La Low Goal - Issue 7 - February

February

La Low Goal S U P A Dupe I s sue

r

Gabriel Santos Acclaimed housebreakers top tips

Ignacio Llorente Why club chukkas are important

Francis Douglas-Lamb On SUPA, the future and how to pull off the “Walk of shame�

Chukka Wellness Top Tips on nutrition for polo

Equine Influenza The latest details

SUPA University nationals write up

Chris Milton Top tips on bringing horses back into work

Looking for Contributors Could you write us an article?

Tell us about yourself, your horses, your club, etc and get featured!

This Month…

Welcome

Francis DouglasLamb: Talks SUPA,

The days are getting longer. The sun has dared to show its face for the first time in what seems like forever. Summer is nearly(ish) here! At least I hope it is, I for one am thoroughly sick of mucking out, constantly providing hay and desperately searching the depths of the polo world to find polo content in this quiet patch.

the future and how to pull of the walk of shame

In other breaking news I have learnt how to fade. It may be crude, but strategically placed white boxes are the way forward. I can also guarantee that I have now ruined your enjoyment of the following magazine as you will now notice the abundance of fade effects that have been added.

So to get vaguely back on track: SUPA. This month saw the University nationals take place at Rugby polo club over 4 days of play. Somewhat inspired, we bring you this month’s special, The SUPA Duper issue. We've got a full write up, as well as an interview from MVP Francis Douglas-Lamb.

SUPA: University Nationals write up

As per usual we’re bringing you all the usual suspects, including India, from Chukka Wellness’ guide to nutrition, as well as Ignacio Llorente on the importance of club chukkas, as well as some exciting articles from Chris Milton on bringing ponies back into work for the season and an article from the acclaimed horse breaker Gabriel Santos, staring his top tips.

Enjoy the issue.

Connor Kay (editor)

Donate now

Chris Milton: Bringing ponies back into work

In this Issue Gabriel Santos: Top tips from the acclaimed horse breaker

Ignacio Llorente: Why Club chukkas are important

Chukka Wellness: top tips on nutrition for polo

Opinion Article: The latest on Equine Influenza

Contents: Page 6 Opinion Article Latest news on Equine Influenza

Page 15 Francis DouglasLamb

Page 19 Chukka Wellness

Page 9 SUPA Write up on the University Nationals

Page 25 Chris Milton Getting ready for the season ahead

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Match Updates!

Happy Monday! The ponies enjoying their day off ready to start again tomorrow

Equine Influenza

FLU

A hidden enemy terrorises the country. The epidemic spreads like wildfire throughout our island nation, selecting innocent victims. Nobody is safe.

I think its fair to say that the recent outbreak of equine influenza has been over hyped. The severity of the disease has been over egged substantially too.

So, before we desend into blind panic I think its time we all slowed down and looked at the facts. Firstly, equine influenza is very rarely fatal, and secondly, (so far) only 12 cases have been confirmed from over 3000 analysed samples and 988,000 horses in the UK. That’s approximately 0.001% of the total equine population that’s infected with the disease right now. Those two statistics alone are enough to halt the hype surrounding the outbreak.

Despite this, equine influenza is a serious disease as the virus which causes it can attack the respiratory system, which can then lead to heart complications if the horse is brought back into work too early. Vets recommend the horse has as many weeks off work as days the horse is infected for. Flu is also extremely contagious and vets believe that a horse can catch the virus as far as a kilometre away from an infected horse.

So it’s not the end of the world nor is it something to be ignored.

So what shall we do?

Well, one option is to suspend polo

tournaments, to reduce the number of horses mixing with each other, however this seems extreme considering the tiny percentage of horses that are actually infected.

Total isolation would likely be fairly effective, as, if a horse were kept isolated for a week its immune systems would fight the disease and it would no longer be contagious.

However, we all know it was a bit more complicated than that. Polo ponies can catch the disease from any horse they come into contact with. In order for this to be 100% effective all horses would have to be kept in isolation for up to a week, that is simply not possible.

Vaccination is a more workable option, and the one that vets are currently pushing. The nature of the virus, much like human flu, allows it to adapt over time, meaning that older vaccines are less effective in the fight against the virus. So the latest guidance is that, vets are now advising that all horses receive the latest vaccine if they were last vaccinated over 6 months ago, meaning this vaccine holds the greatest resemblance to the actual virus currently infecting horses, and will be more effective.

