are six years old. And by then they start playing in matches, but it’ s natural that at 4 years old the mare is already well built physically.
Juanpi I have definitely noticed that when you break a horse in at three years of age, it is more mature and better built, but one would have to ask the tamers that question. I also think that if you break them in earlier, they learn more quickly. It becomes more difficult when they are older. In my case, we used to tame at three years with Javier, but I think that the younger they are, the more quickly they learn. But when they’ re older they’ re more mature and stronger.
SECOND STAGE:“ INFORMAL GAMES AND PRACTICE MATCHES”
Gastón The second stage begins when the horse is already four years old and stick-and-balling begins, which is like a taming therapy, and when it loosens up and becomes confident alongside the mallet and ball and its rider, that is when you can start to play informal games with friends and practice matches. It is good to play informally so that the horse watches and learns what it’ s like to be among other horses. At this stage it goes through periods of rest and being let out loose in the field. We could say that 50 % of the time they are moving and the other 50 % resting. This depends on the organizations and possibilities each one has. Before we used to play informally but at full speed for about a year and they became tame, but we overdid it rather and when you wanted to play more practice matches, I’ m not very sure that they were really tame enough to play polo.
Tomás At this stage we already start stick-and-balling a lot and adding intensity as we go along. First gently, and those first practice matches very gently too but seeing to it that the mare works well. That they should do the same on the field as what they learned before off the field. Making sure that they progress with each practice match.
Claudio Before stick-and-balling I like the horse to be well schooled. That it shouldn’ t be frightened at anything and as it goes getting tamer— this never happened to me— but there are those who believe that if a horse is tired he won’ t be any use later. But that depends on the nature of each pony. Nowadays at Ellerstina, where they are trained in stables throughout, it’ s different and they are very docile when handed over.
In my case, if they are not afraid of the swing of the mallet, that’ s great. I’ ve never had a problem with that. I think it a good thing that the tamer should start making the horse familiar with the mallet because it prepares them for what is to come.
Gastón To round up this second stage I would say that one begins to stick-and-ball when the horse is tame and confident, and that it should already be using a gag, and you can start playing those friendly matches and then practice matches. In my case we combine the feed a bit too, because during the next stage they are to experience an abrupt change if they go to Buenos Aires and are put in a box and start eating oats and fodder bundles. Out West we play a lot of practice matches with green horses and that is where I think that if the horse is playing at moderate speed and all are at the same stage in their training, the horse will adapt well. If there are horses that are more advanced, maybe something could happen to frighten then, which could then leave sequels for the future. In short, what I’ m saying is that the ideal situation is to combine the feed and ride the horses a lot.
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