right-hand side of the horse; one-fourth lies in 
 the ability to hit in all other ways, as nigh-side 
 strokes, cut strokes, turning the ball, etc. 
 
 55 
 
56 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 The player should concentrate, therefore, on learn- 
 ing the full stroke well, in the belief that with the 
 full stroke well learned he can become a first-rate 
 player. Without the full stroke properly learned' 
 he can never amount to anything as a polo player. 
 His excellence in all other strokes will in no way 
 compensate for the failure to know the full stroke 
 thoroughly. 
 Pull stroke. 1. The full strolce. — (a) The full stroke is started 
 
 with the mallet in the right hand, with the upper 
 and outer part of the head pointed back, the hand 
 somewhat advanced but not raised. The stroke is 
 made by drawing the hand back without raising it, 
 well behind, and then swinging the stick with an 
 easy full sweep, the hand passing way to the full 
 reach forward, carrying the stroke through and 
 bringing the mallet to the perpendicular, where it 
 is again stopped and held. The head of the mallet 
 thus describes an elliptical circle. The hand does 
 not change its level, except on the down swing, but 
 passes from well forward to well back and forward 
 again. This movement of the hand covers a distance 
 of about three feet each way, so that the head of 
 the mallet will travel along the ground, if the horse 
 is standing still, a distance of about three feet, and 
 the ball will be hit if it is anywhere in that distance. 
 In the first of these three feet the mallet will be 
 descending, and if the ball is encountered there the 
 descending stroke will tend to drive it into the 
 ground and no distance in the movement of the 
 ball will result. In the second foot the mallet will 
 Maximum be traveling absolutely true along the ground, but 
 
 efficiency. with a slight upward tendency toward the end, and 
 
 here the maximum efficiency of the stroke is ob- 
 tained. In the third foot the mallet will be rising 
 
Use of the Mallet 57 
 
 and will tend to lift the ball and send it into the 
 air. This is sometimes a desirable thing, but usu- 
 ally it is not. The player should usually calculate 
 to hit the ball in the last six inches of the second 
 foot, above referred to, when the mallet is nearly 
 parallel to the ground, with a slight tendency up- 
 ward. Beginners almost always hit too late and Hitting too 
 thus hit the ball, if at all, in the first section and i^*"^- 
 get no distance. There is no necessity for any very strength of 
 great strength in the blow. The weight of the mallet stroke, 
 head carried with the movement of the swing, plus 
 any movement that the horse may have, is sufficient 
 to send the ball a normal distance. Greater distance 
 may be obtained by making a swifter swing, and 
 sometimes it is well, by a quick twist of the wrist, start tiie 
 to send the ball an unusual distance. The player stroicesoon 
 should always remember, however, that the most enough. 
 important thing in hitting is to start the stroke 
 soon enough, so that the mallet will not have any 
 downward tendency when it reaches the ball. Many 
 players begin their stroke at the ground, having Begin the 
 to describe a full swing of the mallet before hitting stroite from the 
 the ball, the strain on the arm in raising the mallet peipendicniar. 
 to the perpendicular being a wholly unnecessary one 
 which takes as much muscle as the whole stroke 
 does. The absurdity of hitting this way is too obvi- 
 ous for argument. It necessitates a very much nicer 
 calculation as to the time when the swing should 
 begin. If the pony is going at full speed and the 
 ball is standing still, for a proper full stroke the 
 player should begin his swing when about twenty 
 feet away from the ball, if he has his mallet up ; if 
 he has it down, he has to begin just twice as far 
 away, or perhaps a little farther, as to lift the mallet 
 is a slower affair than to swing down. The practice 
 
58 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Keep the eye 
 on the ball. 
 
 Hit with the 
 center of the 
 mallet. 
 
 When the ball 
 has stopped. 
 
 When the ball 
 is movingj 
 
 of beginning the stroke with the mallet in any other 
 position than the perpendicular has not one intel- 
 ligent argument to commend it. It is contrary to 
 all rules of good sense and practice, and should be 
 eliminated at the very beginning. 
 
 The player should keep his eye on the ball, as 
 in all other games, until the stroke is complete. 
 If he takes his eye ofif the ball, it is his own fault 
 if he misses it. He should also make sure on what 
 part of the mallet head he is hitting. He should 
 always hit it on the exact point of the mallet where 
 the stick passes through. If he hits constantly to 
 the right or to the left of the place where the stick 
 enters the head, he will hit constantly inaccurately, 
 as the mallet tends to turn in the hand with the 
 pressure of a stroke anywhere on the mallet head 
 but the center, and such turning will tend to send 
 the ball either to the right or to the left, according 
 to the side of the center on which the stroke is 
 made. So that players who want to get. accurate 
 hitting should see that they are hitting the center 
 of the ball with the center of their stick. This can 
 only be accomplished by concentrating attention on 
 it and watching vigilantly and keeping at it until 
 hitting accurately becomes habitual. 
 
 In calculating the time to hit, one has to take 
 into consideration that there are two kinds of 
 strokes — one when the ball is standing still and 
 the other when the ball is moving. When the ball is 
 standing still, the only calculation needed is the 
 speed of the pony, which one can regulate and which 
 in good play should be made as fast as possible. If 
 the speed is increasing, one has to calculate the 
 acceleration. When the ball is moving, one has to 
 calculate the movement of the ball and the move- 
 
Use of the Mallet 59 
 
 ment of the horse. If the ball is traveling in the 
 same direction as the horse, and in the direction it 
 is desired to send it, the matter becomes an ex- 
 tremely simple one, and it is hard to make a poor 
 stroke unless the ball bounces. Where the ball is 
 traveling very fast and the pony traveling equally 
 fast alongside of it, it does not matter much when 
 you begin your stroke. If the ball bounces, the When the ball 
 player is entirely excusable if he misses it entirely, bounces. 
 If the bounce is not too high and the player has 
 swung accurately, the ball may be caught on the 
 bounce by the stick; but, even so, he probably will 
 not hit the center of the ball, even though the stroke 
 were accurate, and thus the ball will be deflected 
 to one side. 
 
 Crane comments that "players should watch the 
 bounce and try to hit the ball as it strikes the 
 ground, although the best men take it in the air 
 when they have to." 
 
 Some players are quick and adroit enough to bend 
 the elbow suddenly as the ball bounces up, thus 
 catching it. This is a very brilliant play, but steadi- 
 ness is what counts, and a man can feel satisfied 
 if he always gets his stroke except when the ball 
 bounces, and a player should not feel bad at miss- 
 ing it when he struck at the strategic and proper 
 moment. 
 
 (b) and (c) I now come to the question of hit- 
 ting the ball at an angle to the course in which 
 it is traveling. There are two ways of changing 
 the course of the ball — the cut stroke, made by Cut stroke, 
 swinging in the line the ball is traveling but with the 
 mallet head held at an angle so as to turn the ball 
 when it strikes, and the cross stroke, made by Cross stroke. 
 swinging across the line that the ball is taking. 
 
60 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Values 
 compared. 
 
 Accuracy of 
 different 
 strokes 
 compared. 
 
 The merit of a cut stroke, as compared with that of 
 a cross stroke, varies directly with the rapidity of 
 the movement of the ball past the pony. If the 
 ball is going past rapidly, the cut stroke is much 
 safer; if going past very slowly or moving at the 
 same rate, the cross stroke is better. The cut stroke 
 is necessary when turning the ball away from the 
 pony; turning toward the pony the cross stroke 
 sometimes has advantages. The cut stroke requires 
 the mallet to be centered more accurately on the 
 ball because the angle at which the head is held 
 presents a narrower surface with which to make 
 the stroke than if the head were held square, as it 
 is in the cross stroke. The difficulty of timing the 
 cross stroke when the ball is moving rapidly past 
 the pony is so much greater than the cut stroke that 
 it much more than balances the disadvantage of the 
 narrower surface of the mallet head in the former 
 and renders the cross stroke so much more difficult 
 to accomplish that the chances are all in favor of 
 the cut stroke. It is probable that most players use 
 a combination of the two, swinging somewhat across 
 the line and giving an additional deflection to the 
 ball by holding the mallet head at an angle. I 
 believe this to be advisable and perhaps necessai'y 
 when the ball is to be cut well across. 
 
 The experiments I have made indicate that the 
 effective distance that the mallet passes along the 
 ground — about two feet — is increased by about a 
 foot by the movement of the pony when going ati 
 speed. In the back stroke the effective distance of 
 the stroke is reduced by about six inches by the 
 adverse movement of the pony. The accuracy neces- 
 sary to place the mallet in contact with the ball 
 throughout the distance of two feet, as in the cut 
 
Use of the Mal,let 61 
 
 stroke, is very much less than that necessary to hit 
 the ball where the distance of possible contact is a 
 matter of a few inches, as in the cross stroke. This 
 difference is accentuated when the ball is moving 
 toward the player, when the chance of hitting it 
 squarely when the mallet is traveling along the line 
 of the ball is in the ratio of something like ten to 
 one over the chance of hitting it with a cross stroke. 
 The cut stroke also has an advantage where the ball 
 is being turned across the pony, in that the mallet 
 is not so likely to hit him as it is when swinging 
 toward him. 
 
 Another point to be noted is that the cross stroke 
 will send the ball a very much greater distance than 
 the cut stroke. It is obvious that if the mallet head 
 is held square, perpendicular to the direction that 
 it is intended to send the ball, a much greater dis- 
 tance will ensue than if the ball encounters only 
 that resistance which comes from a slanting or 
 glancing blow with the mallet head held obliquely 
 to the direction of the stroke. This, however, is not 
 necessarily an argument in favor of the cross stroke, 
 as direction is often infinitely more important than 
 distance, and especially in turning the ball a short 
 stroke is usually more to be desired than a long one. 
 
 Summing up, then, where the ball is passing the 
 pony in either direction and it is desired to turn 
 the ball away from the pony, the cut stroke is 
 usually the only possible one ; and when it is desired 
 to turn the ball across the pony, it is much the safer 
 stroke to try, as the cross stroke has to be calculated 
 with great nicety, judging the speed of the horse, 
 the speed of the ball, and the angle at which it will 
 strike — all of which make a great many variables 
 to be discounted. In the cut stroke, where the 
 
62 As TO Polo 
 
 mallet is sent along the line in which the ball is 
 traveling, the variables are reduced to a minimum, 
 and there remains only the question of getting the 
 proper angle and centering the stick so that the 
 mallet will meet the ball. The various ways of 
 hitting, however, are subject to so many variations 
 of circumstances that it is almost impossible to 
 lay down rules. If the ball is traveling in the same 
 direction as the pony, and at the same speed, it 
 is very easy to hit it at any angle, for one can make 
 the same stroke as one can with the horse and ball 
 standing still. 
 
 When it is desired to turn the ball across under 
 the pony's neck it is well to ride a little closer to 
 the ball and lean forward, hitting the ball before 
 you get to it. The more you wish to turn the ball 
 the closer you will ride to it and the farther forward 
 you will lean. Until at right angles the pony should 
 be turned directly toward the ball and the stroke 
 should be made under his neck. In this case, how- 
 ever, care should be taken not to swing too fiercely, 
 as, with a reasonably whippy stick, the head may 
 come right around and strike the player in the face, 
 particularly if the ball is missed. Sometimes, when 
 the angle is not too great, the ball can be made 
 to clear the pony by bringing the pony up very wide, 
 say, three or four feet, from the ball, leaning well 
 out of the saddle and turning the ball across in 
 front of the pony. In any case care should be 
 taken not to hit the pony with the stick or the ball, 
 a thing undesirable both from the point of view of 
 possible injury to the pony and of spoUing the stroke. 
 Chopping the Sometimes, where it is necessary to cut the ball 
 
 ball. across and no great distance is needed, it is well to 
 
 chop at the ball, hitting in such a way that the mal- 
 
Use op the Mallet 63 
 
 let head will stop on the ground. This prevents 
 tangling the stick with the pony's legs and often 
 serves the necessary end. 
 
 In turning the ball away from the pony it will be Turning the 
 found effective also to bring him up well to the ball, 
 side of the ball and then to hit a half stroke rather 
 late. If a full stroke is attempted under these cir- 
 cumstances the mallet will often catch in the pony's 
 tail, as he will have it swung, rudder like, toward 
 the side he is turning, and to get the stroke away 
 one swings across from behind the horse. A half 
 stroke wUl send the ball a nice distance to turn 
 and reach. 
 
 2. The hack stroke. — In making the back stroke Backstroke. 
 on the off or right side, which is the second most 
 important stroke in the game of polo, I always put 
 my thumb down the center of the flat part of the 
 handle and swing with much more rapidity than 
 I do on the fore stroke, for the reason that the 
 momentum of the horse is against the stroke, instead 
 of being with it, and therefore much more force is 
 needed to get distance. 
 
 In the forward stroke most beginners hit too late. Don't hit 
 In the back stroke they are almost certain to hit too soon. 
 too soon. Never hit the ball until you have passed 
 it unless you are compelled to do so for one of two 
 reasons, either because somebody is coming up to 
 interfere with the stroke by riding or crooking, or 
 because it is crossing the goal and it is necessary to 
 hit it before it reaches there, in which case dis- 
 tance is not the thing sought for but stopping the 
 ball somehow. In these cases I swing with the hand 
 held forward, making entirely a wrist stroke so 
 as not to jab the ball down into the ground with a 
 descending blow. 
 
64 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Don't hit 
 
 toward 
 
 oncoming 
 
 players. 
 
 Look where to 
 send the ball. 
 
 Drawing the 
 
 back stroke 
 across. 
 
 In making the back stroke, particularly on the 
 part of No. 4, care should be taken to hit the ball 
 at some angle from the line of play in such a way 
 that the stroke will not be blocked and spoiled by 
 hitting oncoming horses. One well-known back, 
 whom I knew, consistently drew the ball across 
 behind his pony's quarters, hitting always toward 
 his left, a policy which usually worked well. 
 
 The whole rush of ponies of both teams is follow- 
 ing in the line the ball is coming, and if the stroke 
 goes directly back there is a probability of 
 hitting the feet or legs of one of the ponies or of 
 the ball getting hit by the mallet of some alert 
 opponent, whereas if the ball is drawn or cut by No. 
 4, when he backs it, so that it moves somewhat away 
 from the line the crowd is following, there is every 
 chance that it will not be blocked. Knowing this 
 practice on the part of the player of whom I speak, 
 I always threw my pony across to my left in order 
 to intercept the ball, but rarely succeeded in block- 
 ing the back stroke, as I was across the new line 
 the ball was traveling and the chance of blocking 
 it was infinitely less than if I had been traveling 
 along the line of the ball. The best players, how- 
 ever, look to see where they are hitting to and strive 
 to hit either to the right or to the left, according as 
 they are hitting away from the goal they are de- 
 fending, away from players of the opposing side, 
 or toward players of their own side. Sometimes, 
 perhaps, all three considerations may enter into 
 the thing, sometimes one and sometimes another 
 being a controlling reason for the direction and 
 distance of the stroke. When the ball is to be 
 drawn across behind your own pony's quarters, it 
 is well to ride fairly close to the ball, hitting a little 
 
Use of the Mallet G5 
 
 later than you otherwise would, leaning back in the 
 saddle and swinging well across behind the pony. 
 The amount of the angle of swing to the line of the 
 ball should be determined by the distance across it 
 is desired to send the ball. If it is desired to send 
 it well across, I should combine the cut or turned 
 mallet head with the cross swing. 
 
 3. The nigh-side stroke -forward. — To make my Xigh-side 
 nigh-side forward stroke, I stand up in the saddle, foiward 
 For this purpose I have my stirrups fairly short and st^'°'^^- 
 turn so that my shoulders are parallel to the direc- 
 tion the horse is going. I then lean forward just 
 enough to get my shoulder fairly well over the ball 
 I am trying to hit and make what is really a back 
 stroke forward. In other words, I use the same 
 strength, muscle, and stroke, with my thumb down As It were a 
 the center of the stick, as though I were hitting a back stroke 
 back stroke on the off side, and in this way I get *°>^^^'^^'<l- 
 a lot of force in the nigh-side forward stroke. The 
 swing is exactly the same as for the off-side back 
 stroke, except that there is no occasion to put so 
 much speed in the swing, as the momentum is now 
 aU in favor of the stroke. In order to get this 
 position one has to make movements of the legfi 
 which, until the pony understands what is wanted, 
 are likely to make him think he is wanted to turn; 
 and, as a matter of fact, I have often seen ponies 
 turn over the ball in response to the movement of 
 the legs in making this stroke. This tendency may 
 be balanced by a counter pressure of the rein, but a 
 thoroughly trained pony, the moment he sees your 
 hand swing across, will know that it means he is 
 expected to stay straight and bring you up true on 
 the ball, in spite of the fact that you have turned 
 and changed the position of your legs in the saddle. 
 
66 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Tendency to 
 hit late. 
 
 Nigh-side 
 back stroke. 
 
 Carry the 
 
 stroke 
 
 through. 
 
 Practice 
 meeting the 
 ball. 
 
 I always move my mallet over to the nigh side as 
 soon as I have decided to make the nigh-side stroke, 
 so as to give my pony notice of what I expect of him. 
 The tendency to hit late on the nigh side is even 
 more pronounced than it is on the other side, owing 
 to the length of time it takes to get placed and the 
 increased dilficulty in the stroke, and the fact that 
 one does not get the speed in the swing that is 
 usual on the off side. Beginners should try to dis- 
 count this by beginning their strokes a little sooner 
 than it looks as though they ought to. 
 
 4. The nigh-side stroke hackivard. — The back 
 stroke on the nigh side is almost the most powerful 
 stroke a player can make. It gets all the muscular 
 force of a forward stroke on the off side. The only 
 difficulty is that of gauging the distance from the 
 ground. The swing, augmented by the turn of the 
 body, gives an opportunity for immense force to 
 the stroke. Here again caution is given in regard to 
 hitting too soon. The same tendency that shows 
 itself in hitting too late on the forward strokes 
 leads a great many players to make the very serious 
 error of hitting too soon on the back stroke. In 
 all these strokes the mallet should make one com- 
 plete circle. The stroke should always be carried 
 through until the mallet is in the perpendicular. 
 
