Once a sport of Kings reserved only for the rich and famous, playing Polo on horseback is now an accessible and fun hobby that has huge benefits for your kids.
1 – Builds Self Confidence
Learning to control a 500kg animal all while playing a strategic team sport is a lot of fun and sure boosts your confidence and self esteem putting a spring in your step and builds a steady self assuredness that will help success come to you in life.
2 – Improves Self Awareness
As you learn to ride you become more self aware as you notice the effect you have on the horses, maybe you learn to be calmer and more decisive and clear, maybe you have to learn to become assertive enough that the horse listens to you, most of all you learn to adjust your communication to be effective with each different animal a life skill that is incredibly valuable in all areas of life.
3 – Develops Strategic Thinking
Polo is a sport of fast thinking strategy and taking full advantage of every split second opportunity that arises during the game, it’s a game of careful planning and you learn to anticipate the opposing teams moves and think on your feet, all skills that serve you very well in other areas of daily life.
4 – Grows Fitness and Strength
Horse riding builds core and leg muscles and back and postural muscles that help you in all arenas of your health and fitness, guiding the horse with your left hand and hitting the ball with your right dramatically improves your upper body strength and the overall workout is excellent for weight loss or just maintaining a healthy level of fitness.
5 – Creates Balance
Learning to ride a horse involves developing some seriously impressive balance as well as learning to stay in harmonious motion with another living creature.
6 – Hand Eye Coordination
Polo involves hitting a small white plastic ball with great accuracy and eventually at speed with a long bamboo stick with a wooden head called a mallet, the aspiring player trains in drills and exercises to build incredible hand eye coordination which carries over to other areas of life and to other sports.
7 – Makes Teamwork Fun
Polo is played in a team of four so you rely on your teammates very closely, the thrill of working together to keep the other team at bay and get the ball between the goals posts or to hold off the opposing team and stop them scoring makes you want to work together.
8 – Encourages Leadership and communication
As a team sport you must be in constant communication with your team, learning to give and respond to plans of actions and strategic moves is an integral part of the game and becoming the captain of a team is a great opportunity to practice great leadership.
9 – Can Be Shared by Friends and Family
Being involved in Polo brings many opportunities to build lifelong friendships, it’s something you can join in all over the world and is a sport that can be shared for a lifetime by family and friends who ride and play together.
10 – Provides Mental and Emotional Benefits
Research has shown time outdoors and spending time with horses reduces human stress levels, it also strengthens your immune system and allows you to decompress from the stresses of school and daily life. Developing relationships with the horses you ride is very fulfilling as well as achievements in your riding and polo fuel your zest for life.
As a team of passionate Polo and horse professionals we love to introduce new and skilled riders alike to the fun and fulfilling sport of Equestrian Polo.
Article by Charlotte Howard
Contact us Kyalami - Charlotte Howard 0649541227, Sandton - Farryn Day 072 079 1475