As of last month it was estimated that, in the U.K, only 30% of horses are vaccinated, which is far below the recognised 70% needed for national herd immunity. There its therefore a big push that needs to be made in order to reach the 70% ambitious target.

This in itself could pose issues, as the influenza virus is able to travel on humans, meaning that if a vet were to see a large number of horses, and come, unknowningly into contact with an infected horse they may carry the virus to the following horses, aiding the spread. This of course can be controlled by changing clothes and using disinfectant, however due to the massive demands, it is not hard to imagine some vets could become complacent and could end up actually helping the spread of the outbreak.

Polo, itself should be in a far better position, as it is mandatory that all horses are vaccinated. However this is not well policed.

I for one, have never been asked to prove adherence to the vaccination rules. So it seams inevitable that there are plenty of unvaccinated polo ponies in the U.K. This shouldn't be acceptable.

Vaccination of all playing ponies would eradicate any need for halting polo events, just by ensuring all attending horses are vaccinated up to the latest standard and

therefore massively reducing the risk of spreading the disease.

The solution to the problem seems unimaginably simple, passport checks at all tournaments should be put into place, and if any horse doesn't meet the requirements, they will be unable to play and should be removed from the grounds.

Despite, this overwhelmingly simple solution, I still find it hard to see this brought into place nationally. The polo community is such a tight knit group that people always have influence over another, and many people will be willing to let a patron or pro pay in order to stay on their right side. So the best we can do for now, is make sure our own horses are vaccinated appropriately and attempt to avoid contact with high risk horses.

All horse owners should keep up to date with the latest reports on the epidemic and follow the guidance of the veterinary professionals.

University

SUP

nationals

PA

Photos by EmmPix

SUPA storm surges Storm Erik wasn’t stopping anyone this weekend with an outstanding number of teams attending this year’s 2019 University SUPA and SAPA tournaments it was bound to be jam-packed. Over 190 teams playing over the course of four days the heat was on despite the cold weather at Rugby Polo Club.

Starting matches at nine thirty each morning players arose and made their way to the club grounds to start their day with an exciting chukka. The endless rush of ponies, riders and trainers heading in and out of the arenas filled the day with endless chatter. We were introduced to our first few teams starting with our Beginners, entering the warm-up arena with a smile on their faces that then pushed us on to meet our median teams and our novice 4 teams on the indoor arena.

Outdoor arena was just as busy filtering in and out the Novice one, two and three teams, our intermediates and SAPA teams. With lights filtering into the arena at the later hours of the day you could still enjoy watching the players try their hardest at the sport they love despite the dark evenings. Ending the third day on a win in the exhibition match the Rob all Roy’s Blue Team of Robin Ormerod, Karl Martinez and Tarek A El Ahmar beat the Red Team: Alec Banner-Eve,

Nobody could quite explain the enormous amount of support the arena roller received

Jeremy Pigeon and Sam Banks/James Glew by two goals (13-11) proving who is the top polo players at SUPA, bringing the Saturday evening to a close for the horses and trainers.

However, Saturday night wasn’t over completely for the players as the weekend wasn’t all riding and walking in muddy boots and thick coats. The University teams joined together for an evening of music and laughter at the players party starting at eight pm. Dressing up in fancy dress there was a mix of Bumblebees, hippies and Hawaiian shirts dancing on the floor till the early morning. But that didn’t stop them from attending their morning chukkas the next day. RJ Polo was on site throughout the four days offering great deals for

people wandering the grounds, on hats, socks and even mallets if you fancied having your own.

Ending the week on a high note we witnessed some of the top players join together in our awards evening. Each winner of their division smiled for a photo and was granted their trophy presented by Thom Bell, A SUPA Committee member, Steward and Coach. The feeling you gathered from this week was one of excitement and awe as all teams played exceptionally well and supported each other in and out of the arenas when gathering horses and yelling on teammates from the sidelines.

We look forward to seeing the crowds of people swarm at our Summer SUPA Nationals to enjoy another season of Polo.