 To get practice in meeting coming balls, I recom- 
 mend the exercise of having balls thrown toward 
 oncoming players, in order that they may meet 
 them. Here, more than in any other stroke, the 
 difficulty lies in hitting soon enough. If the player 
 can place himself so that he is traveling in the line 
 in which the ball is coming, he is certain to hit it, 
 provided he can get his mallet off soon enough, 
 swings true, and the ball does not bounce. PI avers 
 
Use of the Mallet 67 
 
 should begin this exercise with the pony at a stand- 
 still, so as to see at what distance from the ball 
 it is necessary to begin swinging so as to get the 
 mallet down at the right time. They should also 
 study to get a little adroitness in moving the pony 
 into a position that will bring the swing along the 
 line in which the ball is coming rather than across 
 it. When the eye is trained and enough experience 
 has been gained to meet the ball regularly with the 
 pony standing still, the next development is meeting 
 a thrown ball by riding toward it, gradually in- 
 creasing the speed. When the pony is moving fast, 
 the difiSculty in meeting is not much greater than 
 if the pony is standing still or if the ball is standing 
 still, provided always that the ball does not bounce. 
 As explained elsewhere, it is much more difficult 
 to meet the ball successfully with a cross stroke 
 than with a stroke that follows the line in which 
 the ball is coming, as it takes a much nicer calcula- 
 tion. 
 
 When the ball is standing still or moving very 
 slowly and it is desired to change the direction of 
 play or to hit it in a direction other than that in 
 which the pony has been going, it is well to turn the Hitting when 
 pony and get started on the new line it is proposed turning, 
 to establish before hitting the ball. This should 
 always be done if the ball is stationary, unless the 
 player is being hurried by one of the other side Fig. 5. 
 and has to ride straight at the ball in order to 
 maintain his right of way. In other words, if by 
 turning before reaching the ball he loses his right 
 of way and possibly his chance to hit, he should 
 hit the ball while turning, or, if he can not do that 
 without fouling, ride straight at it and hit it and 
 turn to follow it afterwards. When the ball is 
 
68 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 2. 
 
 Passing the 
 ball before 
 turning. 
 
 The half 
 stroke. 
 
 standing still, or nearly so, turning before reaching 
 it has the following advantages: First, the stroke 
 is truer because you are hitting in the direction 
 you are going and do not have to send the ball at an 
 angle to the natural swing of the mallet. Second, 
 it is easier to hit the ball because the horse, when 
 turning, is leaning and therefore brings you nearer 
 to the ground on one side or farther on the other, 
 which makes necessary an adjustment of the length 
 of the stick. Third, one of the' most important 
 things of polo is maintaining the right of way once 
 on it. If the pony is headed in the right direction 
 when the ball is hit, there is no necessity of further 
 turning, which usually means some delay in getting 
 adjusted to the new direction. Thus, if all of these 
 preliminaries can be attended to before the rush 
 is started when the ball is once hit, the pony can 
 go along with accelerated speed and make the ad- 
 vance very much more formidable than it will be 
 if there are preliminaries to be attended to after 
 hitting and before the right of way can be entered 
 upon and maintained at speed. In this connection, 
 when there is plenty of time and it is desired to 
 change the direction of the play directly back instead 
 of turning directly over the ball, the player should 
 ride past it about ten or fifteen feet, turn his pony, 
 and come back at it, so that when he finally hits 
 the ball he is traveling along the line of the new 
 right of way and is all ready to continue the rush. 
 5. The half stroke.—The half stroke is made by 
 dropping the mallet until it is perpendicular to the 
 ground, swinging it slowly backward and then 
 swinging it along the ground slowly forward, being 
 careful to hit the ball after the mallet has passed 
 the perpendicular and the head of the mallet is on 
 
Use of the Mallet 69 
 
 the upward swing. In case the exigencies of the 
 stroke are such as to necessitate hitting the ball 
 back of the saddle, the same result* can be accom- 
 plished by leaning away back, holding the arm back 
 behind the saddle, and swinging from there without 
 the usual forward movement of the hand and arm, 
 taking the ball only with a swing of the wrist. A 
 little practice wUl show what distance can be se- 
 cured with half strokes, and, in case the ball is not 
 driven far enough to allow time to make the second 
 a full stroke, it is easy to make a second half stroke. 
 In other words, if there is not time before reaching 
 the ball again to make a complete swing, or if there 
 is not enough room for such swing, owing to the 
 propinquity of other players, the half stroke may 
 be repeated. 
 
 The half stroke is useful, first, where a short Uses of 
 distance is desired, and second, where there is not half strokes, 
 room for the full stroke. The short distance is 
 usually desired, first, when hitting strokes that cut 
 the lines of play and that do not parallel them, as 
 shown in Fig. 1 — in other words, when taking the 
 ball around; second, in hitting where there is an 
 opponent clear in front to whom you do not want 
 to hit and who may be avoided by hitting short, 
 so that he can not get near the ball without stopping 
 or perhaps turning his horse, in which case you have 
 a good chance to rush past him with your second 
 stroke; third, hitting when it is desired to hit to 
 some player of your side who can be reached by a 
 short stroke but not by a long one; and fourth, in 
 playing approach shots to goal. I am personally 
 much opposed to taking long shots at goal. I believe Don't try longr 
 in approaching and then sending the ball over from sl^ots at goal. 
 near to. I personally never try to hit a goal from a 
 
70 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 And why. 
 
 Angle goals. 
 
 Lifting the 
 ball. 
 
 greater distance than sixty yards, even though di- 
 rectly in front and with a clear field. I always try 
 an approach shot instead and then endeavor to drive 
 the ball over, with my last stroke, close to. The 
 reason for this is that hitting from over sixty yards 
 requires such accuracy and precision of stroke that 
 a player of no greater accuracy of stroke than I 
 will probably knock the ball out ; and I believe that 
 team will win in the long run which plays always 
 for approach to the goal, with the idea of hitting 
 the ball through from fairly close to the goal line. 
 The distance from which a goal may be safely tried 
 varies with the angle. At a sharp angle one should 
 not try the goal at a greater distance than thirty 
 yards ; at a very sharp angle it does not pay to try 
 to hit the goal at all. I hit to have the ball stop 
 out in front of the posts, depending upon a second 
 stroke to carry it through. 
 
 There are certain niceties of play one sees in very 
 expert players. One is dropping the mallet in the 
 ■way of the ball so as to stop a long pass from one 
 of your side from passing up to an opponent who is 
 clear, thus preventing its return and placing it in 
 position for some one of your side to take along. 
 Another play is deliberately to dribble the ball 
 toward your own goal so as to elude the rush of 
 an oncoming opponent, and then to turn on it, pass- 
 ing it or backing it as the case may be. There are 
 times when both these devices are extremely effective. 
 
 To lift the ball one leans so as to swing the mallet 
 head nearer the ground and hits a little bit sooner 
 on the forward stroke and later on the back stroke. 
 I have also found that a slight cut helps me to 
 raise the ball; why, I don't know. I am not a be- 
 liever, however, in hitting into the air. Where one 
 
Use of the Mallet 7J. 
 
 is aiming for tlie goal and there are players inter- 
 posing, a small mathematical calculation will show 
 that the chance of having a ball blocked at the 
 height of the horse's body is many times greater 
 than along the ground, where only the legs and feet 
 of the ponies are in the way. 
 
 Greater distance may be obtained by raising the 
 ball, thereby lessening friction, but when the ball 
 falls it bounces so that it is more difficult for a ' 
 rider in front to pick it up. A great distance is use- 
 ful only when the ball is hit up by the backs, either 
 on forward or back strokes. A back who raises 
 the ball slightly gets the greatest distance ; and the 
 back who places it so as to be avoided by oncoming 
 players is of greatest use to his side. 
 
 One often sees players who habitually miss their 
 last stroke for goal after carrying the ball success- 
 fully for several strokes. This is usually due to 
 their taking the eye off the ball to sight for the 
 posts and not getting it back to the ball in time. 
 Care should be taken to remedy this defect where 
 it develops. 
 
 I consider it to be bad polo to knock the ball Knocking out 
 over the back line anywhere outside the posts. is bad polo. 
 
 I always carry the loop of the mallet over the 
 wrist — never over the thumb. When placed over the 
 wrist the mallet may be spun around a few times 
 to twist the loop so it will not fall down over the 
 hand when the hand is held down ; but it should not 
 be twisted enough to bind on the wrist. 
 
 When not hitting, the mallet should always be 
 carried perpendicularly, and with the head up ex- 
 cept when it is pretty certain that a half stroke will 
 be needed shortly. A moment's thought will dis- 
 close the necessity of this, from the point of view 
 
72 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Carry the 
 mallet in 
 perpendicular. 
 
 Crooking. 
 
 Riding is better 
 than crooking. 
 
 Use of mallet 
 to protect one's 
 head and pony. 
 
 of saving the muscles of the hand and arm, for, no 
 matter how easy the play, it is a strain to hold the 
 stick throughout the hour of play. The stick should 
 be perpendicular because that is the easiest way 
 to hold it. It takes almost no muscle to balance 
 it, and it takes muscle to hold it in any other way 
 except with the head directly down; but when held 
 in this position the mallet is of no use when the 
 time comes to hit a full stroke, as it has to be 
 raised to the perpendicular before the stroke. 
 
 Especial care should be taken to learn how to 
 crook an opponent's mallet successfully. Players 
 should remember that a stroke spoiled is equal in 
 value, although opposite in effect, to a stroke made. 
 The clever use of the stick to spoil one's opponent's 
 strokes is an asset easy to obtain, and it is a part of 
 the necessary equipment of a flrst-class polo player. 
 
 I have found that to crook successfully it is wise 
 to hold the mallet with the outer end of the head 
 up in order that the opponent's mallet striking 
 the slope of the head may be brought into the stick 
 and thus caught. Wherever possible the mallet 
 should be crooked either at the beginning of the 
 stroke or before the head has swung below the hori- 
 zontal, as, if caught at the point where the mallet 
 strikes the ball, the impact is apt to ruin both sticks. 
 
 There are so many chances in crooking that as a 
 general rule of play I should personally recommend 
 no player to crook the opponent's mallet in prefer- 
 ence to riding his man if he is in position to do so. 
 
 In playing, remember that ponies are apt to get 
 discouraged by being hurt by a stroke of the stick, 
 particularly at the beginning of their play. The 
 player should so use his stick as to defend his head 
 as well as his pony. He should so hold it as to catch 
 
Use of the Mallet 73 
 
 any stroke liable to land on the pony's head, and 
 also to fend off strokes liable to get by and strike 
 him in the nose, and, when necessary, the legs, 
 although the legs are ordinarily protected by the 
 boots — and strokes on the feet do not matter. It 
 is the whip at the end of the stroke that ordinarily 
 does the damage both to the man and beast, and it 
 is always well to remember this and try to protect 
 the face and eye by holding the stick conveniently. 
 I never use the mallet for defense, however, when 
 it may be needed for strokes. 
 
 While great strength is not necessary for polo, strengthening 
 as some slight men of no great physical strength the hand and 
 are among the best players, at the same time it can wrist. 
 be readily understood that strength of the hand is of 
 the utmost importance. Players who have not strong 
 hands should take regular exercises calculated to 
 strengthen the grip of the hand, wrist, and forearm. 
 There are machines for this purpose, to be found in 
 well-appointed gymnasiums, and I believe devices 
 can be purchased by which the grip of the hand is 
 worked against a spring. Regular exercise of this 
 kind will undoubtedly help. People do not often 
 realize that the body can be developed to almost 
 any degree by concentrating attention upon the de- 
 sired point, and a strong grip and strong forearm 
 will be of inestimable value to players. 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 TEAM PLAY 
 
 Cosmos of tlie The cosmos of polo is difficult to understand be- 
 Pl^y- cause of the kaleidoscopic nature of the game and 
 
 the fact that with each changing stroke the whole 
 order of the game may be changed. This is inherent 
 in the nature of the game, owing to the rapidity of 
 the movement of the ball and of the players. It is 
 none the less true that there is a very definite 
 cosmos, and the fact that it is difficult to grasp 
 makes it more subtle, more intricate, and perhaps 
 all the more important. 
 
 To determine the lines of greatest efficiency in 
 playing, draw the polo field with lines radiating 
 from the center of the offensive goal line and run- 
 ning straight till they have reached the sides, draw- 
 Fig- 1- ing no lines, however, that reach the side lines 
 nearer the nearest corner of the field than is the 
 line from the center of the goal line to the corner. 
 If the field were straight-sided this would leave a 
 right-angled triangle, which should be shaded or 
 touched to a different color to indicate that it is 
 what is known as dead territory. In Fig. 1 this 
 section is shown in red, so called because it is out of 
 the direct line of attack toward the goals, and it is 
 very bad polo for an attacking team to send the 
 ball into it except for special cause, as shown else- 
 where. 
 
 The lines immediately in front of the defensive 
 goal should go directly toward the sides, but the 
 
 74 
 
Tbam Play 75 
 
 farther they get from the goal line the more they 
 should slant forward until at about sixty yards 
 they should go directly up the field and toward the 
 oflfensive goal. These lines to the sides should curve 
 toward the offensive goal as they approach the 
 side lines until they merge with the direct lines ra- 
 diating out from the goal. The field will now be 
 covered with a series of lines taking a general pear 
 shape. 
 
 These lines indicate the correct line of travel for 
 the ball. With a few exceptions, to be noted later, 
 all strokes that cut these lines are bad polo; all 
 strokes that parallel these lines are good polo. 
 . There are three factors which control the position Position of 
 of the players. The first is the direction of the play, players. 
 which in turn is controlled by the position and 
 movement of the ball. The second is the spacing Fig. 24. 
 or position of the players on their own side. The 
 third is the position of the opponents, particularly 
 the corresponding one. 
 
 To make myself entirely clear, I will state that Definition of 
 the corresponding opponent of No. 1 is No. 4; the term 
 corresponding opponent of No. 2 is No. 3 ; of No. 3, ^""'^tg'",?' °^ 
 No. 2 ; and of No. 4, No. 1, and should be so under- 
 stood wherever reference is made to a corresponding 
 opponent. It does not always follow that the corre- 
 sponding opponent will be the man who ought to be 
 at that position. I am talking now always of the 
 man who is in that position ; for instance, if in the 
 exigencies of play the opposing No. 1 and No. 3 
 change places. No. 2's position will then be to play 
 against the opposing No. 1. 
 
 Taking these three controlling factors up in order, 
 the player should figure in his mind's eye the defi- 
 nite location of a "right of way" which extends Right of way. 
 
76 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 2. along a line drawn through the center of the ball, 
 
 and, following the direction it is going, reaches from 
 ten to forty feet in front of the ball, according 
 to the speed of the play, and trails along behind 
 it an indefinite distance. This right of way is four 
 or five feet wide, or the amount of room taken up 
 by the pony and a man with a clear swing of the 
 mallet about one foot to the side of the ball. 
 
 The secret of team play is for a team to get 
 quickly into this right of way the moment it is 
 made possible by the movement of the ball and 
 then come along with such speed as to maintain it, 
 each player covering that section of the right of 
 way which pertains to his position, and at the same 
 time preventing his corresponding opponent from 
 getting the ball. 
 
 The best way to teach players to respect the 
 right of way is to let them understand that the 
 man who has it will come down it at railroad 
 Maintaining speed, that it is as disastrous to cross it as it is 
 riglit of way. to cross a railroad track with an express train com- 
 ing. With the coming of automobiles, the process 
 of natural selection will eliminate those hens that 
 try to rush across the road, and the same fate awaits 
 the man who does not respect the right of way 
 in good polo, as he will get killed or cursed off the 
 field before he has been at it many hours. All play- 
 ers who are outside of the line of play, except when 
 they have moved out to cover an opponent so as to 
 keep him out of it, are out of place and of no use 
 to their team. This, however, does not apply to 
 players who, under signal or preconcerted arrange- 
 ment, are placing themselves for a diagonal pass. 
 Any player who gallops parallel to another man of 
 bis own side is absolutely worthless to his team, as 
 
Team Plat 77 
 
 under no usual combination of circumstances can 
 the ball be expected to pass sideways from the line 
 which it is traveling; and anyone finding himself 
 riding in this way should immediately either pull 
 up or call to the other man to do so. 
 
 Players should never carry the ball around the Don't cany 
 field, except to defend goal or to avoid hitting it t^iebali 
 to one of the opponents who is clear and not eov- ^'^°"'*<*- 
 ered by one of his own side. In the latter case the 
 ball should be dribbled around with short strokes, 
 preferably not more than fifteen or twenty feet to 
 a stroke. Hitting long strokes around the fields 
 has many disadvantages, but only one possible ad- 
 vantage. The possible advantage comes in the case 
 of a very brilliant hitter who has a pony so very 
 much faster than any pony on the field that he can, 
 by hitting it far, get clear for the second stroke, 
 being hard pressed at the time he first hits the ball. 
 This condition is so infrequent that it may be dis- 
 regarded. The disadvantages are, first, that the 
 play does not bring one any nearer to the goal 
 which is sought; secondly, that the second stroke 
 is at a difficult angle and must be taken either by 
 turning the pony and hitting across the line of the 
 ball or by hitting the ball at a sharp angle. The 
 same is true of the third stroke, and, when the ball 
 is afterwards brought around, the goal often has to 
 be made at a difficult angle. Besides the difficulty 
 of completing the play, it is one which is so easy to 
 stop that an experienced player is seldom guilty of 
 attempting it. A trained opponent will character- 
 ize it as "fruit," and, sizing up the fact that he has 
 an inexperienced man to deal with, will start across 
 the field to intercept the next stroke before the 
 man who made the stroke gets there. The opponent 
 
78 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Spacing. 
 
 No two 
 players of one 
 side to be 
 togetlier. 
 
 Exception. 
 
 can usually start across first because the man who 
 takes the ball around has to complete his stroke 
 before he can turn his pony, whereas the opponent 
 can start as soon as he sees where it is intended 
 to send the ball, and, judging the relative speed of 
 the ponies, he can so direct his course as to inter- 
 cept the ball at any point in the circle which he 
 feels he can reach. By getting there well ahead 
 of the man who hit the ball across, he can break 
 up the whole play and very likely get the ball and 
 turn it to his own advantage. Other things being 
 equal, if I see any of my opponents in a match de- 
 velop the practice of taking the ball around, I know 
 that they are certainly doomed to defeat. 
 
 In regard to spacing, this most important item of 
 polo seems to be very difficult to impress upon be- 
 ginners. A fundamental rule of team play is that 
 no two players of the same side should be near or 
 on the ball at the same time. The only exception 
 to this rule is in case of a man riding up to keep 
 an opponent whom he is covering from getting the 
 ball, in which case he is covering his man and not 
 riding for the ball. Even when covering an oppos- 
 ing player, if the ball is standing still and the 
 players in front are standing over it and jabbing 
 at it, he had much better let his corresponding 
 player ride in and have a whack at it than to go in 
 himself and join the mess. If a player lets the op- 
 ponents bunch and then pulls up and takes his 
 position, when the ball is hit out, the side which 
 is spaced has three men that may get it, whereas 
 the side which is not spaced has two. If two of 
 these three players were covering their men as they 
 ought to be doing, it means that the player who is 
 free will get the ball and have a clear run of it. 
 
