By Michelle Firestone
The air at Horsebarn Hill Arena, home to the University of Connecticut's polo teams, is pungent with manure, dirt and other country scents.
This is the home of UConn's equestrian teams, including polo.
The UConn polo program uses mostly Quarter horses and thoroughbreds. Thoroughbreds are best known for their racetrack prowess, but one weakness of the breed is its temperament.
"They are high-strung horses," said James Dinger, coach of the men's and women's polo teams.
Quarter horses are a second popular breed for polo. Known for their gentle dispositions, they also are the speediest horse over a quarter-mile, but do not have the stamina of thoroughbreds.
"A weakness of this breed is that they are slower than thoroughbreds," Dinger said.
Training a polo horse is a lengthy process. Beginning at age two, the horses learn the basic skills of walking, trotting, cantering and galloping on command from a rider. They also are taught to stop and turn on command and to be ridden under saddle.
"You have to teach the horse these things and more before it can be taught polo," Dinger said. "You have to teach it to be a good citizen."
It takes an average of two years to train a polo horse.
Various forms of equipment are used to control the horses. The bit is a metal piece attached to the reins and the bridle. It is put in the horse's mouth and is used by the rider to communicate with the animal. The lead rope and halter are used by the handler to lead or tie the horses.
Dinger said five or six of the teams' horses aren't currently playing and two or three of them are being trained. Horses are typically trained for polo by the age of four or five. The two horses bred by the team were finally trained at the age of 10.
"They didn't get trained as quickly as I would have liked," Dinger said.
With the exception of two horses trained by the team, the rest of its 23 horses were donated. The horses are trained before being given to the team, but must be conditioned to play polo. Some of them have played polo in the past.
"When someone gives us a horse, it takes three weeks to a month to get it in shape," Dinger said.
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