Playing your ponies
One pony per chukka, and the string is the real limit on your game. Most club players ruin their best pony in the first six minutes.
The key points
- Your fastest pony belongs in the chukka where the game is likely to open up.
- A tired pony is a foul waiting to happen. You cannot ride off safely on one.
- You may tell the umpires your pony needs to come off, and they will stop play.
In the app this play is animated, and you can spin the pitch and read the rule behind it.
See it move
See this play animated on the pitch, and test yourself on the rules behind it.
Every rule here is stated in our own words, with short quoted extracts from the HPA Blue Book 2026 and Green Book 2025 and a link to the book itself. Polo Rules Test is an independent study aid and is not affiliated with the Hurlingham Polo Association. In any dispute the published rulebook governs.