Team Play 79 
 
 Players should understand that they cannot help 
 
 one of their own side who is on the ball except by Three ways 
 
 doing one of three things — by putting themselves of helping 
 
 in the place to which the next stroke will send the °^^'^ ®^^^- 
 
 ball ; by coming right behind to take it in case it is 
 
 missed, always being careful to stay far enough 
 
 back to cover the corresponding opponent; or by 
 
 riding an opponent and keeping him out of the 
 
 play. 
 
 The distance the players should space from each Spacing 
 other varies greatly with conditions. It depends distance, 
 upon the length of stroke of the man with whom 
 you are playing, upon the speed of play, and upon 
 the position occupied by the opponents. The exact Fig. 24. 
 point where the man should leave his opponent and 
 ride back or forward to get his spacing is a thing 
 which is very hard to determine by rule and must 
 depend upon the player's judgment, and his de- 
 cision will dififer according to the speed, skill, and 
 mounts of himself and opponents, and to the style of 
 play of the particular man from whom he is spacing, 
 the distance of his strokes, etc. It also depends very 
 largely upon the other players of the same side. 
 For instance, if No. 2 has an extremely active and 
 alert No. 1, who is quite likely to turn and get the 
 ball first in case the opposing back and he ride over 
 it and he finds that No. 3 on the other side likes 
 to ride close up, supporting his man from too close 
 a distance, No. 2 may elect to ride in with the op- 
 posing No. 3 and break up his support of his team, 
 confident that, if No. 4 or No. 3 of his own side get 
 the ball back, his No. 1 will turn it to offensive 
 account. The merit of this play also depends upon 
 the part of the field in which it occurs. Where his 
 goal is threatened. No. 2 should always ride in and 
 
80 As TO Polo 
 
 block the opposing No. 3. If, however, the goal 
 is not threatened and the play is well up in the 
 field, and he thinks No. 3 is riding up too close, No. 
 2 may lurk the proper distance back to receive the 
 ball. 
 
 One team that I have seen play, which has ex- 
 cellent team work, always has No. 2 lurk away back 
 on the defense, counting on No. 3 and No. 4 getting 
 Fig. 6. the ball back to him. This, however, is counting on 
 
 erroneous play on the part of the opposing No. 3, 
 who, if he knows his business, will pull up and in- 
 stead of following close to his No. 2, will support 
 him from a space of, say, five yards or so in front of 
 his lurking opponent, whose offensive value will 
 thus be nullified. No. 3, so playing, would be 
 pretty sure to get the ball in case the opposing No. 4 
 sends it well back, and he still would be in position 
 to come through on it in case the two pairs in front 
 ride over it. 
 Don t support Supporting one's own players by following too 
 your side from close is also dangerous. Many runs are spoiled 
 too close. (jy ^jjg |jg^22 bouncing in the air. If the ball bounces 
 
 and hits the stick it is pretty sure to go sideways. 
 If a player is following the man in front too closely 
 and the ball hits the stick and goes a little to one 
 side or hits the pony's feet and stops or bounces 
 back (as it is very apt to do when two players are 
 riding each other over it), the checked movement 
 of the baU will throw a closely pursuing player 
 Trailing. entirely out. If the corresponding opponent, riding 
 
 farther back, is not covered, he will come along 
 and get the ball. Thus, No. 2, for example, trailing 
 along, expecting his No. 3 or his No. 4 to send 
 the ball back or ride over it and leave it for him 
 to take, should ride with his eye alternately watch- 
 
Team Play 81 
 
 ing the players in front and the opposing No. 3, 
 who should be beside or behind him. He should Fig. 24. 
 pull up and so space himself as not to be thrown 
 entirely out by a sideways movement or check of 
 the ball. At the same time, if the ball is sent well 
 back, he will cover the opposing No. 3 and not 
 leave him riding clear so that he can get the ball. 
 In other words, the spacing in a case like that is 
 controlled almost entirely by the position of the 
 corresponding player on the other side, unless he is 
 so ridiculously far back as to be out of place. 
 
 In play of average speed, 30 to 35 yards is fair Secret of 
 spacing. Players should always begin to get ner- team play, 
 vous the minute they begin to get within 15 yards 
 of any of their side. The secret of effective team Make it tlie 
 work in any game is so to direct your play that other fellow's 
 the fault will be less with you than with any other '^"it- 
 player ; in other words, be sure to do your part. 
 
 Many players, particularly those who have re- 
 cently begun the game, get what is known as "ball 
 crazy." They have one idea fixed in their heads, 
 and that is the ball ; they must be on it all the time. Ball crazy. 
 They can not realize that a man can be of any use 
 to his team unless he is hitting the ball. One of 
 the commonest manifestations of this mania is the 
 practice of backing the ball when the opponents 
 have hit it so that it is about to roll over the back 
 line. Good players always let it roll over. It means 
 that the whole team will get their ponies turned 
 and get ready for the offensive rush before the ball 
 is hit rather than afterwards. The knock in is al- 
 most certain to be a better stroke than a back stroke 
 when the ball is moving with the uncertainty of 
 bouncing, etc. All the arguments are in favor of 
 letting the ball go out. Also the opponent's safety 
 
82 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 A stroke 
 spoiled is a 
 stroke made. 
 
 Know where 
 your corre- 
 sponding 
 opponent is. 
 
 Fig. 24. 
 
 Riding off. 
 
 should be allowed to go over except in the excep- 
 tional circumstance of a good shot at goal as it 
 rolls or in the event of the last few minutes of a 
 game where a goal is needed to win and the ball 
 can be placed where a probable goal will result. 
 
 It is axiomatic that a stroke spoiled is equal to 
 a stroke made. The man who can not hit the baU 
 well himself may very easily be of equal use to his 
 side by preventing the opponents from hitting it. 
 It should be the ambition of each player, however, 
 to do a little bit more than his share, to be a little 
 bit better than the corresponding player on the other 
 side. A player should not be satisfied to be an en- 
 tirely negative quantity neutralizing the work of 
 some man of the other side; he should also be a 
 positive force. In calculating the merit of a player, 
 however, one must always remember that no 
 amount of brilliant work will compensate for fail- 
 ure to cover properly the corresponding opponent. 
 Thus the man playing No. 2 should know instinc- 
 tively every minute of the time just where the 
 opposing No. 3 is. By opposing jSTo. 3 I mean, as I 
 have said before, the man playing No. 3's position. 
 He should have an uncomfortable feeling that it is 
 his fault every time the opposing No. 3 hits the ball. 
 If he is supporting his own man, the distance he fol- 
 lows him up must be controlled by the position the 
 opposing No. 3 is playing. 
 
 There are two ways of riding off. One is to watch 
 the corresponding opponent and play your pony 
 so as to cover his every movement. The other is 
 to play for the ball and, having first placed yourself 
 where you can reach it before your opponent, get 
 there first when the time comes, watching his every 
 movement and making sure that you are constantly 
 
Team Plat 83 
 
 holding your pony in such a position as to cover the 
 point from which the corresponding opponent can 
 be harmful to your side. When the time for the 
 rush comes, however, you should play directly for 
 the ball, thus putting your opponent on the defens- 
 ive and making him ride you instead of your riding 
 him, but guiding yourself by covering the point at 
 which he can be harmful to your side. Both methods 
 must be used from time to time, but of the two the 
 latter is very much the more scientific and effective. 
 It really compels your opponent to ride you instead 
 of your riding him. It puts the burden of effort on 
 him. It is the old story that strong offense is the 
 strongest defense. I use both methods. If I have 
 nothing better to do and my opposing No. 3 is not 
 looking, I am very apt to place my pony across his 
 or place myself in such a position against his pony 
 that my knee is in front of his knee. This is the 
 best way to ride off. You want so to arrange that 
 the pressure of all four legs of your pony is against 
 the forelegs of the opponent's pony. This makes 
 a pressure of four against two and means that you 
 can push him off provided your pony is any good 
 at pushing. The player so covered will undoubtedly 
 try to extricate himself. Sometimes it is well to let 
 him, having delayed him for some time, in order to 
 give him another similar scrap when he again tries 
 to pass. Sometimes it is better to stay by him, all 
 depending upon circumstances. If he is ao far out 
 of position as to limit his usefulness, it is not worth 
 while to stay with him at the expense of leaving a 
 gap in your own position. If, however, he is in his 
 position, then your proper play is a series of maneu- 
 vers and jockeying, just as important and delicate 
 as the jockeying of race horses at the start of a 
 
84 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Nearest man 
 to take ball. 
 
 Exception. 
 
 The throw in. 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 race or the maneuvering for position at the start 
 of a yacht race. 
 
 Each player should try to be a little in front of 
 the corresponding opponent, whichever way the ball 
 is going. If he does this successfully, it involves 
 quick work when the ball is backed and the direc- 
 tion of play turns from toward one goal to the 
 other, for the man who was ahead must do some 
 sharp riding to pass his man as he turns, and, after 
 turning, to get once more to his coign of vantage. 
 When playing, however, the rules as to position 
 have to give way to immediate need. The man who 
 is nearest the ball must get to it, even though out of 
 position, rather than let one of the other side get 
 it, in which case it is usually necessary for the man 
 who should have been at that position to pass and 
 take up the place left by the man who rides to 
 the ball. This, however, is qualified by the neces- 
 sity of observing whether the man who is in place 
 is in position to get the ball. For instance, sup- 
 pose two players of one side both can reach the baU 
 before one of the opponents, it is clearly the duty 
 of one or the other to take the ball, and the one 
 who does not take it should pull up or ride on and 
 take his position, regardless of the fact that he 
 may be able to get the ball first, unless the advan- 
 tage to be gained is so manifest as to justify chang- 
 ing positions and the change is called and accepted. 
 A player, however, should always stay by any 
 opponent whom he has covered, if such opponent 
 is in position to be in immediate danger to the 
 play- 
 On the throw in No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 should 
 be on their side of the line with their ponies facing 
 diagonally toward the line, generally toward the 
 
Team Play 85 
 
 referee; No. 4 should take up a place ready for an 
 offensive or defensive rush half way between No. 2 
 and No. 3, and from ten to fifteen yards away from 
 the line, ready to gallop directly back in case any of Positions and 
 the front players of the opposing side get the ball, duties of 
 and he should rush for it himself in case the ball Pi^y^^'®- 
 rolls past No. 3. No. 3 in this case should follow 
 defensively in case his No. 4 gets it, holding him- 
 self ready to ride back in case the rush should be 
 unsuccessful and leave the ball exposed to any of 
 the opponents. When the ball is thrown in, the 
 player should drive his pony fiercely at it as though 
 the whole game depended on it, trying to push his 
 pony across the line. I have often swung at the 
 ball, timing my stroke to the movement of the ball, 
 hoping to hit it as it passed under, without seeing 
 it, and often have found the result was a good 
 sharp stroke down the field. Don't slash reck- 
 lessly with your mallet, as it is too likely to hit 
 one of your opponents. Players should always 
 be considerate of the chance of a mallet head reach- 
 ing an opponent and try to avoid such contingencies. 
 
 Each player failing to get the ball should see 
 that his vis-a-vis does not get it. Once the ball has 
 passed, however, he can ride to his position, which 
 should always be in a line up and down the field. 
 The moment the ball has passed No. 1 he should ride 
 instantly to the opposing back, riding fast so as to 
 get there in case No. 2 or No. 3 should send the 
 ball up to him. 
 
 When the ball is hit, all players should figure 
 in their mind's eye the line of the right of way 
 and either get into it or get parallel to and ahead 
 of one of the opposing players, so as to be in position 
 to neutralize his efforts. 
 
86 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Hitting 
 
 straight to goal 
 the essence of 
 good play. 
 
 The knock in. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 The essence of first-rate play is hitting the ball 
 straight down the field. In first-rate polo the ball 
 will be traveling perpendicularly up and down the 
 field at a maximum and across the field at a min- 
 imum. It is well for players to train themselves 
 always to play the best polo, which means taking 
 the ball up and down the field and backing it when 
 it is desired to turn it rather than taking it around. 
 
 No. 3 or No. 4 may do the knocking in according 
 to which is the stouter hitter. The ball should 
 always be knocked away from the goal and toward 
 the side boards. The rush for the attack should start 
 from the side boards, never from the center, where 
 any miss or block would leave the goal in danger. 
 The balance of chance is all against the team Whose 
 goal is threatened. Hit to the sides and then start 
 the rush for the opposing goal from the side lines 
 or from a point near the sides where the team is 
 in position to get a good start down the field. When 
 No. 4 knocks in, No. 3 should place himself about 
 ten yards in the field and between the baU and the 
 goal posts, and le^ No. 4 ride through on his first 
 stroke. No. 3 staying back to defend in case any 
 return of the ball threatens the goal. He should 
 follow No. 4 up in case the latter hits the second 
 stroke, in order not to be too far out of the play. 
 Keene, however, believes No. 3 should play well out. 
 
 No. 2 should place himself next to the boards, 
 well back toward the goal line, and should pick up 
 No. 4's hit as it strikes the side boards and en- 
 deavor to carry it down the field. 
 
 No. 1 should place himself alongside of the op- 
 posing No. 4 and stick to him like a leech. 
 
 Crane suggests a line-up for a knock in in which 
 No. 3 takes up a position about half way between 
 
Team Play 87 
 
 the ball and No. 2. This puts the team in regular 
 position and sends the whole team down the field 
 on the ball. This formation has much to commend it. 
 
 The knock in may be varied by a series of plays Variations 
 called for by signal. One of these is to have the of knock in. 
 No. 2 take his position near the side boards and 
 close to the back line ; instead of No. 4 knocking in, 
 No. 2 gallops very rapidly across and comes at the 
 ball, going at full speed, and hits it across goal to 
 No. 3, who has left his position in front of the posts 
 and has gone out to pick it up. No. 4 follows No. 
 2 to carry the ball along in case No. 2 hits poorly 
 or misses. In this case No. 3, No. 2, and No. 4 are 
 in line on the ball, going at full speed, a combina- 
 tion particularly well adapted to a successful and 
 aggressive attack. This may be varied, if the other 
 side get rushing across the field to meet this play 
 as soon as they see No. 2 starting to gallop, by 
 having No. 4 wait behind the posts and No. 2 make 
 a feint to hit the ball and pass over it while No. 4 
 waits until he has passed and then knocks it out 
 toward the side boards as in the regular knock in, 
 and follows it up to take it along down the boards. 
 When the opponents are well under way across the 
 field into the cross-goal territory. No. 3 and No. 2 
 turn to get back, if possible before the opponents, 
 and thus support their No. 4. No. 1 in this play 
 never starts across at all and waits to pick the ball 
 up in case No. 4 sends it down the field successfully. 
 
 Other variations of this play may be tried success- 
 fully. One of them is for No. 4 to hit the ball along 
 the back line and No. 2 to pass it out diagonally 
 and cross the field where No. 3 can be waiting for 
 it. Under no circumstances should a team make 
 any play that does not have the resultant object of 
 
88 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Knock in by 
 opponents. 
 
 The corners. 
 Fig. 22. 
 
 Never send 
 two players 
 against one. 
 
 starting a rush to goal from fairly close to the side 
 lines. 
 
 Where the opposing side is knocking in, No. 1 
 should ride in and try to meet the ball from about 
 30 yards out. 
 
 No. 2 should be out toward goal to take the ball 
 if it is passed to him and also to defend in case 
 an attempt is made to knock in across the goal. 
 
 No. 2's position will vary with the position of 
 the ball on the back line; if it is near the boards 
 he will take a position slightly to the side of the 
 goal from a line through the ball and perpendic- 
 ular to the back line. 
 
 No. 3 should be on the boards defending and No. 
 4 toward the boards but nearer the center of the field 
 and a little farther back than No. 3. 
 
 When the ball is knocked into the offensive cor- 
 ners, No. 2 is clearly the man who should ride in. 
 No. 1 or No. 3 should never go in after it unless they 
 happen to be next to the opponent who has the 
 best chance to get the ball and No. 2 is not in 
 position to do it himself. In this case. No. 1 or 
 No. 3 should call to No. 2 that he is riding in, so 
 that No. 2 will not do so. In the defensive corners, 
 No. 2 must expect to go in, although it is often 
 No. 8's duty to ride in, in which case No. 2 takes 
 his place on the diagonal line, as shown in Fig. 22. 
 No two players of the same side should ever ride 
 in, either to get the ball or to impede an opponent. 
 The rest of the team should line up on the diagonal 
 line shown in Figs. 1 and 22 which represents the 
 line between live and dead territory, and take po- 
 sition, watching for the ball to come out. 
 
 No. I's position in the offensive corners is nearest 
 goal. In the defensive corners this position is usually 
 
Team Play 89 
 
 determined by the opposing back, but in general it 
 can be said to be near the side lines on the line 
 between dead and live territory. 
 
 The team should understand that the corners of Corners are 
 the field are dead territory, and — unless the play dead territory, 
 is sent into the corners for the purpose of wasting 
 time, as might be the case toward the end of a game Fig. 1. 
 which was well in hand and in which the ponies 
 were beginning to tire, or in case a player of your 
 side has gone to get a new stick or mount — that 
 hitting to the corners, in so far as its offensive value 
 to the team is concerned, is worse than not hitting 
 the ball at all. But many players, particularly be- 
 ginners, seem to think that they must hit the ball, Ball crazy, 
 even though the stroke they make is from the goal 
 they are trying to hit, and that their part of the 
 play is done if they hear the crack of their stick 
 against the ball. There are many times in polo 
 when not hitting at all is much better strategy than 
 hitting. This is the case with a stroke that throws 
 the player out of the effective line of play, as shown 
 in Fig. 1, that puts the player at a point where the 
 goal is at a difficult angle and where turning the 
 pony to get a shot at goal makes a difficult stroke, or 
 when to hit the ball would send it to an opponent Fig. 16. 
 who is clear, or when one of his own side is in a 
 better position to take it. 
 
 One other important item of play is that which is Hitting short. 
 commonly known as "hitting short." Let us say 
 that No. 3 is away with the ball and that No. 1 
 and his opposing No. 4, and No. 2 and his opposing 
 No. 3, are in front of him. No. 2 is trying to cover 
 his corresponding opponent but is not in position 
 to do so. No. 3 is on the ball and his corresponding 
 opponent, we will say, is lurking behind waiting 
 
90 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Defense 
 against hitting 
 short. 
 
 Fig. 18. 
 
 Signaling. 
 
 for something to happen. If No. 3 hits a long stroke, 
 the opposing No. 3 or No. 4 will be pretty sure to 
 send it back, but by hitting it a short stroke, just 
 up to the tail of the nearest opposing pony, then 
 going up on it fast, he puts the opposing player 
 in the uncomfortable position of deciding either to 
 pull up, in which case he will make a rush past him, 
 or to gallop on to get the next stroke, in which case 
 another short stroke will answer the purpose. The 
 only way such a play can be properly stopped is for 
 the No. 2 of the opposing side to wake up to his 
 responsibilities and ride up and block the play from 
 behind; in other words, to ride his man, a thing he 
 ought to have been doing all the time. If this play 
 is a good one when the men in front are partially 
 covered, it is still better where a player finds him- 
 self by chance with the opposing back or the oppos- 
 ing No. 3 uncovered. Of course, the defense then 
 is for the uncovered man to pull up and immediately 
 ride the man who has made the short stroke, leaving 
 it to the players behind to come up and get the ball, 
 in which case he trusts to his own men to be in 
 place and do their part, which is correct polo 
 strategy. 
 