MVP

Read all about him overleaf

All photos kindly supplied by EmmPix

s a l g u o D s i c n a Fr

-Lamb

Francis has had a bit of an odd season. Despite spending most of his arena season to date on the floor, including his infamous walk of shame at the SUPA university nationals, Francis managed to snaffle the MVP at the same tournament. We got in touch and asked some questions about Francis’s polo past, future and advice about his career this far.

1. How did you get into polo?

Well I used to ride a bit when I was younger but was put off after a couple of bad experiences on horses.

But after many years away I decided I wanted to get back into riding. I never really fancied the whole eventing scene or any other of the disciplines and was at a bit at a loss. Then someone suggested polo. So I watched a few videos of it on YouTube and knew this was for me. I still didn't really know where to start and how to get into it. Then by chance I was at the Game Fair at Ragley Hall and came across the Dallas Burston Polo Club stand and went to talk to them. After going there to watch two of their tournaments I was set on trying it and so organised to have a lesson. Since then I haven't stopped.

2. How long have you been playing?

I'm still very new to polo really. I started just before coming to university. I have been playing two and half years. It will be three years around September time.

3. How many ponies have you currently got?

Not enough yet haha. No I'm very happy with my eight and have no immediate plans to increase or decrease.

But never say never.

4. What are your plans for the 2019 season?

Looking to build on last season where I was lucky enough to play with and against some good teams and players. I want to keep progressing as a player as I still have so much to learn. I intend to play as much as I can and put myself out there as much as possible. I guess just to see where the season takes me and keep pushing myself to progress as much as possible.

Hopefully, this season will be even busier than last and hopefully I will get the opportunity to play around at more clubs and different levels.

5. What part has SUPA had in your polo life?

Since coming to university I have played all the SUPA tournaments that have come up. They are a good opportunity to play with and against people of your own level from all over the country. They are also a great way of measuring your progression in polo as you move through the divisions. It has also enabled me to make friends from different universities all over the country.

6. Do you plan to continue with polo after university?

As it is my last year at university I had made the joke I was going to sell up and give up polo when I finish university. This, however, could not be further from the

truth. Polo already takes a huge part of my life and after university it will probably completely take over.

7. What was your team and how did you do this weekend at SUPA University nationals?

I played two teams for winter nationals 2019. Upper intermediate for the University of Nottingham was my main team. Then I filled in in lower intermediate for Nottingham too due to one of our players suffering and injury and having to drop out.

Lower inters we didn't quite get the results we wanted.

But you can't win them all and I had alot of fun playing against some very good teams, especially Oxford Brookes who were alot of fun to play against.

Upper Inters consisted of me, Megan Grandi and James 'Sticky' Glew. I had played with Meg in combined inters at university challenge in November and played with Sticky in the previous winter and summer nationals. We had a good game plan going into the tournament and it worked very well.

Unfortunately we finished second to Oxford losing by just one goal. However, I know I and the team are still very happy with that result as it was a strong division to be playing. It was also one better than the third that me, Sticky and Minnie took last year winter nationals.

Nationals this year was probably the smoothest run one I've been to since starting uni. Which is a great considering they had the most amount of entries they have ever had.

8. Do you have any advice for anyone else who may need to pull off the ‘walk of shame’ with style?

I knew this was coming haha. Well this year I've had a bit of practice. I only had one fall all of last year and this year I have already fallen off three times. The last being on fall off Friday at nationals. I think the key is to remember that everyone falls off at some stage so just laugh about it. Don't let it get in your head and learn from it. I can honestly say I have learnt from every fall I've had from a horse and have never came off for the same reason twice. Nothing brings you back to earth like falling off in front of everyone (no pun intended).

So you just got to laugh it off really.

9. What’s your favourite piece of polo advice anyone has ever given to you?

Where to even start with this. I've had so much good advice from so many people regarding polo. Much of it applies to life in general too.

I think the best has to be something said to me by two people in very different parts of my life. Despite they fact they were from different areas of my life they both gave me the exact same advice.

They were David Ashby of Oxford Polo and my university first and second year politics personal tutor Dr Oliver Daddow. One was advising me regarding improving at polo and the other about university (and

pushing 2:1s to firsts). But it can be applied to all aspects of life.

