British polo player, Johnny Lynn, took time out from his busy practice schedule, (ahead of the 3rd Annual Asia Cup Polo for the Ajit Singh Medtia trophy featuring the Amateur Riders Club of Mumbai), to explain the elaborate uniform which polo players wear.
Most importantly, he says, “The polo t-shirt worn over white jeans and brown boots is a hallmark of the universal polo uniform!”
1) The Traditional Indian-style Helmet: This is fashioned after the helmets which were used at the time of the British Empire. They are extremely hard in order to protect your head from injury.
2) The Elbow Guard: The elbow guard is of course, meant to protect your elbow from shattering if it gets hit by the ball, if you fall off the horse or if you get hit accidentally by another players mallet.
3) Knee Pads: Again, knee pads are meant to protect your knees from shattering if it gets hit by the ball, if you fall off the horse or if you get hit accidentally by another players mallet.
4) Spurs: Spurs help the player get a little more control over the horse; it helps in making him go and making him turn quicker during the game!
5) The whip: You always hold the whip in the left hand. It doesn’t hurt the horse but it’s meant to let him know that you have one so that he obeys your commands better. You use it just to tap the horse on the behind!
6) The Polo Mallet: It’s a misconception that you use the polo mallet to hit the ball from the rounded end! In fact, you have to the use the long side and sweep it against the ground to hit the ball. The length of the mallet ranges from 51 inches to 53 inches and depending on how high the horse is, you use the appropriate length!
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Check out Johnny Lynn’s tutorial here:
Photos: Amruta Khatavkar for MissMalini