 One of the most important items of team play is 
 the signaling from player to player, which it is very 
 hard to get even experienced players to do, yet in 
 my judgment it is one of the most necessary things 
 for successful polo. Foxhall Keene is very emphatic 
 in advising against much use of voice as between 
 players and says in the best polo "the game goes on 
 without words." He feels that much calling spoils 
 the game. My experience, wholly in minor games, 
 has been just the opposite. 
 
 I use the following general calls, and while I am 
 
Team Plat 91 
 
 constantly calling to the players of my side, I am at 
 the same time listening for their words. 
 
 The most important signal of all is "Leave it," -i.eaveit." 
 which I usually repeat very loud until the player 
 has obeyed, saying "Leave it," "Leave it," "Leave it," 
 "Leave it." This is a direct order to the player of 
 your side not to hit it, and should never be given When used. 
 because the man who calls for the other player to 
 leave it thinks he is a better player, but only because Fig. 7. 
 he has a better angle on the ball and is in a better 
 position to hit it, or because there is an opponent Fig. 8. 
 clear in front who will get the ball if it is not left 
 but is hit by the forward player. 
 
 "Go on" should never be used when "Leave it" "Goon." 
 is meant, because "Go on" may mean to go on with 
 the ball or without it. "Go on" should be used by 
 every player who is on the ball and is coming 
 through and who wants the other players of his side Fig. 9. 
 to keep on in the direction they are going. It should 
 be used from behind by the man who is hitting the 
 ball or by the man who fails to prevent an op- 
 ponent hitting the ball. For instance, if in a de- 
 fensive rush No. 1 fails to ride No. 4, he should call 
 his side to "Go on," particularly if he sees any signs Fig. 10. 
 that his No. 2 is beginning to pull up, intending to 
 turn, which will get him out of the play. 
 
 It is well to have a signal to indicate when there Signal to use 
 is plenty of time. Any word well understood by when there is 
 both teams will serve, such as "Plenty" or "Slowly." P^^nty of time. 
 If the phrase "Take your time" is used, sometimes 
 players mistake it for a call for time and stop play- 
 ing. It makes a lot of difference to players to know 
 whether they are hurried or not; whether, for ex- 
 ample, they will have time to turn on the ball or 
 pull up their pony, or wait until the ball has stopped 
 
92 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 rolling or bring their stick up for a full swing, or 
 wait until their own side has got in position before 
 hitting. 
 
 "Ride your "Kide your man" is an encouragement to a player 
 
 man." which ought not to be needed. Every player ought 
 
 to ride anyway without orders, but it is very often 
 
 Fig. 11. needed, especially among beginners and among men 
 
 who think more of the ball than they do of the team. 
 
 "Turn." When the ball turns, "Turn" or some signal un- 
 
 derstood by the team should be called, for the 
 
 Fig. 12. benefit of players in front who can not see or who 
 
 have not seen. The player closest to the ball when 
 it turns should immediately call to his own side to 
 turn. 
 
 AUan Forbes suggests that another word be used 
 as signal to tell your men to turn. This is better, as 
 it does not inform the other side; "Look out" or 
 "Hold them" might serve. 
 
 "I am next." "I am next" is a phrase which is sometimes useful. 
 
 A player who is on the ball should know if one of 
 
 Fig. 13. his own side is clear and next. It may make a dif- 
 
 ference in the style of his play. For example, No. 2 
 is going down the side of the field and into one of 
 the corners, and he does not know whether, if he 
 misses it, No. 3 of his side will get it or it will go 
 to one of the opposing side. He can not take his 
 eye off the ball and yet his stroke will depend some- 
 what on whether he is supported or not. If he 
 knows that his No. 3 is there to get. the ball if he 
 misses it, he will try a much more difBcult turn 
 stroke to get it in line toward the goal than he would 
 undertake in case he were not sure but that the ball 
 would go to the other side if he missed. Or he may 
 make a turning stroke, placing the ball where he can 
 not reach it again, and then ride on to pick up the 
 
Team Play 93 
 
 ball when it is sent along to him by his supporting 
 player or to clear the way by riding out the oppos- 
 ing back or No. 3. 
 
 The signal "Back it" is also used under certain "Back it." 
 circumstances. 
 
 In the Dedham team we had a practice of using 
 a signal when we wanted the ball backed or were 
 planning to back the ball which did not give the 
 play away ; "Easy" or "Steady" or any agreed-upon 
 word would serve. 
 
 Do not say the same thing in different ways; Say the same 
 say it in the same way always. Do not say "Go on" t^^ii^g always 
 when you mean "Leave it." If you want them to the same way. 
 go on, say "Go on." If you want them to leave it, 
 say "Leave it." Do not give the gratuitous informa- 
 tion "I've got it" or "I have it," which means 
 nothing. I have noticed that players after boast- 
 ing to that extent are more than likely to lose it. 
 One of the principal uses of this business of call- 
 ing to your side is to help a man who is straining 
 his every effort to ride off an opponent. He is 
 timing his every move to match that of the horse of 
 the man he is riding off, who, if he plays a scientific 
 game, is very likely to pull up suddenly and cross 
 behind the line of play and get the ball, timing his 
 play by watching when his opponent is looking 
 around to see what is happening behind. To antici- 
 pate this and not be put at a disadvantage, a man 
 has to watch every single move made by his corre- 
 sponding opponent. If, at the same time, he has 
 to turn around and keep looking backward, to 
 find out whether the ball is still coming, he is placed 
 at a real disadvantage. If, however, he can depend 
 upon his own men behind him to call "Go on" with 
 each stroke, if the movement of the play continues. 
 
94 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 9. and "Turn" or its equivalent the second the direc- 
 
 tion of the play changes, he can do very much bet- 
 Fig. 12. ter work in riding off. This matter of keeping your 
 men informed is one of the most important and least 
 observed items of team play. 
 Pig. 9. In a recent tournament, I saw No. 4 come through 
 with the ball, never opening his mouth to let his 
 team know that he had got it, and no less than 
 five players pulled up and turned, assuming that, 
 because No. 3 had missed, the rush had ended. 
 Three of these players were of the attacking side, 
 and No. 4's rush was completely nullified by the 
 fact that he had to go through alone — all of his own 
 players having given up — this being entirely due to 
 the failure on his part to let them know before- 
 hand what he himself knew and could perfectly well 
 have told them, namely, that he was next on the 
 baU. 
 
 Of course, it is incumbent upon players to inform 
 themselves even when they know they can depend 
 on their own men ; they ought to look around some- 
 times, even going so far as to turn their ponies in 
 default of instructions from the men behind. But 
 this necessity for looking around, as I have pointed 
 out, results disastrously to the best riding off, and 
 the players, instead of keeping on confidently at 
 speed, are holding in and expecting any minute that 
 the time to turn will have passed without their 
 having been looking at that particular moment. 
 In case, for any reason, you want one of your 
 "Take it." own side to take the ball, say "Take it." This is a 
 
 direct sharp order to him and he should leave his 
 man, even against his better judgment, and take 
 the ball. 
 
 I remember that in one very difficult match I was 
 
Team Play 95 
 
 playing against a New York team my No. 1 had 
 the back covered and 20 feet off to one side. I Fig. ii. 
 was going along smoothly with nothing to prevent 
 my taking the ball straight to goal, which, as the 
 score was tied — 13 all — and we were playing an 
 extra period, would have won the game. At this 
 juncture my mallet head broke. I heard the crack 
 as I hit the ball, and looking down, saw the jagged 
 crack running through the head and knew it would 
 not last another stroke. I called to my No. 1 to 
 "Take it," and galloped hard to get in position to 
 cover his man as he left him. A poor player at No. 
 1 would have been undertaking to leave his man 
 anyway so as to get a whack at the ball — an inex- 
 cusable play. A good player, not thoroughly dis- 
 ciplined, would have looked around to see what 
 the matter was and asked an explanation before 
 leaving his position, but this man happened to be 
 properly trained and instantly rode in and took the 
 ball, without asking for an explanation, the result 
 preventing what otherwise would have been disas- 
 trous. 
 
 In a scrimmage, when one or more ponies are 
 standing, players on the outside should make a 
 point of telling their man nearest the ball where 
 it is, as "To your right," "Left," "Ahead of you," 
 "Under you," etc. Often a man a little way oif can 
 see when the other can not. It is well, whenever 
 the ball has struck a pony's legs or made an un- 
 expected movement, to assume that your man has 
 not seen it, and to tell him, as sometimes an oppor- 
 tunity is lost by reason of a ball perfectly within 
 reach not being seen. In such circumstances also 
 the voice of the player gives the direction and lets 
 his man know his whereabouts. In fact, it often 
 
96 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 The team 
 mustn't get 
 too far out of 
 place. 
 
 Time to 
 change. 
 
 pays to use some word or call when you are in 
 position to receive a pass to help the player who 
 is making the stroke, as he may not have time to 
 look around to see where you are. 
 
 In order to assure certainty as to cooperation, a 
 player, in passing out of his position to take that of 
 another, should speak. For instance, No. 1 when 
 riding past No. 2 should say "I am 2." Having 
 said so, he should hold that position and assume its 
 responsibilities and be ready to pass with No. 3 and 
 not go back to his position without passing the word 
 again to No. 2 and saying "I am 1." No. 2 should 
 then accept the responsibility by replying. When 
 No. 1 says "I am 2," No. 2 should hold No. I's po- 
 sition until a favorable opportunity comes to pass, 
 at which time he should respond to No. I's calling 
 "I am 1" by replying "I am 2." In other words, 
 it should be understood and expected between play- 
 ers, after a change of position has been made, that 
 each should assume the responsibility of the position 
 until an opportunity comes to change back, when the 
 fact of changing back and the reversal of responsi- 
 bility has passed by word of mouth between the 
 two. Similarly with No. 3 and No. 4 or with No. 
 2 and No. 3, in fact, similarly with the whole team. 
 It is unusual for this practice to prevail in great 
 changes of players. For instance, it is too upsetting 
 to the team to have No. 1 as far out of place as at 
 back, which probably means that every man is out 
 of his place. No. 1 probably can not do back's 
 business for him safely. Unless goal is threatened 
 or he is the next man to the ball, or keeping the 
 threatening player of the other side ofif the ball, he 
 should go right back to place, passing the word as 
 he goes back. The best chance to change back to 
 
Team Plat 97 
 
 position comes when the ball goes out or over the 
 boards, or when it is backed or taken around the 
 field. 
 
 Every stroke should be made with a definite object. Every stroke 
 The player "should get it into his head that there witii an object. 
 are two points of equal importance to the stroke. 
 One is the point of beginning and the other is the 
 point of ending, and he should not hit the first 
 without having a very definite idea as to the second. 
 My experience has led me to believe only one in 
 about five strokes can be made at full speed the 
 full distance of the stroke. This conclusion, how- 
 ever, is contested by men whose rating and experi- 
 ence qualify them to speak as masters of the game. 
 They assure me that in the fastest polo full strokes 
 are the rule and hitting shott is usually imprac- 
 ticable. The player should always know before Know where 
 hitting where he is hitting to, where the players you "re hitting. 
 of his own side are, and how to hit so that one of 
 them can advantageously get to it, and, of course, 
 so that the opposing side can not reach it so easily. 
 
 In placing the ball so that it can be best reached Angle hitting. 
 by members of your team, there are some nice prob- 
 lems in angle hitting which players will do well 
 to study most carefully. Here also are opportuni- 
 ties for exceptions to the rules laid down in con- 
 nection with Figure 1, as it may very well be that 
 hitting straight to goal will place the ball in such 
 a way that the opposing back is sure to get it, 
 whereas hitting fairly well to the right or left may 
 put it easily within reach of your own covering 
 player. A study of the diagram of Figure 25 will Fig. 25. 
 show how it is perfectly possible so to place the 
 ball at an angle to the straight line to the goal as 
 to give your own man in front of you a chance 
 
98 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 16. 
 
 E^ig. 15. 
 
 Players should 
 know all 
 positions. 
 
 to reach the ball first, even though his opposing 
 player is ahead of him. • We'll say No. 2 has the 
 ball. The opposing back is four to eight feet ahead 
 of No. 1 and it is obvious No. 1 cannot catch up to 
 cover him. If the ball is hit straight and far, there 
 is no power that can prevent the opposing back 
 from getting to the ball first and returning it. The 
 opposing No. 3 is well mounted, and No. 2 knows 
 that his chance of following the ball up and getting 
 it again if he hits short is small. By hitting the 
 ball at an angle to its course and to the side of the 
 opposing back upon which his No. 1 has taken Ms 
 position, be it right or left, if No. 1 is riding a little 
 wide of his back, it can be easily brought about, as 
 shown in the figure, that when both players in front 
 are turned to reach the ball. No. 1 is nearer to it and 
 can take the ball along, having the opposing back 
 at a disadvantage. 
 
 If No. 2 sees that No. 1 is between him and the 
 opposing No. 4, it is proper to hit short to let No. 
 1 get up and ride his man out; or in case the op- 
 posing back is incautious and plays too close. No. 
 1 can pass him and take the pass from his No. 2, 
 who will send a long stroke up to him. But under 
 such circumstances it never pays to try to make a 
 long stroke for goal. Other details of this play 
 will be given in the chapters on the various positions. 
 
 In order properly to comprehend the duties of 
 each position, each player should learn the duties 
 of all positions and play in each for a while. He 
 should consider that each man's part in the team 
 is just as important and just as distinct as are the 
 various parts of a clock. The mechanism is just 
 as nice and just as well adjusted. The limits of 
 plays where one man's work can be effective are not 
 
Team Play 99 
 
 hard and fast, as they vary with various conditions, 
 yet with each condition his play is absolutely clearly 
 marked. 
 
 In the first part of this chapter, I have indicated 
 regular play. There are lines of attack other than 
 regular straight up-and-down play which it some- 
 times pays to use. 
 
 One is a sudden shifting of the line of attack, Backing as 
 when by either chance or design the ball is taken an offensive 
 and turned toward the side lines. To carry it measure. 
 around is the obvious and usual way. To back it 
 toward the center and somewhat toward the goal 
 you are trying to defend, under a preconceived un- 
 derstanding with your men, establishing a new line Fig. 23. 
 of attack, is a very effective offensive movement. 
 It takes the other side completely by surprise, unless 
 they are looking for it, and is sure to succeed, given 
 average execution, unless each man of the opposing 
 side instead of playing only for the ball is reli- 
 giously covering his man, which is the only defense 
 against this play. If a player sees his correspond- 
 ing opponent siding off to another part of the field 
 from that to which the ball would naturally go, 
 he should take up a coign of vantage from which 
 he can get to him, if necessary, before the ball does. 
 
 I have sometimes thought of working up an en- 
 tirely new style of play with two lines of attack, 
 by which the baU would be passed from one line 
 to another by means of back strokes, or cross 
 strokes, one of these parallel lines to be formed by 
 No. 1 and No. 3 and the other by No. 2 and No. 4, 
 each to be ready to rush, if occasion arose, or to 
 pass the ball across. This passing across, however, 
 presents difficulties. In the main, the simplest way 
 of working this bit of strategy would be for some 
 
100 As TO Polo 
 
 one player, where the ball is in the opponent's half 
 of the field, deliberately to hit toward the boards. 
 If the opposing players rush to block him when he 
 reaches the ball, instead of taking it round at a 
 difficult angle, at which he is pretty sure to give it 
 to one of the other side before he gets it round, he 
 should make a short stroke back somewhat toward 
 the center of the field where his other players, know- 
 ing beforehand what is going to happen, are waiting 
 for it. By hitting the ball once and establishing a 
 new right of way toward the goal and holding it 
 with a rush, they would have a very difficult style 
 of play to meet and cope with, particularly if it has 
 caught the opponents in such a position that they 
 would have to get into the line of play at a sharp 
 angle, a thing which it is difficult for anyone to do 
 without fouling or losing a good deal of distance 
 in turning, before getting where he can hit or inter- 
 fere with an opponent. As I have said before, the 
 only successful defense would be for each man to 
 cover his opponent and not get led away in the 
 wild delirium of a chase after the ball. 
 Don't knock It is very bad polo to knock over the side line or 
 
 over or out. over the back line except for a purpose. 
 
 Never make the practice of playing for your op- 
 
 Don't play for ponent's misses. That merely means that you may 
 
 your opponent's be temporarily successful against unskillful players, 
 
 misses. jj^^ j^ ^^gg ^q-j. ^g^ch you good polo. Play as though 
 
 your opponent were a good player. After the player 
 
 has learned good polo, taking the easier and lazier 
 
 course of playing to an opponent's blunders is done 
 
 with the eyes open and knowing that it is incorrect 
 
 polo — there is then not so much harm in it. But if a 
 
 man learns to play for misses instead of riding his 
 
 man, he will get into bad habits, which will be very 
 
Team Plat 101 
 
 disastrous to him in case of running up against the 
 real thing. 
 
 In good polo, playing against good players, do Crowd your 
 not pull up and wait for the stroke of the man you ™^^- 
 are supposed to cover, but crowd him even though 
 you are hopelessly behind. No man hits so well 
 when hard pressed as he does when he has plenty 
 of time, and the fact that you are crowding in will 
 prevent his turning on it or taking time for his 
 team to organize. 
 
 To all players : Ride ! Ride ! and "again, Ride your 
 man! 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 DUTIES OF No. 1 
 
 Difficult to No. 1 is the most difficult position on the field to 
 
 play. play well, and a team that can afford to put a really 
 
 first-class player at No. 1 is the most formidable 
 team to meet. It is a position of tremendous possi- 
 bilities. It follows that it requires superlative horse- 
 manship, great devotion to the job of putting the 
 opposing back out of play, and an utter un- 
 selfishness in the matter of leaving the ball for 
 Good horseman others behind to bring along. An excellent horse- 
 iiocessary. man, well mounted, not necessarily very experienced 
 
 in the matter of hitting the ball, can be of the great- 
 est use to the team by neutralizing the superior 
 hitting qualities of the opposing back. By a curious 
 contradiction, No. 1 is usually the place selected for 
 putting the poorest player. This is because that is 
 the place where he can do the least harm. He is 
 less needed on the defense, and he can be extremely 
 useful to his team if he rides well and hard and uses 
 his position to interfere with the opposing backs, 
 not necessarily hitting the ball himself. 
 
