Polo

Polo is a game played on horse back in a big field. There are two teams and each player has a long mallet which they use to hit a plastic or wooden ball into the goal of the other team. Polo has been around for a very long time.
    Horses that play polo have to be specially trained to do their job correctly. They are trained to move very quickly and to cope well with pressure and sudden movements. Horses can get tired easily, especially in such a long game. So many players would have a second horse that they would switch to during the game. The horses also train to get used to their rider holding the reins with one hand and be able to respond to the riders leg movements and weight during the game.  Polo can be played inside an arena or it can be played in a field which is more common with the full team of four a side.  When it's played inside, there are only 3 players a side because of the smaller space which makes it more difficult.
    The basic rules of Polo are that the rider can only hold the mallet in their right hand and if the ball is hit, that rider would have the right away. To get the ball away from the opponent, the attacker must come up beside the other pony and compete for the ball shoulder to shoulder trying to knock the other player off the line of the ball. It's against the rules if another pony turns in front of a pony or they attack head on. A mallet can never touch the horse or the rider.
    Polo is a sport played in Ireland and it is also an Olympic sport. There are a number of Centers that play Polo. This year the Irish Polo Team won the 2016 European Championships in Berlin.

Photo Credit: Siddha