Colleen Brady, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Purdue University
Polo is one of the oldest of equestrian sports, and the modern game is played both indoors and outdoors. Historians estimate polo was first played in Asia over 2000 years ago. In the game of polo, 4 person teams of horses and riders compete to use a stick called a mallet to hit a ball through goal posts.
Each period of polo is called a chukker, and lasts seven minutes. Six chukkers make up a game. Polo is an exciting and fast moving sport that requires great teamwork on the part of the horse and rider. Most polo players have several horses, and change horses for each chukker played.
More information about polo can be found at the following websites:
Interested in learning more about horses and horse activities? Check out the HorseQuest Learning Lesson: Introduction to Horses and Horse Activities.