 No. I's principal duty is to keep the opposing 
 back out of the play. To accomplish this there are 
 two methods of riding, which are explained in 
 Chapter VII, "Team Play," page 82 hereof, and 
 which I shall not repeat, except to indicate that 
 one of them is by getting into and holding a strategic 
 position and then riding for the ball. This I con- 
 sider the most effective method of play and therefore 
 
 102 
 
 Keep the 
 opposing 
 back out. 
 
Duties of No. 1 103 
 
 most dangerous to the good work of the opponents, 
 but one which is usually more applicable to the play 
 of No. 2 and No. 3. The other is to ride the corre- 
 sponding opponent direct. No. 1 can cover his posi- 
 tion and save his ponies more than any other player. Can save 
 Allan Forbes played one pony ten years exclusively Ms ponies. 
 in that position, and often used only two ponies for 
 his important matches. These important matches 
 included matches for the championship of the United 
 States and a great many other games against first- 
 class players. No. 1 should dispossess his soul of 
 the idea that he has to be hustling all the time. He 
 can pull up and wait when the ball is going around 
 or turning, and should always take care to maneu- 
 ver so as to be in position on the right or mallet side 
 of the opposing back, so as to force him to take a 
 nigh-side stroke if he wants to get the ball without Play for the 
 getting crooked, and then wait, keeping an eye all mallet side of 
 the time on the movements of the opposing back the opponent. 
 and at the same time watching the ball. 
 
 The strategic place for No. 1 to lie in is a comfort- Fig. 5. 
 able berth a few yards off the off fore shoulder of the strategic 
 pony of the opposing back, always being a little position. 
 ahead of him in the direction the ball is going. If 
 he sees the back galloping forward, he can be sure Keep a little 
 that he should immediately gallop with him in order ahead of your 
 to block him all he can. In case of doubt, stick by ™^°- 
 your man. 
 
 On the throw in. No. 1 should place himself pretty Throw in. 
 well back from the referee and endeavor to get 
 there before the No. 1 of the opposing side lines up. Fig. 3. 
 He should not move forward until about the time 
 the ball is to be thrown, which he can guess pretty 
 closely by counting slowly after the thirty second 
 whistle is blown. About five seconds before the ball 
 
104 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Ride fast to 
 position. 
 
 Stay by your 
 man. 
 
 Fig. 11. 
 
 is thrown, he should get in place, with his pony a 
 little nearer the referee than the other pony, if 
 possible. As the ball is thrown, he should drive his 
 pony heavily across the line, leaning pretty strongly 
 against his opponent if he is in position to interfere, 
 and endeavor to get the ball as it passes under. If 
 he misses it and the other No. 1 gets it, he stays 
 by him and rides him just as though he were the 
 back until he has spoiled the rush. After the rush 
 is spoiled he turns to see whether he can get to the 
 ball quicker than any other player on his side. If 
 he can not, his job is to ride immediately to his 
 position. If, on the other hand, on the throw in, 
 the ball passes by, No. 1 should immediately extri- 
 cate himself from the opposing No. 1 and start to 
 gallop fast toward the goal he is trying to make until 
 he gets to an advantageous position near the oppos- 
 ing back, where he should stop and wait unless the 
 movement of the ball or of the opposing back indi- 
 cates that movement is necessary. If No. 2 comes 
 along with the ball and drives it up past, while No. 
 1 has the opposing back well covered. No. 1 should 
 assume that No. 2 is in position to take it again 
 and should stay by his back unless he hears a call 
 from his own man to take it, or unless, looking 
 around, he sees that No. 2 has been passed by one 
 of the opponents who will get the ball, in which 
 case he is free to ride for the ball, but in such case 
 No. 2 should have directed him to "Take it." If 
 No. 1 has got his opposing back covered and crowded 
 out of the line of play, unless thoroughly drilled 
 and conversant with his duty, he will have an al- 
 most irresistible impulse to leave the man he has so 
 nicely covered and turn and go to the ball as it 
 comes up past him. To do this when No. 2 has hit 
 
Duties of No. 1 105 
 
 it last and is clear behind, is nothing short of crim- 
 inal, the penalty for which should be at least six 
 years at hard labor in the penitentiary. No. 1, if 
 he has his opposing No. 4 covered, is doing every- 
 thing that could be expected of him. If No. 2 hit 
 it last, the presumption is that he is in position to 
 hit it again, as, given equal ponies and equal horse- 
 manship. No. 3 of the other side can not catch up 
 to interfere. If, however, he does, there is always 
 the fair chance that his No. 3 will be following 
 and able to take the ball along. If No. 1 turns aud 
 leaves his man to get the ball, his opponent will do 
 one of two things: He can either turn and crook 
 No. I's stick and then take the ball himself, or, as 
 No. 1 turns to get into the line of the play, he can 
 gallop hard and get past No. 1 and back the ball 
 on the next stroke. Moreover, it is somewhat diffi- 
 cult to extricate your pony from riding off another, 
 as a pony, when leaning well over and well braced 
 against another pony, usually objects a little to 
 changing and resists for a moment the eflfort of his 
 rider to make him leave an opposing pony, a tend- 
 ency which does credit to his intelligence as a 
 strategist and one from which an open-minded No. 
 1, not swelling with the conceit that he is superior 
 to brute creation, might draw some valuable pointo 
 on how to play his position. In fact, it is usually 
 necessary to spur a pony away in order to make him 
 leave another that he is leaning- against, which 
 takes a little time. Having got away from the man 
 he is riding. No. 1 then has to turn to get to the 
 ball and turn again to get along the line of play. 
 All of these processes usually result in No. I's free- 
 ing the back, as before explained, and reaching 
 the ball just in time to make a poor stroke and to 
 
lOG 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Defensive 
 play. 
 
 Fig. 9 shows 
 the effect of 
 No.l (Blue) 
 not covering 
 his man. 
 
 When 
 
 opponents 
 
 change. 
 
 interfere with his own No. 2 who is riding free 
 along the line of play and could have hit it without 
 any of the maneuvers which have spoiled ^o. I's 
 direction and without the added disadvantage of 
 leaving the opposing back clear ahead and in posi- 
 tion to spoil the whole play. 
 
 'On the defense, No. 1 should stay by back, gauging 
 his distance and position by that of his opponent, 
 and always ride through with him in case he rushes 
 forward, provided that he can interfere with his 
 play and that his opponent is on the ball as he goes 
 through. If the opposing back is riding up on some 
 mistaken theory that he had better get in and help 
 somebody. No. 1 should stay back and hold his place, 
 spacing himself on No. 2. Unless he has a chance to 
 prevent his opposing No. 4 making a stroke, he 
 should never ride in with him past the opposing No. 3. 
 Where the opposing No. 3 and No. 4 change places, 
 No. 1 and No. 2 should change with their men if 
 by doing so they can prevent one of them making a 
 stroke, otherwise they had better hold their places 
 and let No. 1 take the opposing No. 3 and No. 2 take 
 the opposing No. 4. In other words, there is no 
 sense in changing positions unless there is some- 
 thing to be gained by doing so, and the only thing 
 to be gained is to spoil the stroke or rush of the 
 opposing side. There are times when the whole two 
 teams could change ends, such as where the ball is 
 brought by one side down the side of the field and, 
 when hit across toward goal, picked up by the back 
 of the other side and carried ahead around the field, 
 and down the other side. In that case, if each man 
 should ride his man, both teams would find them- 
 selves changed end for end, but as a matter of fact 
 this practically never occurs, as No. 4, the moment 
 
Duties of No. 1 107 
 
 he sees the opposing No. 4 hitting around, will 
 always cut across to defend goal instead of following 
 the circle, in which case No. 1 has to watch his 
 chance and cut back. Probably he will find that the 
 opposing No. 4, as soon as the rush is checked, has 
 turned to get back too, for all good No. 4's have an 
 anxious feeling about the goal they are defending 
 and won't stay up in the game long. 
 
 Fig. 20 represents a case where the three op- Fig. 20. 
 posing players have ridden over the ball. No. 1 
 finds himself, as he should be, a little ahead of the 
 opposing back, who, seeing that he can not get to 
 the ball first, instead of riding in pulls up and waits 
 for No. I's stroke. Under no circumstances should Don't hit to 
 No. 1 hit the ball to the waiting back. He has two a waiting back 
 or three courses open, all depending on circum- who i.s clear, 
 stances. The first and the most usual one is to stop 
 and stand over the ball with his pony facing across 
 the field, always being sure that there is no possi- 
 bility that No. 4 will rush in and make him commit 
 a foul by so doing. No. 2 and No. 3 of his side will 
 turn and get to him just as quickly as possible. 
 The first one of these to get around should be No. 2, 
 who, seeing him standing this way, should pass him 
 at a little distance and receive the ball by a light 
 tap across the field, the ball slanting, however, to- 
 ward the goal to be made, but not slanting enough 
 so that the opposing back will have any chance for 
 it. No. 1 could then follow No. 2, and, in case the 
 opposing back has by that time got so that he could 
 reach the ball as it comes from thfe next stroke of 
 No. 2, No. 1 could call upon' No. 2 to leave it and 
 take the back, and No. 1 come along on the ball, 
 playing No. 2. 
 
 Another play that No. 1 may make under the 
 
108 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Don't follow 
 too close when 
 supporting. 
 
 circumstances indicated above is to turn on the 
 ball and take it himself. In this case, if No. 4 
 stays quite a distance back, No. 1 should ride past 
 the ball, all the time watching to make sure No. 4 
 doesn't ride up and steal the ball, and then turn 
 and advance back on it, getting the pony well under 
 way before he reaches the ball. He is now in po- 
 sition to vary his play according to circumstances. 
 He can hit it just short of the back and follow it 
 up by another stroke, or, if his No. 2 gets around 
 in time, he can hit it a short stroke and then ride 
 over it, going up to his position and letting No. 2 
 come up and take the ball along. What I have 
 said elsewhere about following up other players too 
 close applies with equal force to No. 1. When on 
 the defensive, he should never foUow up the players 
 in front so close as to let the opposing No. 4 trail 
 and thus stand any chance of the ball being de- 
 flected so that he will ride over it and leave it to 
 the opposing back; in fact, he should always stay 
 back and cover the opposing back, provided the 
 opposing back is not lurking more than the fair dis- 
 tance of a full stroke away. 
 
 There is a good deal to be said in favor of No. 
 1 not riding up on the ball at all when it has been 
 ridden over but staying back with his man. But 
 when he does this there is always the chance that 
 the opposing No. 4 will slip past him and steal a 
 march, or that one of the other side will turn first 
 and get to the ball when No. 1 could have been 
 standing over it and kept it away from the first 
 opponent round by passing it conveniently to one 
 of his own side, as before explained. No. 1 has 
 to be guided by circumstances in such cases. If he 
 sees that his No. 2 is going to get round first, his 
 
Duties of No. 1 109 
 
 position is back alongside of his man to clear the 
 way for the rush to goal. 
 
 Crane says the back should never let his No. 1 
 come in alone and steal the ball from his No. 3. 
 
 From time to time it is well for men who are No. l should 
 going to play No. 2 and No. 1 to change places in know how to 
 practice, No. 1 to play No. 2 and No. 2 to play No. 1, Pl^y No. 2. 
 for a week or two. Thus each may see the diflflcul- 
 ties of the other man's position, and No. 1 can get a 
 much better idea of what No. 2 is calling for and 
 why. "As others see us" is a pretty good point of view. 
 Apropos of all No. I's knowing how to play No. 2, 
 Allan Forbes says: "No. 2's should know how to 
 play No. 1 and be willing to do so; most No. 2's 
 play one and a half." This means that No. 2 too 
 often hangs back and plays about half way between 
 his own position and that of No. 1 ; in other words, 
 he doesn't stay by the opposing back. 
 
 On the knock in by his own side, No. I's duty is Fig. 4. 
 to place himself advantageously near the opposing when his side 
 back and keep him out of the play. Without unduly knocks in. 
 giving the play away, he should be ready to put him- 
 self on that side of the opposing back to which 
 the ball is to be hit and then bother him. I have 
 sometimes placed my pony directly across in front 
 of back and let him extricate himself when the time 
 came to move. 
 
 Allan Forbes says that it is often better for the 
 No. 1 to place himself a little off to one side, count- 
 ing on his man to pass the ball to him, in this way 
 forcing the back to play to cover him. 
 
 When the opposing team is knocking in, No. 1 Fig. 4. 
 should place himself about thirty yards out, directly when 
 in front of the place where experience has shown opponents 
 him that the opposing No. 4 usually hits. If he knock in. 
 
110 As TO Polo 
 
 usually hits to the side, No. 1 should stand on the 
 line from the ball to the side lines ; if to the center, 
 he should place himself in front of it, toward the 
 center; if at a diagonal, he should place himself 
 diagonally in; but in every case he should ride in 
 to endeavor to meet the ball as it is knocked in. It 
 is his fault if the ball* is dribbled and the opposing 
 back comes up and hits it a second time. 
 Pony should be No. I's great chance for a brilliant play is to get 
 ready to rush, away with the ball before the opposing back is 
 ready. His pony should be trained to start in- 
 stantly to rush at speed on seeing a clear field, for 
 speed is the essence of good polo. No. 1 should 
 realize that the time spent in waiting is just what 
 is needed to save the pony so that he will be fresh 
 when the time has come that speed is needed. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 DUTIES OF No. 2 
 
 \No. 2's primary duties are to keep himself, as 
 nearly as possible, immediately on or over the ball 
 when on the offensive. He alone of his side should 
 follow the ball into the offensive corners; he must 
 be the fastest and most accurate hitting man on 
 the team. He must not let the opposing No. 3 carry 
 the ball on the defense, and he must not let the 
 opposing No. 3 back it on the offense. Of course, 
 the best way to prevent this is so to place himself 
 in regard to the opposing No. 3 as to get to it first 
 on the offense or the defense. There are few chances 
 for No. 2 to save his ponies. He ordinarily must Can't save 
 have more ponies than any other man on the team, his ponies 
 If No. 3 needs five. No. 2 needs six ponies for his ™"<^^- 
 matches. Back can get along very easily with four. 
 No. 1 won't unnecessarily strain three. Of course, 
 these figures vary with different players and their 
 manner of playing. I have always thought that 
 No. 2 and No. 3 ought to have particularly handy Handinessor 
 ponies; that handiness in the center was very im- ponies of No. 
 portant ; and if in any given period of a match one ^ ^^^ ^°- ^■ 
 of the two gets up on a fast pony that is not handy, 
 the other should be careful to compensate by select- 
 ing a handy pony. Of course, with a fast game a 
 slow pony in the center is perfectly hopeless, and it Really slow 
 is assumed that No. 2 and No. 3 in important pony fatal, 
 matches are well mounted and all their ponies are 
 at least of average speed and not outclassed by the 
 run of ponies playing. 
 
 Ill 
 
112 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Throw in. 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 Fig. 6. 
 
 On the throw in, No. 2 should make a special 
 effort to get the ball, being particular at the same 
 time that No. 2 of the opposing side does not get 
 it. Whoever does get the ball, it is No. 2's business 
 immediately to follow up the play. If the opposing 
 No. 3 gets it, it will be No. 3's business to stay with 
 him, No. 2 probably trailing. If his No. 3 gets the 
 ball on the throw in, it is probable that his opposing 
 No. 3 will stay by him, taking temporarily No. 2's 
 place, so that, unless No. 2 has been very quick 
 in starting off ahead, the two No. 2's will be cor- 
 respondingly placed and will fight it out for the 
 position of supporting. 
 
 What is said about supporting from too close 
 under the head of "Duties of No. 1," applies also 
 to No. 2, who must never under any circumstances 
 ride too near to the couples in front of him, as No. 
 3 is shown to be doing in Fig. 6. If the ball is 
 ridden over and No. 2 is riding fast and too close, 
 he also will ride over it ; and if he is riding ahead 
 of his opposing No. 3, whom he has left riding clear, 
 he is committing an unpardonable crime against 
 proper polo. He should always stay back far enough 
 to cover his man. It is his fault if the opposing 
 No. 3 gets the ball. It is his business to see that 
 No. 3 does not get it, and to get it himself. Of 
 course, with two perfect players, which one gets the 
 ball will depend just on how it happens to be hit 
 away or the way the ball is left, whether to one 
 side or the other. But every player should aim to 
 Talie a position be a player superior to the man opposite him, and 
 he should devote his energies to outmaneuvering his 
 man if he can, placing himself on his mallet side 
 and a little in advance of his pony in the direction 
 in which the ball and the player are moving. Then 
 
 Cover your 
 man. 
 
 a little ahead 
 of your man. 
 
Duties of No. 2 113 
 
 he has got what in yachting is called a "weather 
 berth" and is in position to put his opponent out of 
 the play and get the ball himself. 
 
 Crane says: "No. 2 should take every chance on 
 the offense and No. 3 should take practically no 
 chance except one stroke from opponents' goal. 
 
 No. 2 should, by following the No. 1 and No. 4 
 at speed, force his opposing No. 3 to play closer to 
 that pair than he otherwise would and thus nullify 
 No. 3's defense. No. 3 can not afford to let his 
 opposing No. 2 play clear in front even if he is too 
 close to No. 1 and No. 4, for the penalty is too great 
 if No. 2 does not bring off a lucky one." 
 
 What I have stated in regard to hitting the ball 
 back to a waiting opponent, under the head of Fig. 14. 
 "Duties of No. 1," applies with equal force to No. 
 2. When, on the defensive. No. 3 and No. 4 may have 
 ridden over the ball and No. 2 rides down on it and 
 finds the opposing No. 3 has pulled back to get his 
 back stroke. No. 2 should never hit it to him. His 
 choice lies, as indicated in the chapter on the duties 
 of No. 1 and shown for him in Fig. 20, between rid- 
 ing past the ball when it has ceased to move, turning 
 and coming back on it, or stopping over it and 
 waiting. If the opposing No. 3 has pulled up, there 
 is no danger from infringement on right of way 
 in doing this, but No. 2 must be very careful that 
 he is not rushed and led into fouling by reason of 
 standing over the ball. No. 2 can then take his time 
 in regard to his measure, either dribbling the ball 
 along slowly — following it up until his No. 3 is in 
 position, then passing it to him — or hitting it short 
 until he can ride over it and leave it for his No. 3 
 to come along; or, if the worst comes to worst, hit- 
 ting it as far down as he can, on the chance that 
 
114 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Call "Turn" 
 when backing 
 the ball. 
 
 Fig. 12. 
 
