Schooling a Green Horse for Polo – Video 3

In this third installment of the “Schooling a Green Horse for Polo” series, Hanalei the pony receives her first rider!

Christian shows us how to prompt the horse to move forward with her rider and the proper reward for desirable behavior. He also shows us how only through proper repetition can we teach the horse to respond favorably to the mount and dismount (i.e., not walking forward when a mount or dismount is attempted). If these good behaviours are taught early and reinforced throughout the pony’s playing career, she will remain reliable and trustworthy. If they are not, then a horse can quickly become frustrating to its rider.