Pregnancy & Parenting

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Is it expensive to play polo?

I really want to play polo it looks so sophisticated


but I only rode horses once.


My parents won't let me play because they say it's an expensive sport?


:(



Well first of all you need to know how to RIDE before you play polo. Take lessons and after a few years, you might be to the level to where you'll be able to start learning how to play. You need to know all the cues for the horse/pony using nearly every part of your body. You need to build up muscle to hang on without giving the horse ill cues, and you need to build up enough balance and coordination. It sounds very easy but it isn't. It takes a person years before they can master even the canter. & Very few barns allow their students to play polo. You'll most likely have to buy your own horse for it in the long run.





Prices will vary depending where you live, who you use for services, what brand of things you buy, etc. You need to pay feed, farrier, dentist, worming, shots, supplement, medical, tack, supply, and apparel costs. If you're showing or gaming, you need to pay for trailering, gas money, show entries, etc. The list goes on and on.





I board my horse. I'll give you my prices as an example to give you an idea. I am NOT bragging, so please don't take it that way. We pay $2,400 a year for board alone. They provide the facilities, hay, and grain. Our dentist costs $70 for the year. Trimming costs $420 a year. Resetting shoes costs $780 a year. Worming at the least costs $240 a year. Shots costs around $226 a year. These are only mandatory costs. So in one year my horse costs us over three thousand dollars in mandatory costs alone. We paid thousands of dollars in vet bills alone last year because he injured himself. You never know when you're going to have to have a vet come out.





When I used to take lessons, they cost a little over $1,260 for the year. My instructor was very cheap.





Again, prices will vary... &they can easily go up and down each month. Everyone we use offers the services at a very cheap price compared to others' in the area. Nice, properly fitting tack alone can cost thousands of dollars. You need to have money to the side for vet costs. You also need enough money for medical bills for YOU. I have back, neck, knee, and hip injuries from riding and accidents from riding. We've spent a lot on medical bills, prescriptions, and therapy for me. Injuries are very common.





Again, I am not bragging by posting prices. I don't want it to look that way. Since you're unaware of the basic prices, I figured it wouldn't hurt. If you go to the horse section on here people post prices all the time. Just trying to give you an idea of how much owning would cost. :)





Don't let the prices run you down, though.


You can start off by taking riding lessons (which you'll need to do no matter what if you're going to play polo.) By the time you're experienced enough to play polo, you should be old enough to get a job to support all the costs that go along with it. Good luck!




First you have to have a horse. Then the clothes. Then the sports equipment. Then the insurance in case you get knocked in the head. Then you have to be REALLY REALLY good at horse back riding. Then you have to be able to keep your balance while reaching down to hit the ball. The list goes on. I think your parents are more worried for your health than anything else.




kind of, unless you already have a horse.


i'm guessing you don't.


and on top of that,


even if you had a horse, you'd have to pay for it's stable/take care of it.


and i guess lessons would cost some money.


total- yeah, it's kind of expensive.


sorry :/




it is a VERY expensive sport...sorry :/




it's really expensive.


and plus you need to take care of a horse.

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