 Play approach 
 to goal. 
 
 his No. 1 will be in position to take it along, rather 
 than giving it up to a player of the opposing side. 
 I used to play a short cross-field stroke to the side 
 on which my JNo. 1 or No. 3 was riding past; in 
 "the latter case No. 8 went up to No. 2's position and 
 received the ball on the pass. This gave us a favor- 
 able chance for a run down the field, and we usually 
 so arranged it that the opposing No. 3, who had been 
 waiting for such a move, would have to get into the 
 line of play at an angle which put him at a disad- 
 vantage and made it possible for my No. 3, now 
 taking the position of No. 2, to get a good run. I, 
 having passed it out to him, would take up the po- 
 sition next to him and ahead of any possible oppo- 
 nent, making sure that in case of my man missing 
 the ball the opposing No. 2 would not get it. 
 
 Where No. 2 backs the ball, he must be especially 
 careful to call "Turn," or its equivalent, because his 
 men ahead can not be looking over their shoulders 
 all the time to see and can do better work if they 
 can count on hearing. 
 
 I have always believed that No. 1 is the man to 
 make goals, and when playing No. 2 I do not try 
 for goals unless I am pretty sure of them. I never 
 try a long shot or a difficult angle shot at goal, and 
 such difficult goals as I may have made have been 
 chance rather than design. When the play is at a 
 difficult angle, I try to put it out directly in front 
 of the posts. When it is a long way out I play an 
 approach shot. It takes four times as much skill 
 to hit a goal from 100 yards as it does at 50 yards, 
 and four times as much skill from 50 yards as it 
 does from 25 yards. See Figs. 5, 7, and 8 when No. 
 2 should try an approach shot first. 
 
 I consider it to be a great disadvantage to knock 
 
Duties of No. 2 115 
 
 over the back line, and I am always playing to put 
 the ball close in front of the goal posts where an- 
 other stroke will send it over, rather than relying on 
 any particularly brilliant stroke from a distance. 
 
 On the knock in, No. 2 should be at the boards. When your 
 
 1 like to have it arranged so that whe.n the back side knocks in. 
 knocks the ball in it shall strike the boards, No. 2 py„ 4 
 placing himself in such a way that he can come 
 
 down the boards at the point the ball hits and start 
 the rush for the goal at the extreme side of the field, 
 where the danger to one's own goal, is at a mini- 
 . mum. By placing himself near the boards. No. 2 
 will have his opponents lined up for the defense in 
 the field, and if the ball hits the boards it gives a 
 clear shot between the pony and the boards for No. 
 
 2 to start his rush. If No. 2 sees a chance, I see no 
 objection to liis cutting or turning the ball out into 
 the field and directly across the line of most of the 
 players who come galloping toward the boards with 
 the ball. This gives him the right of way to himself 
 and often will enable him to come out clear into the 
 field, particularly if No. 1 sees his chance and gets a 
 position between the opposing back and the center 
 of the field. However, I think it safest to bring the 
 ball right along down the side lines, the idea being 
 to get the goal out of danger first. From the side 
 lines there is less chance of a successful rush toward 
 the defensive goal, if the ball is turned, than from 
 the center. The distance is so great from the goal 
 you are trying to make that the angle is not a 
 sharp one if you straighten it for goal before get- 
 ting past the middle of the field. 
 
 1 consider it the acme of bad polo to send the ball when not to 
 toward the boards at all in the offensive half of hit toward 
 the field, unless it is done purposely, as, for ex- the boards. 
 
 \ 
 
lie 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Correct line 
 of play. 
 
 Fig. 1. 
 
 Hit straight 
 to goal. 
 
 Exception. 
 
 When the 
 opponents 
 knock in. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 ample, for the purpose of gaining time, or, as is 
 explained under "Team play," as a part of a stra- 
 tegic move to change the line of play. 
 
 No. 2 should always bear in mind that the correct 
 line of play is from the center of the ball to the 
 center of the goal line he is trying to make, and 
 every stroke that parallels that line of play es- 
 tablishes a right of way in the direction which is 
 most direct to the opponent's goal and therefore 
 most advantageous. It is his particular job to es- 
 tablish a right of way along that line, but a poten- 
 tial right of way is only good if it is maintained, 
 and the way to do that is to get on it and hold it at 
 speed. 
 
 To hit straight to goal all the time is a very good 
 rule, care being taken to avoid hitting to oppo- 
 nents who are clear and that can be avoided by 
 the simple device of hitting short, the direction still, 
 if possible, being right straight to goal. An excep- 
 tion to this rule is to be found on page 97, where 
 the advantages of angle hitting are explained at 
 length. (See Figure 25.) 
 
 When the opponents are knocking in. No. 2 should 
 place himself directly in front of the posts. Or, 
 if the ball has gone out well over toward the side, 
 he can take his place a few feet toward the goal 
 from somewhere between the ball and the goal posts 
 and far enough out to stand a chance of intercept- 
 ing the first stroke. It is No. 2's business to block 
 any attempt to carry the ball round the field or 
 across goal. He waits to get a pass in case the 
 ball is blocked and hit to him by one of his own 
 men, but he must take his position to cover his 
 man the minute the ball is hit. His man in this 
 case may be the opposing back if he is riding 
 
Duties of No. 2 117 
 
 through, or it may be No. 3, who is probably sta- 
 tioned somewhere near him defending goal. No. 2 
 should be in position to receive the knock in by 
 riding with the ball. He should be ready, however, 
 to turn immediately in case of a very short stroke 
 on the part of the man who is knocking in. If the 
 ball passes near him it always pays to have a swing 
 at it, but in cross-goal plays he should be very care- 
 ful in so doing not to lose his position for the de- 
 fense and let the man who knocked it in get by him 
 and go down the field clear, as his team is depending 
 upon him to prevent that. 
 
 To No. 2, as to all other players, I will repeat the Get your 
 admonition that they must ride rapidly until they place quickly, 
 are in position, after the ball goes outside or at any 
 time, and, once solidly in position, take all the lei- 
 sure" they can. 
 
 No. 2 should remember, as should all other play- 
 ers, that the strongest defense is a strong offense — 
 that if he rides his man religiously and conscien- 
 tiously, keeping in front of the opposing No. 3, 
 whichever way the play is going, playing for the 
 ball when the opportunity arrives, so as to put the 
 other man in the position of doing the riding off, he 
 can really be the mainstay of the team. No. 2 wants No. 2 makes 
 to remember that the essence of all polo is hitting the speed of 
 straight and true on the off side. If he is really t^ieteam. 
 on his job, the play will be fast ; if he is not on his 
 job, the play will be slow. In other words. No. 2 
 is the man on whom the team usually depends for 
 making the game fast. 
 
 Where a particularly good chance comes, it is No. 2 can 
 justifiable for No. 2 to cut across the line of the play a cross 
 ball and take it around instead of backing it. Pro- ^^''°^^- 
 vided that his first stroke toward the center will 
 
118 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 19. leave him in position to get an easy angle for his 
 
 second stroke to the goal, this is often preferable 
 to backing it toward the side. That the stroke is 
 more diflQcult is compensated for by the improved 
 opportunity it offers to carry the ball, and by the 
 fact that the defensive line is intact with his No. 3 
 and No. 4 in position to defend in case of a miss on 
 his part. No. 2 is, however, more justified in doing 
 it near the opponent's goal than he is near his own 
 goal, where the defense is more important and he 
 should make the surer stroke and where the fact 
 that he is taking it toward the boards is an advan- 
 tage rather than otherwise. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 DUTIES OF No. 3 
 
 No. 3 ought to keep over the ball all the time First duty. 
 on the defense. He is the first line of defense. If 
 No. 2 is the most aggressive and active player on 
 the field, No. 3 should be the most careful and the 
 most skillful. He should be eternally vigilant. He vigilance. 
 should combine readiness for whirlwind riding any 
 minute with a feeling that he must be ready to de- 
 fend goal and play the safe, conservative game of 
 back. He must remember that the strongest de- 
 fense is a strong offense; that a goal can never be 
 properly defended if the team is not ready to take 
 the offensive on the first move; that he can not Don't gallop 
 help his back by galloping down on him; that he down on the 
 must never come back and do the back's work for ''^<='^- 
 him unless he has first passed the word to the back 
 that he has taken his" place and back has accepted 
 the change and gone up to take the place of No. 3. Fig. 17. 
 
 A defensive stroke is practically worthless un- 
 less it is followed up by turning it to an ofifensive 
 movement. There is nothing more hopeless for a 
 team than to have the back strokes constantly met 
 as they are sent down by opponents who are riding 
 clear, particularly when they should be covered. Cover the 
 Thus No. 3's business is not only to defend the goal opposing No. 2. 
 but he has to keep the opposing No. 2 out of the 
 play. He must be careful not to leave him as shown Fig. 6. 
 in Fig. 6. The opposing No. 2 is apt to be formid- 
 
 119 
 
120 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 3. 
 
 On the throw 
 
 in. 
 
 When positions 
 change. 
 
 Fig. 6. 
 
 Mustn't 
 support from 
 too close. 
 
 able, the most aggressive, fastest, hardest hitting, 
 and most effective player on the opposing team. 
 
 If No. 3 gets it into his head that it is his job 
 to ride back and hit splendid back strokes, regard- 
 less of whom he is sending them to or where the op- 
 posing No. 2 is, he will often play as freely into 
 the hands of the opposing side as though he were 
 actually trying to do so. 
 
 At the risk of repetition, then, No. 3's work is 
 not only to support his back, not only to prevent the 
 play from passing him, but so to place himself in 
 relation to the opposing No. 2 that he covers him 
 in so doing. Of course, if No. 2 is playing too far 
 • back and pulls up whenever the couple in front 
 have ridden each other over the ball, No. 3 will do 
 what any good player should and what has been 
 indicated to the other players — either stop over the 
 ball or turn on it. 
 
 On the throw in, No. 3 has the simplest busi- 
 ness of anyone, as well as the most obvious. He 
 rides for the ball, stays with his opposing No. 3 
 if he gets it, and in so doing he holds his own posi- 
 tion. If the ball rolls through and No. 4 gets it, 
 No. 3 follows him up immediately, ready to take the 
 position of No. 4 in case the rush is blocked. If, on 
 the throw in, he gets the ball himself, he of course 
 follows it right through and may by so doing get 
 into No. 2's position, in which case he should say to 
 his No. 2 "I am 2," to which No. 2 replies "I am 3." 
 They continue holding these positions until a good 
 chance comes to change. 
 
 In following up a stroke. No. 3 should always lay 
 himself far enough back so that a disarrangement 
 of the play by the ball having hit the stick of his No. 
 2 or a pony's foot will not cause him to ride over it. 
 
Duties of No. 3 121 
 
 His distance back, however, should be regulated by 
 the distance of the opposing No. 2. If he has No. 
 2 covered so that he can not get the ball. No. 3's Fig. 24. 
 duty is done, and no kick can come if he doesn't 
 get the ball himself. Then if the ball is moving 
 in the offensive direction, it is up to No. 4 to be 
 ahead of his man and come through and take it. 
 Similarly, if, on the defensive. No. 3 and his cor- 
 responding opponent ride over the ball, it is up to 
 No. 2 to be ahead of his man and get the ball. In 
 any case No. 3 has done his first duty when he has 
 covered his man. 
 
 When his side is knocking in. No. 3 should take When his 
 his place about ten yards out and somewhere be- side knocks in. 
 tween the ball and the goal posts. No. 4 hits the j,. ^ 
 ball and follows it through, thus temporarily pass- 
 ing No. 3, unless the team shall prefer to have No. 3 
 knock in, an equally advantageous play, in my judg- 
 ment. If there is any check. No. 3 and No. 4 can 
 find their places, passing the word as they pass. 
 No. 3's business is to see that the ball is not met by 
 the opposing No. 1 or some other player and sent 
 through the goal posts. He should take up a posi- 
 tion about ten yards in the field and between the 
 point where the ball is placed and the goal post. 
 If the ball went out from near the post he should 
 be directly in front of the goal, and in any case he 
 should place himself in position so as to save goal 
 in case the ball is met or returned before he and 
 No. 4 have resumed places. No. 3 may also line up 
 advantageously between No. 4 and No. 2 as sug- 
 gested by Crane. (Seep. 86.) 
 
 When the opponents are knocking in. No. 3's When the 
 
 business is near the boards to stop No. 2 getting the opponents 
 
 . . T knock in. 
 
 ball and carrying it down. 
 
122 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Back the ball 
 
 straigM. 
 
 Don't take it 
 round. 
 
 Exception. 
 
 Crossing in 
 front of goal. 
 
 Long strokes 
 desirable, 
 especially back 
 strokes. 
 
 What I have said in other places in regard to the 
 carrying of the ball round has particular force in 
 its application to the position of No. 3. No. 3 
 should hit to his own players, not to himself. 
 
 He should back the ball in the line it is traveling 
 and send it almost directly back, selecting such 
 little deflection to the side as he can safely make, 
 so as to hit it clear of the nearest opposing player 
 and his pony or toward where one of his own side 
 is waiting. 
 
 Although it is particularly vicious for No. 3 to 
 take the ball around, there is always the exception 
 if the ball is traveling at an angle with the goal 
 line he is defending and he gets a particularly good 
 chance at turning on it, and, in turning it, he is 
 hitting in a general direction toward the goal he 
 is trying to make, not leaving for himself a difficult 
 angle on his next stroke or riding in a great circle 
 which the opponents can cut across to block him 
 at any point, it is sometimes justifiable for him to 
 turn the ball. This is only justifiable as an offense 
 play when near the opponents' goal or in defending 
 when the cross-field stroke will send the ball clearly 
 ahead and well across the field. It should never 
 be played at the risk of making a safety. 
 
 No. 3 should always remember that players fol- 
 lowing can spoil a forward stroke by crooking when 
 a back stroke can be safely got off. He should be 
 absolutely sure he is taking no chance of getting 
 caught this way if he tries to carry it ahead. 
 
 No. 3 and No. 4 are two men on the team who can 
 hit long strokes with impunity, and No. 3 should 
 make a particular effort to get his back strokes long. 
 There is nothing that reflects itself quicker on the 
 change from offense to defense than a long back 
 
Duties op No. 3 123 
 
 stroke. Players of the same side get to expect it and Must be sure 
 turn it rapidly to account. In the desire to secure tiitter. 
 distance, the greatest care should be taken not to 
 sacrifice the certainty of hitting, as that is one of the 
 most important parts of No. 3's play and one of the 
 things most to be taken into account in selecting 
 a player for the position. 
 
 Crane adds : "Protect your back at all costs and 
 feed the ball up to your No. 1 and No. 2. Change 
 with your back often to throw opposing No. 1 out 
 and to equalize more the physical strain. Always 
 change with No. 2 where time can be saved. If 
 back is turned upon your back stroke, don't turn 
 until you are sure the ball has started up, then play 
 conservatively back to give your No. 4 confidence 
 to change places with you." 
 
 In summing up my directions to No. 3, I should 
 say, "Be vigilant! vigilant! vigilant!" 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 DUTIES OF No. 4 
 
 First duty 
 defending 
 goal. 
 
 Don't play 
 too close. 
 
 No. 4 or back is the defensive man on the team 
 and the court of last resort. He should learn to 
 have a timidity in regard to his goal line that ren- 
 ders him apprehensive of every possible move against 
 it. He should b_e cautious about playing close up 
 to the line. 
 
 Crane remarks: "It is safer to be close up as 
 long as back has the opposing No. 1 securely cov- 
 ered than to be back a part of a stroke." He makes 
 the general comment that a back should stay as 
 close in as is safe and be alert to turn either way. 
 
 By playing deeper he can usually accomplish 
 more than he can by riding in and toying with fire. 
 When I say playing deeper, I do not mean from more 
 than thirty or forty yards away, according to the 
 speed of the play. These distances may be short- 
 ened somewhat as the opponent's goal is neared, in 
 order that he may be in position to rush through 
 and make a goal, but No. 4 must remember that, 
 however brilliant his rushes may be, however strong 
 he may be in getting through on the offensive oc- 
 casionally, his job is to defend the goal, and his 
 stunt is turning the ball back whenever it gets 
 started toward his goal and passes No. 3. More 
 backs make mistakes by playing close up to their 
 lines and coming in to charge than by staying far 
 back. In the main, the back must remember that 
 
 124 
 
Duties of No. 4 126 
 
 if he has played his defense well he has played his 
 game well. 
 
 No. 4 should be a successful maneuverer, who Outmaneuver 
 ought to be watching all the time to see how the tbe opposing 
 opposing No. 1 is stacking up — what sort of po- ^°-^' 
 sition he is making for himself. No. 4 should be 
 very adroit at getting the opposing No. 1 started 
 fast and then pulling up and clearing him. He 
 should be watching all the time to keep the opposing Keep horse 
 No. 1, if possible, on the nigh side so as to have his on the nigh 
 own mallet side clear. It is occasionally justifiable ^i'^s- 
 for No. 4 to meet the ball where he is perfectly sure 
 he is going to hit it, or where he sees that No. 3 is in when to 
 a favorable position to get it in case he misses it, meet the hail. 
 in which case No. 4 should pass the word to No. 3 to 
 take the defensive position. Under the head of 
 "Match playing" I have discussed the strategy of 
 changing the whole style of playing the last few 
 moments of a match when the game is otherwise 
 hopelessly lost. 
 
 On the throw in, No. 4 should line up a few Pig. 3. 
 yards off half way between the positions of No. 2 and 
 No. 3. As the ball rolls back and looks as though onthe 
 it were going to pass through the opposing couples, throw in. 
 he should swing his pony gradually until the ball 
 passes the last couple, when he should dash in and 
 try to get the ball for a rush to goal. If the oppos- 
 ing No. 4 is similarly alert in making the rush, they 
 will have to guard mutually against collision, but 
 it is No. 4's job either to get it or to prevent the 
 other No. 4 from getting it. If, on the throw in, any 
 of the opponents get the ball. No. 4 should imme- 
 diately start back to defend. 
 
 The essence of No. 4's job is to back the ball, as Bacidng 
 is carefully explained in the chapter on "Use of the ball. 
 
126 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Clear the 
 oncoming 
 of ijonies. 
 
 Don't hit 
 high in air. 
 
 Never cut 
 across the line 
 of the ball. 
 
 Fig. 4. 
 
 No. 4 should 
 knock in. 
 
 the mallet," swinging his mallet along the line the 
 ball is traveling for certainty in hitting, and always 
 taking care to see where the rush of oncoming 
 rush ponies is and to send the ball where it will not be 
 hit by ponies or players as they come. It is easier 
 to hit to the left than to the right, as it is easier to 
 draw the stroke across behind the pony than to 
 make the cut stroke to deflect it. When he 
 has time No. 4 should wait until he is well past the 
 ball before hitting it so as to get the full force of 
 the swing and not to knock it into the ground. But 
 he must take due care not to pass too far so as to 
 send the ball too high in air, as that is more likely 
 to be stopped and, besides, loses distance. 
 
