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Choosing a tent!
Choosing a tent!
A good quality tent is a necessity for those who enjoy the great outdoors, and makes all the difference in making your camping experience a pleasant one. Your tent is your “home away from home”. Being out in nature can be...
Exercise Bikes - Recumbent or Stationary?
Exercise bikes are a wonderful way to get a low-impact exercise workout. Of course today's bikes like those from Sportsart, Tunturi, Nordictrack, Schwinn, and Pro Form are a far cry from the bikes offered many years ago.
You know the ones - the...
Kids and Weight Training: When Should They Start?
Copyright 2005 Raymond Kelly Weight training and exercise in general can be very beneficial to all children. It increases bone density, increases strength, and improves muscular coordination. In the past many people had concerns about children and...
Sony Open: Will Wie Do It?
From the To the (Previous Seasons') Victors Go the Spoils
department: Jason Gore averaged 80 in four rounds at last week's
season-opening Mercedes Championships and still walked with
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Among the discussion points one week into the...
Sports Views for November
Sports View By Leigh Douglas Baseball season is finally over. Would anyone really complain if they cut about 12 games off the season (is 150 not enough?). Now at least we wont have to hear about ‘the curse’, now we just have to take care of that...
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Polo Darling
You may think that polo is only for the elite, well you are wrong. Anyone can have a go at the sport of princes, even those that cannot ride (65% of those taught polo have never ridden before).
I was a bit apprehensive when I arrived at the school. Looking around at the others who had booked on to the 2 hour lesson, it seemed I was the only one who did not have my own jodhpurs, boots and hat. This did not matter as all essential equipment is provided for the day.
The morning started with a briefing on the basic rules and theory of polo. In short polo is a tactical game with either 3 (indoor or enclosed arena) or 4 (full size ground) players a side. The team scoring most goals wins.
As players and horses travel at up to 35 mph when at top speed, there are strict rules about how players can approach and attack the ball and each other.
Using a board and miniature men on horses we were introduced to the concept of "the line of the ball". This is the imaginary line or road the ball creates as it is hit from point A to B. Once we had got our heads around this concept, the rules soon became clear as they are very much like the rules of the road. Don't overtake unless you know the coast is clear, don't ride head on, and if you are turning onto the imaginary road make sure that it is safe to do so.
We then went and stood on crates to practice the polo swing. I'm glad we did this as it allowed us to focus
on getting the technique right without worrying about the horse. Plus, crates don't bolt when you accidentally hit them. All you had to remember is to let the mallet swing by itself and not to force it. We practiced both offside and nearside shots.
The best bit was when we got to ride the polo ponies. I have never ridden such well schooled horses before. I could move, stop and turn the pony with only very small changes in how I was sat, where the reigns were and how I was pushing down on the stirrups. I wish all horses were like these.
We were then given the mallets to practice hitting the ball from the pony. I did not find this too difficult, probably because I wasn't riding as fast as the others and so had more time to focus on the ball.
After a short break everyone had the opportunity to play a couple of instructional chukkas or mini games. This was supposed to enable us to experience the tactics and team play involved in playing the game. However, with constant missing of the ball and stationary horses, it was more of a laugh than educational.
I would thoroughly recommend this experience to all.
About The Author
Debbie Downes is the founder of http://www.factivities.co.uk. Please visit her website to discover more about UK outdoor activities.
ddownes@factivities.co.uk
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