Playing polo, the sport of kings in VS .NET

Creator QR Code ISO/IEC18004 in VS .NET Playing polo, the sport of kings

Although the fast-paced sport of polo is thought of as a contemporary activity, this game is actually thousands of years old Historians believe that polo originated in the Middle East around 500 BC amazing that this sport is still played today! Nearly everyone has heard of polo, but few people know how it s played Like soccer on horseback, polo is a team sport with the objective of scoring goals against the opposing team Riders use a long-handled mallet to drive a ball into a goal Four riders make up a polo team, although many riders have more than one horse so they can trade off mounts throughout a game hence the notion that wealthy people play polo with a string of polo ponies Although the mounts used in polo are called ponies, they re not actually ponies at all (Ponies are a type of small equine that measures 14 hands or less) Just about any breed of horse can be used for polo, but the faster and more athletic the mount, the better

You don t need to own a string of polo ponies to play polo In fact, you don t need to own a horse or even know how to ride at all Polo schools are available throughout the country, and they provide riding and polo lessons to adults at costs that run about the same as skiing or scuba diving lessons Contact the United States Polo Association for help in finding a polo school in your area You can find their contact information in the Appendix

I love watching the gymnastics competition at the Olympics every four years, which is probably why I get such a big kick out of vaulting, too Vaulting is basically gymnastics on horseback In vaulting, participants perform a number of actions on the back of a moving horse who has been fitted with a special surcingle, a leather strap with handles that goes around the horse s barrel (see Figure 23-5) and gives the vaulter something to hold onto Rider movements include Basic seat: The vaulter sits on the horse with arms held out to the sides Flag: The vaulter jumps to his or her knees on the horse s back and extends one leg out straight behind with arms extended Mill: This move is equivalent to the work done on the pommel horse in gymnastics The vaulter swings his or legs and body into different positions while holding onto handles on the surcingle Scissors: The scissors requires swinging into a handstand on the horse s back as the legs scissor out to either side Stand: The vaulter stands on the horse s back with arms held out to the side Flank: In this complicated series of movements, the rider holds onto the vaulting saddle and swings his or her legs up and through the air Eventually, the vaulter lands next to the horse in the finale of the movement Vaulting is done competitively and also for exhibition In vaulting competition, you can participate as an individual or as part of a pair or team You start off competing at the trot and work your way up to the canter Some therapeutic riding programs also use vaulting maneuvers to help the physically and mentally impaired gain balance and muscle strength Vaulters learn their craft a on a barrel horse (a fake horse) first before graduating to using a real horse To get involved in vaulting, join a local vaulting club You can find a club by contacting the American Vaulting Association, listed in the Appendix

If your favorite scenes in Hollywood Westerns feature dramatic footage of the cavalry coming to the rescue, drill team riding may for you Drilling is having a group of riders perform maneuvers together as a rider who sits alone calls out directions Drilling on horseback is tons of fun, and it gives riders an opportunity to meet and socialize with others who enjoy the same activity Drilling on horseback is a very old activity, one that goes back all the way to the Roman legions and possibly before In the olden days, when horses were the primary vehicles of war, drilling was used to train mounted soldiers to follow commands with precision and obedience Today, drill team work is for fun Riders who enjoy drilling get together and form clubs that practice at least once a week They perform their precision drill work in parades, at county fairs, and during horse shows