 No. 4 should never cut across the line of the ball 
 in trying to save goal, unless the ball has stopped 
 moving. In this case he has an equally good chance 
 for any direction if he can cross the line the ball 
 has been traveling without fouling, and, in case of a 
 forward stroke, be sure of not being crooked. He 
 should remember that, more than anything else, his 
 job is to hit the ball and hit it true. More depends 
 upon his stroke than upon that of any other player, 
 and he must not try fancy strokes when a plain one 
 will do the work as well or better. His job is not a 
 spectacular one — it is a safe one. 
 
 On the knock in, No. 4 usually hits the first stroke. 
 He is relied upon to hit a long stroke, and he should 
 try to have the ball strike the boards every time. IE 
 he feels he can not send it to the boards, either 
 because the ball is too near the goal posts or because 
 he is not a strong enough or sure enough hitter, he 
 should hit the ball as near along the back line as 
 he can, following it fast and hitting the second 
 stroke to the boards. 
 
Duties of No. 4 127 
 
 Under uo circumstances should No. 4 hit the ball 
 directly out in front of the posts. If there is a 
 signal for cross-goal hitting, No. 4 should hit well 
 across, so that the ball will get well toward the 
 boards of the other side; but he should never send 
 the ball straight down the field with the expectation 
 of hitting it a second time. The balance of chance 
 is all against the side that makes this flash play. I 
 have seen more goals lost by silly hitting out toward 
 the center, when the ball could just as well have gone 
 toward the side lines, than from any other one un- 
 necessary and foolish misplay. Play safe, and safety 
 demands that the ball be not knocked in front of the 
 goal you are defending. The turf in front of the 
 goal posts, for one thing, is cut up more than at any 
 other part, as it gets the most wear, and the ball is 
 less likely to travel true and is more likely to bounce 
 here than in any other part of the territory ad- 
 jacent to the end lines. 
 
 When the opposing side is knocking in. No. 4 wheuthe 
 should take his position as the second defense, ex- opponents 
 pecting No. 3 to get the first stroke at the ball and '^o* ii»- 
 send it back. No. 4 should be placed nearer the pig_4_ 
 center of the field than No. 3 and not very far 
 away, and should not meet the ball unless the ball 
 has already stopped or his stroke is absolutely cer- 
 tain, or unless No. 3 has got past him and is taking 
 his defensive position. 
 
 On the ofifensive, the back should place himself, 
 in such a way as to back up his No. 3 and No. 2 
 and to be ahead of the opposing No. 1 in a rush for 
 the opponents' goal. 
 
 In case his No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 ride over the Fig. 9. 
 ball and No. 4 is next, he, of course, comes through, 
 calling "Go on" to his side. 
 
128 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Fig. 20. 
 
 When to call 
 "Turn." 
 
 Value in 
 rustling 
 forward. 
 
 Fig. 9. 
 
 If the opposing No. 1, however, has him covered 
 so that he can not get through to hit the ball, No. 4 
 must then call "Turn" or its equivalent, pull up, 
 and watch for his own side to get round. If he sees 
 his No. 3 is well in position to defend, he can rush 
 the opposing No. 1 to prevent his having time to 
 turn or pass the ball, but in such case he should 
 call to No. 3 to go back and protect goal. 
 
 Crane says that No. 4 should always rush the op- 
 posing No. 1 if his No. 3 is around first. 
 
 I have seen beginners, when told to go back, think 
 it meant necessarily to pull up and go to some place 
 behind them, when in reality they were heading 
 back and all they needed was to whip up and go 
 ahead. No. 3 and No. 4 should understand clearly 
 what "back" means. It means to go toward the 
 defensive goal. It means playing a deeper defensive, 
 so if they are heading back, a signal to go back in- 
 dicates that they must go ahead fast. 
 
 No. 4 should always be looking for a chance to get 
 through with the ball. The most brilliant backs 
 I have known have been those who, when a chance 
 came for a rush, came crashing through at high 
 speed, being in a better position to get up high 
 speed because their ponies have less rushing and 
 turning to do and are therefore fresher. 
 
 When he comes through this way, back should be 
 particularly careful to call "Go on" to his men, as 
 his rush is not the expected thing, his job being to 
 play the defensive, and his own players will not 
 necessarily expect him to come through unless they 
 are informed that he is doing it. Having rushed 
 up into the game, back should be very careful to 
 pass the word to No. 3, so that No. 3 will assume 
 his responsibilities, and No. 3 should play religiously 
 
Duties of No. 4 129 
 
 back, preferably fairly deep, and stay tbere until 
 the opportunity comes to change to his own place, changing. 
 When the ball turns direction, or when it is taken 
 round the field, there is usually a favorable oppor- 
 tunity to regain position. 
 
 In summing up No. 4's job, I should say "Sure, 
 careful, deep, resourceful, and always safe, very 
 safe." 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 DUTIES OF THE CAPTAIN 
 
 Club captain. 
 
 Encourage 
 poorer players. 
 
 Strength of 
 a club lies in 
 the average 
 strength of 
 players. 
 
 The captain's work may be divided into two dis- 
 tinct parts, which will be treated separately. One 
 is the work of the captain of the polo club and the 
 other is that of the captain of a team. 
 
 It is the duty of the captain of the club to see 
 that all players get their share of polo. He should 
 be most scrupulous in encouraging the poorer play- 
 ers and beginners. There is always the necessity 
 of steering between the difficulty, on the one hand, 
 of depriving everybody of fast polo by giving the 
 poorer players equal chance with the better ones, 
 and, on the other hand, the difficulty of discouraging 
 the poorer players and beginners by not giving them 
 their money's worth and an ojpportunity to play 
 often enough. The captain should be very resource- 
 ful to overcome these difficulties — for example, by 
 getting the better players out early, so that they 
 may have a few periods before the others come or 
 so grouping the teams as to let the poorer players 
 play for certain periods and the better players play 
 in others. One thing should be borne in mind 
 always, and that is that the strength of a polo club 
 as a club lies not in the strength of its best three 
 or four men, but in the strength of the average 
 player; that if a captain builds all his hopes upon 
 his best men and sacrifices to their development and 
 welfare the interests of others, he is sacrificing 
 
 130 
 
Duties of the Captain 131 
 
 the interests of his club. The continued playing of 
 any one set of players is uncertain. If the club 
 gets dependent on them, when they go out the club 
 is lost, whereas, if the captain adopts the policy of 
 developing the best qualities of each new player and 
 encouraging him by giving him every opportunity, 
 there will be a crop of men — ready to step into the Playing on 
 place of any man going out — who will very shortly team makes 
 become good players, just by reason of the fact good players, 
 that they are to play on the team. My experience 
 has been that with the proper opportunity and 
 coaching a player may be rounded out very rapidly. 
 When I was coaching the university football team potential value 
 at Harvard, I almost preferred to begin a new of new men. 
 season with new material than to have too much of 
 the old. It never discourages me to put in a new 
 man. Start the players right and the responsibility 
 of playing a team game with a team that has won 
 its spurs will prove to be an incentive to almost 
 any player that will result in his molding himself 
 within an almost incredibly short period of time. 
 The fact that there are experienced men before and 
 behind him enables him to find himself very much 
 more rapidly than he would if left to himself, floun- 
 dering about in the chaos of a beginner's polo 
 game. 
 
 Where the polo squad is twelve or less, there Everyone 
 should be an agreement among the men to give up should come 
 all minor engagements and present themselves at °'^'- 
 the field in time to make a game so that five or six 
 players will not be kept waiting until some belated 
 one or two arrive. The captain should endeavor to 
 stimulate among the players a spirit that will 
 make them alive to their responsibilities in this 
 respect. 
 
132 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Periods 
 allowed each 
 player 
 
 proportioned 
 to ponies. 
 
 ArraBgement 
 of teams in 
 practice. 
 
 Hours longer 
 when players 
 are many. 
 
 Players should be given opportunities to play in 
 direct proportion to the number of ponies they 
 have. The one-pony man is entitled to one period 
 in three; a two-pony man is expected to drop out 
 much oftener than a three-pony man, while a man 
 who maintains four or more ponies should play right 
 along and get cut out of play only one or two periods 
 in an afternoon. 
 
 Where more than twelve are out, I have found 
 that it pays to arrange three teams, each a different 
 color — red, yellow, and blue. The Beds and Yellows 
 play one period and then the Eeds and Blues have 
 a period; the Reds thus play twice in succession. 
 The Eed team then goes out and the Yellows and 
 Blues have a turn. Where there are more than 
 fifteen players, four teams can be formed and no 
 intervals allowed, as when the first two teams to 
 plaj' ride off the field, two more teams ride on, and 
 thus the maximum of playing is provided. In the 
 case of men with only one pony, adjustments can 
 be made by substituting the men with several in 
 their places. Although this makes a constant shift- 
 ing of the personnel of most of the teams, it is 
 advisable except in preparing for matches. Then 
 the players that are to be played as teams should be 
 kept as much as possible together and the changes 
 made in other groups of players. 
 
 Where there are great numbers, the hours of play 
 should be longer, so as to give everybody a chance 
 to go in. Where the players are few, the hours of 
 play should be shorter and the intervals longer. 
 Where a player for any reason wants to stay out, 
 he should give notice to the captain immediately on 
 dismounting, not, as usually seems to be the practice, 
 just as the teams are mounting to get into place. 
 
Duties of the Captain 133 
 
 I believe it advisable to have little painted tin slips, 
 with the names of the men, which can be placed 
 in a rack where all can see. The captain, having 
 selected his Blue team, sets up their names and po- 
 sitions on the Blue rack. He should then designate 
 the captain of the team as they go out. The Red 
 team should be on the Eed rack and the captain 
 designated. As soon as the bell rings practice should 
 start, and there should always be an umpire or Always have 
 referee — one of the players, or some person on horse- ^ referee. 
 back — to throw in the ball and start the play. Be- 
 fore any line up is called, about ten minutes should Ten minutes 
 be devoted to limbering up and getting the ponies to limber up 
 worked for a few minutes and the strokes steadied, before practice. 
 
 For this warming up, it is best to have the goal 
 posts moved fifteen or twenty yards toward the side 
 of the field in order that the concentration of ponies 
 at the goal may not tear up the field in the center Saving the 
 of the goal, thus saving the turf between and about ^^^^ between 
 the goal posts. If this practice is pursued the goal "^'^ ^°^^ ^°^^^- 
 line itself will be infinitely less cut up, as in an hour 
 or two of actual play there will not be more than 
 fifteen or twenty goals made — say, eight at each 
 end. In the practice beforehand, there are likely 
 to be forty at each end in ten minutes. 
 
 It is proper to let the poorer players and begin- roorer players 
 ners have the less important posts in the team play P^* ^^ ^°- ^ 
 in practice. A new man should go to No. 1 until he ^° "' " 
 earns the right to move into the somewhat more re- 
 sponsible positions. Unless developing a player for 
 some particular and immediate purpose, I put my 
 strongest men in the positions of No. 2 and No. 3 
 and put the weaker players at the ends. 
 
 Colors should be ready and strapped onto the Colors for 
 players as they start to play, and an attendant practice. 
 
134 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Team captain. 
 
 See that men 
 are holding 
 their positions. 
 
 Fig. 17. 
 
 should be on hand to see that each man has. his 
 colors off before he leaves the field. If this is not 
 done, the players will wear them away as sure as 
 fate and often forget to bring them back, so that 
 the club will be constantly having to supply new 
 colors. 
 
 The team captain is charged with the conduct of 
 the game and the direction of the play. 
 
 The most important part of his diity is to make 
 sure that his men are holding their positions. If 
 play is going badly against his team, he should be 
 able to size up the reason for it. More than likely 
 it is the fault of some one player. Not long ago 
 I was playing on a team that by all rules should 
 have been very strong and should have easily beaten 
 its competitors, but it didn't. I got worried and 
 began analyzing the reason for it, watching each 
 player with the greatest solicitude, but for some 
 days I failed to detect the weakness till by the 
 process of elimination it gradually came to me that 
 the weak place was at No. 2, the position I was play- 
 ing. I then got busy and began looking less for 
 faults in others. Some men get a fancy in their 
 heads that they can help by going back and helping 
 another of their own side. That is most likely to be 
 the case when the game is going against them and 
 No. 2 or No. 3 get it into their heads that they can 
 help No. 4 by going back and making his back 
 strokes for him. If there is anything that kills a 
 team, it is that. The best way they can help No. 
 4 is by holding their positions and making the ad- 
 vance effective when the time comes to take the 
 ball ahead. The captain should see that players hold 
 their position, even if the game is going against 
 them, cover their man, and be sure to let the fault lie 
 
Duties op the Captain 
 
 135 
 
 with some other player, if fault there be, and not 
 add to it by turning the whole game into hopeless 
 confusion by leaving their posts to do somebody 
 else's work. The fact is, no player can do anybody 
 else's work, and with one position uncovered the 
 team is crippled. 
 
 The captain should be most scrupulously careful 
 not to blame other men for his own misplay. If he 
 does, he will soon lose his influence with the team 
 and the spirit of the team will go to pieces. No Criticising 
 player finds fault with a just criticism, even when the team. 
 expressed in extremely forcible language. Even 
 though sore for a few moments, when he comes to 
 think it over and sees that he is to blame, he comes 
 back chastened in spirit and bearing no ill feeling. 
 Polo is not a game where you can stop and say 
 "Please." The orders of the captain must be sharp, 
 immediate, and peremptory, and instantly obeyed 
 by his players. 
 
 The captain should remember that no man can Don't criticise 
 play well with constant criticism. All players must too much, 
 be encouraged. Anyone will go to pieces if the only 
 words that come from the lips of a captain are those 
 of blame. Every encouraging symptom should be 
 noted, and praise should be given wherever praise 
 is due and in equal measure to the blam.e. 
 
 The captain should make sure that the men do Keep an eye 
 those simple things so necessary for their proper on the detail, 
 playing which are carelessly left out by a great 
 many players. He should tell them to feel their 
 mallet heads before mounting for each period in a 
 match. He should stir them up to be ready on 
 time. He should insist upon quick lining up, each 
 man taking his place when the ball goes out. He Maiiethemen 
 should train each player so that, when the ball goes line up quicicly. 
 
136 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Choosing 
 of sides. 
 
 No talking 
 back on field. 
 
 Captain only 
 shall criticise. 
 
 out ot bounds, he will gallop rapidly to his positiou 
 as though the play were still in process and then 
 stop and get his wind after he is in place, not before. 
 Nearly two-thirds of the players I have seen have the 
 fault of pulling up and taking too much time getting 
 into position after the ball goes otitside, with the 
 result that they are reaching their position when 
 the ball is thrown or knocked out, instead of being 
 in it. If the referee or knocker-in is at all expedi- 
 tious, a quick man can take advantage of this care- 
 lessness of his opponents to be on hand and get the 
 ball a great many times when a little promptness 
 on the part of the opposing players would have pre- 
 vented it. 
 
 It is the captain's business before the game to 
 toss up for choice of sides. In choosing sides he' 
 should take into account sun and wind. It is easier 
 to play down the wind than against it, and if it 
 happens that the field lies so that the sun is in 
 the eyes, that might offset a head wind and make it 
 wise to choose the side with the back to the sun. 
 
 The captain should allow no talking back on the 
 field by the players. In the main, talking on the 
 field by the players should be confined to the words 
 which I have indicated under the head of "Team 
 play," which amounts to keeping your side informed 
 as to what is going on; but the captain of the team 
 shoiild speak and coach the other players. A team 
 will listen to the orders or criticisms of the captain, 
 whose business it is to talk, but ill spirit results 
 if all players undertake to coach or find fault with 
 each other. I do not, however, mean to preclude 
 old experienced players sending new men back to 
 their places, if they come in to crowd them or get 
 out of place. In fact, any player who gets out of 
 
Duties of the Captain 137 
 
 place must expect to hear of it very sharply. There 
 
 is no way a man can be trained to learn his place 
 
 except by a man whose territory is invaded letting 
 
 him know he is out of place, and nobody can blame 
 
 him if it is a fairly sharp reminder. The captain 
 
 should be particularly careful never to scold the When not 
 
 player for having done badly if his intentions were to blame. 
 
 right; that is, if he misses a stroke or does not get 
 
 his pony pulled up and turned fast enough 
 
 to cover some other player or players, especially 
 
 if called upon to ride an extremely good horseman 
 
 or man on a particularly fast pony, or, in other 
 
 words, where he has done practically everything 
 
 that he ought but did not do it quite well enough. 
 
 Vituperation in such cases will only do harm, and 
 
 the player scolded will be discouraged, not helped. 
 
 If he has turned in a circle instead of pulling up When to blame. 
 
 in his tracks and turning, that is an incorrect play ; 
 
 he should have known better and should be roundly 
 
 brought tp task. Or if he has failed to ride off or 
 
 crook the other man's stick, letting him have a free 
 
 swing when he could have prevented it, or if he has 
 
 begun his stroke at the ground and ridden past the 
 
 ball before his mallet got around, the captain should 
 
 very properly call his attention sharply to his error. 
 
 In selecting the teams it is well to bear in mind Selecting ol 
 the following facts : men for 
 
 Of an average sixteen strokes, positions. 
 
 No. 2 will hit six. 
 
 No. 3 wUl hit five. 
 
 No. 4 will hit three. 
 
 No. 1 will hit two. 
 
 It is No. 2's position to be on the ball all the Positions 
 time on the offensive, and No. 3's to be on the ball compared, 
 on the defensive, and, as a natural result, they get 
 
138 As TO Polo 
 
 most of the hitting. Thus, on the general theory 
 of chance, as No. 2 is in position where most of 
 the hitting comes naturally, the most accurate hitter 
 should be selected for the position. I believe that, 
 except for special circumstances, a team will be 
 strongest if its best player is at No. 2, its next best 
 at No. 3, its next best at No. 4, and the poorest 
 at No. 1, which is the position in which a poor player 
 can do the least harm. The position of No. 1 has 
 very naturally come to be looked down upon. In 
 view of the foregoing it is almost paradoxical to 
 say that it is the position where the best player can 
 do the most good, and I have been accustomed to 
 measure the strength of strong teams by their No. 
 1. In the great international championship game 
 of 1909 won by America in England, L. Waterbury, 
 supposed to be the best player on the American 
 team, was placed in the position of No. 1. This 
 seems to be inconsistent with my general theory 
 of play, but, given a team where No. 2 and No. 3 
 are sufficiently able to cover their positions and 
 do it on equal terms with the No. 2 and No. 3 of 
 the opposing side, the strength in the position of No. 
 1 is what a business man would call "velvet," and 
 means goal after goal. 
 
 Crane comments that if the team is winning. No. 2 
 will hit oftener, but if the team Is losing and gen- 
 erally on the defense. No. 3 will have more strokes. 
 
 I believe, however, that in average play No. 2 will 
 get the most shots ; he hits more short ones, for one 
 thing. I advise selecting the team on the assump- 
 tion that you are going to win. 
 
 Crane makes the following comment in regard to 
 most important qualifications: "No. 1 should be 
 deadly on goal and quick to act on his chances. No. 
 
Duties of the Captain 139 
 
 • 
 
 2 should be as sure as possible of goal and the most 
 dashing, active man and chance taker. No. 3 should 
 be a good strong hitter both ways on both sides 
 and safe and sure at backing up No. 2 or at back. 
 No. 4 should be a strong back-hand hitter on both 
 sides and conservative. No. 2 and No. 3 should be 
 very handy." 
 
 In preparing a team for its matches, a captain 
 should not call on his men for supreme and unusual 
 efforts. They are usually nervous and pitched to 
 high tension, and need soothing and confidence 
 rather than stimulation. Some few men are so Don't stir 
 phlegmatic that they need to be urged, but it is the men up. 
 seldom or never that a team, as a team, needs such 
 treatment. 
 
 The first thing a team needs is confidence. Cap- importance 
 tains should try to see that the players are confident o* confidence, 
 that good team play is going to win against superior 
 individual play. I have, as captain, very often told 
 my men that, if the score was not more than three 
 goals against us in the first three periods, we were 
 sure to win, doing this in the belief that bril- 
 liant playing is apt to tire itself and get worn 
 down by cooperative play on the part of four steady 
 and quiet players, and because the expectation on 
 the part of one team that the other side was going 
 to show a kind of flash in the pan tends to give 
 them confidence against an adverse score which they 
 would not have otherwise. I have often noticed 
 this to be the case. 
 
 I also tell my men to meet a rush with a rush, 
 and, if their side is pressed very hard, to grit their 
 teeth and come back hard at their opponents. 
 
CHAPTEE XIII 
 
 MATCH PLATING 
 
 Selection of 
 sticks. 
 
 Extra sticks 
 at convenient 
 points. 
 
 Distinguishing 
 marks on 
 mallet. 
 
 Order of 
 ponies. 
 
 Preparation for matches should be much more 
 careful than for practice, and there are certain pre- 
 cautions which it pays to take. 
 
 In the first place, six, preferably ten, mallets satis- 
 factory to the player should be secured. The player 
 should select his best stick and then get the other 
 ones in the order which he would prefer to use them 
 and give his second best stick to somebody who will 
 agree to stand right at the side lines to deliver the 
 stick in case of necessity. Careful instructions 
 should be given to see that the man holding the stick 
 does not step on the field in delivering it, as 
 that would be a foul. In very important matches, I 
 should recommend that each team have six men 
 stationed at various points — three on each side of the 
 field, one at the center, and two on either side 
 toward the ends — each with one mallet for each 
 of the four players of the team. Thus, upon losing 
 a stick, a player could gallop to the nearest point 
 and not lose time. It is well to have distinguishing 
 marks on the sticks. I always used to paint rings 
 around the stick just next the handle. By having 
 these colors, you can always tell your own sticks 
 and not by any chance get anybody else's. It is 
 always well also to ink your name on the head or 
 end of handle. 
 
 Before mounting, the ponies should be selected 
 and orders given as to the exact order in which 
 
 140 
 
Match Playing 141 
 
 they are to be played. Upon mounting one pony, the Have the next 
 groom should immediately have the next pony pony ready. 
 girthed up and ready to go out on a second's notice, 
 so that in case of the breaking of a curb chain 
 or of a stirrup, or some other accident to the pony, 
 the next pony may be mounted without loss of time, 
 as time is golden. Each pony to be ridden in the 
 match should be mounted once before the play to 
 make sure that the stirrups are just right, but it 
 is not necessary to ride them before playing, al- 
 though it improves some of them to do so. If there Toning down 
 is any pony that is particularly fractious and high ponies that are 
 strung, it is often well to let him have several miles too high strung. 
 at slow gallop before the play to bring him within 
 the bounds of reason. Two or three miles will steady 
 a pony immensely and not detract from his staying 
 power. 
 
 I have found it useful at the beginning of play 
 to take a sponge and moisten the breeches inside 
 the knees and legs so as to assure the grip. By the 
 time the trousers and saddle are sweated through, 
 the grip wUl be first rate, but before that there will 
 have to be a time when the saddle is slippery, and, 
 particularly on nigh-side strokes, there is a little 
 loss in efficiency. 
 
 At the beginning of each period of play, the play- Test the 
 ers should be sure to test their mallet heads and mallets, 
 make sure that the mallet has not begun to spring 
 or the head to twist. If there is the least indica- 
 tion of weakness, the mallet should be changed, as, 
 once begun, the stick gives very rapidly, and there 
 is nothing more fatal to direction than a twist in a 
 mallet head. 
 
 I am strongly opposed to drinking anything dur- Avoid drinking 
 ing practice or play. In the very hottest weather during play. 
 
142 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Value of 
 stimulants. 
 
 Be ready 
 early. 
 
 The throw in. 
 
 I used to take one-half tumbler of oatmeal water 
 in the course of an afternoon of hard polo. I believe 
 filling oneself with water makes one logy and that 
 there is no advantage. The thirst might just as well 
 be undergone, and I think the player is better for it. 
 I am particularly opposed to drinking stimulants. 
 I do not think the effect of them lasts, and the player 
 gives out in the last period or so. I know the team 
 on which I played, which made a rule of not drink- 
 ing anything, was strongest in the last part of the 
 play. They used to win against other teams, often in 
 the last few minutes of play, and I noticed those 
 other teams were apt to encourage themselves with 
 very stiff drinks during the intermissions. In case 
 of exhaustion it may be possible to play the last 
 period on stimulants, but I doubt if it would be of 
 value any longer than that. 
 
 Always mount your pony before the one-minute 
 bell rings and be in your place waiting for the 
 thirty second bell to ring. Never wait, before 
 getting your position, until that bell has rung. 
 When the thirty second bell rings, begin to count 
 slowly so as to see if you can guess approximately 
 when the ball will be thrown in, all the time watch- 
 ing carefully the hand of the referee. When you 
 think the ball is about to be thrown in, move your 
 pony, if possible, just a little ahead of the opposing 
 pony, so as to get the advantage at the instant the 
 referee puts up his hand and the ball is thrown. 
 When the ball is thrown, you should be moving 
 toward it. 
 
 In selecting the ponies for the match, it is well 
 for the players to have an understanding so that 
 they will know what ponies the other players on 
 their side will use. If players are trying new ponies 
 
Match Playing 143 
 
 or ponies that have particular characteristics, it is 
 well to make the characteristics fit one into the 
 other. For instance, if one player has a particularly 
 handy pony and the other player has one that is fast 
 but not handy, it is well, say, for No. 3 to arrange 
 to ride his handy pony in the period when No. 2 is 
 riding an unhandy pony, to offset the disadvantage. 
 A team should be careful that they don't all get 
 mounted on their poorest ponies at once ; this might 
 cripple their efQciency and lose the game just by 
 reason of inability to prevent the other team scoring 
 at will for one period. J have seen this happen 
 more than once, and several times I have seen very 
 bad effects from lack of coordination as to mounts. 
 
 Sometimes a team has to arrange the order of its 
 mounts to meet peculiarities in the mounts of the 
 opposing team, but this happens much less often 
 than adjustments of the mounts to fit in with one's 
 own side. 
 
 , Players, before beginning a match, should go out Preliminary 
 and get their stroke true, beginning slowly, but being practice, 
 perfectly sure to hit with the center of the stick, and 
 then gradually increasing the speed until the stroke 
 comes right. There is no need of continuing after 
 a succession of strokes has indicated that the eye 
 and hand are true. 
 
 In preparing for matches, keep to the ponies that Don't ride 
 are to be played in the matches, and do not try new strange ponies 
 ponies or difficult ones that you are not going to Just before 
 play in the games. It unsettles the stroke and ac- 
 complishes no useful purpose. 
 
 In preparing for a match, it is well to eat a hearty Preparation 
 breakfast, indulging in the usual pursuits during beforehand. 
 the morning, take a light luncheon of some well- 
 cooked and simple food, ending at least two hours 
 
144 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 before the game is to begin, and taking particular 
 pains not to drink much, not more than a tumbler- 
 ful of liquid at the outside. 
 Nervousness. Personally, I prefer to ha\'e a set of men who are 
 
 nervous before important matches than men who are 
 not; it is apt to keep them up at their best. If 
 a man is not nervous before an important game, it 
 is apt to be an indication that there is something 
 the matter with him. 
 Delaying the When, for any reason, it is desired to delay the 
 
 game. play, my practice is to get the ball going slow along 
 
 the side boards and then stop over it, in so far as 
 can be done without violation of the rules, sending 
 it short distances along the boards, or, if in the 
 field, toward the side or into the corners. It never 
 pays to try to delay the game, however, if you have 
 a good offensive movement under way. Keep the 
 rush going until you are apt to lose the ball, when 
 sometimes it can be turned and sent into the far 
 corners where there is less enthusiasm on the part 
 of the opponents in following and where they can 
 not do much harm whichever way they hit it. A 
 team may want to delay the game when a player 
 has left the team to change his mallet, or when the 
 game is drawing toward the end and well in hand 
 and the ponies are tiring and are needed later for 
 further hard work. I always try to save my ponies 
 all I can. It is not right to delay the game by 
 not hitting in on a knock in, or by any violation 
 of rule. 
 Strategy when If the game has gone against you and you have 
 the game seems one or two goals to make, and only a little while 
 lost. ijj which to do it, the whole strategy of polo changes 
 
 Back should no longer play safe, as he has every- 
 thing to ]ose and nothing to gain by doing it. Dif- 
 
Match Plating 145 
 
 flcult strokes should be tried in place of easy ones, 
 and the whole team should endeavor to meet the 
 ball at all places and at any angle. A possible 
 victory may be gained by unexpectedly meeting 
 the ball, a change in policy which will surprise and 
 perhaps demoralize the opposing team and make the 
 difEerence between winning or losing the game. 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 A POSSIBTjE way of SUPPLyiJiTG PONIES 
 
 Present lack of 
 method in polo 
 pony supply. 
 
 How polo 
 ponies are 
 obtained. 
 
 It seems strange to me that men of as great ability 
 in organization as some of the men now playing 
 polo have not concentrated their attention on ar- 
 ranging for an intelligent and adequate supply of 
 polo ponies. The present haphazard means of supply 
 in the United States is somewhat as follows: A 
 number of polo pony dealers travel in person or 
 by means of agents over all the Western States of 
 the Union and part of Mexico in the effort to find 
 likely material for polo ponies. I do not suppose 
 that these various dealers and agents have system- 
 atically quartered the field, and so there is no 
 doubt a good deal of duplicate traveling. In the 
 course of these journeys inspection is made of many 
 thousand head of horses, from which certain promis- 
 ing ones are culled, usually of polo age — that is, 
 more than five years old. This means that either 
 they have not had any training or have had a train- 
 ing which may or may not have been calculated 
 to develop them in the best way for polo, but on 
 the general theory of chance they have not been so 
 trained. These horses are brought, at considerable 
 expense, varying according to the distance, to some 
 central ranch, usually in Texas, but sometimes in 
 other States, where they are trained by a number of 
 expert men who teach them the rudiments of polo. 
 Not more than half the ponies thus brought in, I 
 am informed, prove to be valuable for polo. Those 
 
 146 
 
A Possible Way of Supplying Ponies 147 
 
 which are approved are shipped in carload lots to 
 cities in the different parts of the United States 
 where polo is played. These ponies, again, are main- 
 tained on farms or in stables near the polo clubs un- 
 til they have been sold, or it is found that they can 
 not be sold, when they may be transferred to some 
 other city. 
 
 The net result of all this is a very considerable ex- 
 pense to the polo player, as in the process he must 
 pay for the finishing and breaking, must give the 
 polo dealer his profit and besides reimburse him for 
 the travels of the agents, the examinations of unfit 
 stock, the transportation of good and bad stock to 
 the central farm, and its support while being 
 trained, as well as meet the loss on those animals 
 which turn out to be no good for polo, the transpor- 
 tation and housing while near the polo clubs, and the 
 loss on those of the animals which are not sold oflf . 
 
 It seems to me that this condition ought to be Combination 
 met by a combination among the polo men in the of polo players 
 United States, who should jointly subscribe for a ^"ssested. 
 central polo ranch, to be situated in some place suit- 
 able for grazing horses and training them in the 
 winter months, where a large herd of mares should 
 be maintained and where polo ponies should be 
 systematically raised and trained. By beginning 
 the training at the age of one year or two, many 
 horses could be made to play which refuse to play 
 when work is begun on them at an older age, and 
 much greater finish could be put on the colts as 
 turned out. 
 
 I see no reason why there should not be a polo Polo stud book. 
 pony stud book in which good sires and dams of 
 polo ponies should be registered and record kept 
 of all of the stock which reaches a certain degree 
 
148 
 
 As TO Polo 
 
 Gradual 
 formation of 
 polo stock. 
 
 Large scale 
 suggested. 
 
 Indian mares 
 for numbers. 
 
 First cross 
 with Arabs 
 for quality. 
 
 Second cross 
 witli 
 
 thoroughbred 
 for speed. 
 
 of excellence in play, or in producing playing ponies. 
 Under certain rules such playing ponies and pro- 
 ducers of players should be classed as standard, 
 which will give a sure value to the strain from which 
 they are derived. In this way, by gradual process of 
 elimination of stock that does not tend to produce 
 good polo horses, a herd could be obtained which 
 could be relied upon to insure a uniform product 
 generally suited to the purposes of polo. 
 
 By bringing to this farm the proved sires — ^that 
 is, those that have gotten good polo ponies — and 
 the proved mares, the dams or sisters of the best 
 ponies, and all the polo mares which, having been 
 good players during their working days, are retired 
 to the stud to produce their kind, the ranch could 
 gradually acquire a very considerable herd of horses, 
 which are likely to produce offspring in which 
 there is a prevalence of those characteristics 
 that are desirable in polo. I should like to 
 see it tried on a scale which would enable the 
 managers of the club to go further than 
 this. I think they might try to get an ideal stock 
 as a sort of basic stock from which to get large num- 
 bers of future ponies. It seems to me that it ought 
 to be feasible to buy, say, 1,000 pony mares such as 
 are used by the North American Indians, which are 
 small and tough, and can be had for very little 
 money. In the countries that I have hunted over T 
 have seen these ponies sold at from |10 to |30. 
 These could be crossed with pure-blooded Arab stal- 
 lions and the fillies only kept. After three years of 
 this, enough fillies would be on hand so that the orig- 
 inal mares could be sent away, or at least reduced 
 by a process of elimination. These half -Arab, half- 
 Indian fillies could be crossed with stunted English 
 
A Possir.LE Way of SurPLYiNG Ponies 149 
 
 thorouglibreds. I believe the result of this crossing 
 would make an excellent polo pony in a good many 
 instances. The horse should be very stout and very 
 fine, being half thoroughbred, one-fourth Arab, and Additional 
 one-fourth "Cayuse." The experiment might be Arab strain 
 made of breeding the second time to Arab, so that i* necessary. 
 the mares finally crossed with the thoroughbreds 
 would be three-fourths Arab and one-fourth "Cay- 
 use." It might be that individual cases would show 
 the necessity for additional strength of the Arab 
 strain. 
 
 With a stock of mares, now half thoroughbred and Tliird cross to 
 the other half divided in varying proportions be- performance. 
 tween Arab and "Cayuse," I should breed to per- 
 formers or to the sires of performers, and it is 
 my belief that at the end of ten years, by this 
 method, we should be in position to be identifying 
 and registering those strains that throw colts that 
 turn readily to polo. There should be nothing hap- , 
 hazard about the matter. By intelligent selection 
 and supervision in the method of breeding, by con- 
 centration at one point of all stock which had proven 
 by experience that it bred good polo ponies, all the 
 expense of annual travels and rounding up and test- 
 ing of horses would be eliminated. There would be 
 no transportation from the place where the pony 
 was reared to the place where he was to be trained, 
 and the future polo pony v^'ould be sure of an edu- 
 cation along the most scientific lines, given at the 
 proper age, and consistently carried through. 
 
 An advantageous method of getting under way 
 early would be to secure the services of one or more 
 of the most successful and reliable existing organiza- 
 tions and have them purchase a suitable number of 
 likely ponies of polo age. This could be done while 
 
150 As TO Polo 
 
 looking up and purchasing the sires and dams of 
 good ponies then playing. These young horses could 
 be trained at the ranch and furnish an immediate 
 supply. This could go on from year to year until 
 the new stock raised on the ranch came along, after 
 which outside purchases could be gradually discon- 
 tinued. 
 
 The ranch should maintain a polo club with good 
 fields, under the charge of a pastmaster in the art 
 of polo. Members could get some winter sport and 
 buy their strings right there each year, so that only 
 the ponies known to be wanted would be shipped 
 up, which would make a very satisfactory result 
 for the place and for the pockets of the players. 
 It ought to reduce the cost of polo ponies very con- 
 siderably and increase the number of gOod ones. 
 
 These suggestions are merely ideas which have 
 been running rather loosely through my head, and 
 I do not doubt that a person more familiar with the 
 breeding of polo ponies will see many ways of doing 
 better. But I feel quite confident that the funda- 
 mental plan of a systematic and organized method 
 of supplying polo ponies is not only desirable but 
 will some time prove to be necessary. I believe that, 
 with such an institution started, and with polo men 
 of means willing to see it through its first lean 
 years, it would solve the polo pony supply prob- 
 lem of the United States, and later possibly of other 
 countries. I see no reason why the numbers should 
 be at all limited there and I do not see why the 
 supply could not be kept right up to the annual 
 demand. 
 Other sports I believe a club organized on some ranch where 
 
 at the ranch. horses could be raised in these numbers would afford 
 many attractions to sportsmen, and there could be 
 
A Possible Way of Supplying Ponies 151 
 
 many sports besides polo there, all of which would 
 be a matter of gradual growth from year to year. 
 As the popularity and use of the club grew, the time 
 might easily come when this breeding ranch became 
 a place where polo players from all over the country 
 would gather for a few months and have polo, tennis, 
 golf, and possibly hunting, coursing, and other 
 sports, meet each other, and buy their annual supply 
 of ponies. They could bring their neophytes desirous Training 
 of being initiated into the mysteries of the game, who school of 
 would thus begin under the favorable auspices of players as well 
 some trained master who would put them through ^® °* pomes, 
 those exercises which are the best preliminary in- 
 struction for polo beginners, and possibly save them 
 from making a great many mistakes and ruining a 
 good many ponies before learning by bitter experi- 
 ence things which they might have easily learned 
 beforehand. I speak from my own experience and 
 I do not doubt at all that many polo players have 
 similar experience to look back upon and regret, 
 particularly the unwise practices that resulted in 
 losing their first polo ponies when a little knowledge 
 would have prevented it. 
 
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