They both quoted from Matthew Syed's book Black Box Thinking (an amazing book, well worth reading).

They said if you can't be 100% better at one thing, then be 1% better at one hundred things. It's all about marginal gains. It's impossible to be 100% better at something so don't get caught up in that.

Instead focus on changing lots of little things. These small changes will add up and bring massive results.

It is something that has always stuck with me in all parts of my life from polo to university. I try to apply it to everything I do and can honestly say that the adivce and the book it came from have changed my life.

nutrition H o w

t o

f u e l

y o u r

b o d y

This month India from Chukka Wellness is advising riders on how to fuel their bodies effectively for a polo tournament.

On the run up to a big polo tournament the focus is on preparing the horses for optimum performance - are they fit enough? Are they well rested? Have they been properly fed?

But what about the rider?

It is essential to be fuelled correctly for optimised energy levels, focus, reaction time and decision making.

So what types of foods should riders be consuming and when?

Chukka Wellness

Pre Tournament (48 hours before) Carb Loading Your body naturally chooses the most easily accessible food group for energy and this happens to be Carbohydrates. Make sure that you have stocked up on enough ‘carbs’ 48 hours before your tournament in the form of sweet potatoes, potatoes or brown rice. These sources of carbs are easy on the digestive system so won’t give you any bloating or lethargy unlike pasta or bread.

India recommends a Chilli with brown rice, broccoli and spinach as a pre-tournament meal

Hydration It is key to stay hydrated especially on the run up to a big tournament.

Quick Tip - Drink water before you eat anything. It takes 5 minutes for water to enter the bloodstream but can take unto 120 minutes if you have already eaten (as the stomach has to digest the food first).

India recommends you sip on water throughout each day, aim for half of your body weight in ounces of water a day. Another way to stay hydrated is to eat fibrous foods as they take a while to be digested allowing more time for the body to extract more water.

During the Tournament (in-between each chukka) Hydration During cardio-based sports you will lose a lot of salt through sweat. Salt is used in the body to retain water in the cells - if levels are low your body can’t retain water and you become dehydrated. Make sure to have a few gulps of salted water inbetween your chukkas.

Snacking I’m sure eating is the last thing on a rider’s mind during a tournament but it would be a good idea to munch on a snack inbetween chukkas. Aim for easily digestible snacks such as a bite of a banana or a handful of berries.

After the Tournament (24 hours) Just like your ponies, your body is now low on energy stores and you may be feeling hungry and lethargic. You want to replenish these stores within 2 hours after playing - consider consuming a banana, a handful of nuts or a protein bar). Later on in the day ensure you consume lots of water plus a good amount of protein, carbs and veggies!

Protein helps to repair the muscles and sates your appetite. Good sources are chicken, turkey, beans, nuts, eggs. The average person should consume between 0.8 - 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight (depending upon activity levels). Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals which aid in recovery and strengthen the immune system. Aim for a rainbow of veggies on your plate with an emphasis on the green kind - broccoli, spinach and kale.  India recommends roast chicken, sweet potato, and lots of steamed veggies as a post tournament meal

Ignacio Fernandez

Llorente

Club Practices (Chukkas) Horse riding in itself is a pleasure for many people. Adding more horses, the ball and a team of other players makes polo even more rewarding.

In a number of clubs there are owners who make all the decisions, where in others, members are open to send comments and advice to the authorities. In these latter kind of clubs, where all members contribute money, coexistence becomes more difficult.

Each player practices with certain methods, including riding their horse, stick and balling, practices and tournaments. Everyone will have their personal preferences on how to practice, but within the club, the practices or chukkas, are very

important. The atmosphere of a club, is almost reliant upon the chukkas.

Chukkas are the essence of the clubs, since that is where you can play without pressure, have fun, improve, but they are also host to where the biggest arguments and fights take place.

Although tournaments have more pressure, there are usually fewer issues due to the professional umpires that are hired.

This of course is not the case in chukkas, and this can lead to a negative atmosphere which can drive people away from the club, or dissuade new people from joining. In practice however, the biggest issue appears to be the fouls. There are players who constantly aim to stop the game to claim a foul, and others who completely

advantage, so that they will never lose the ball or commit a foul. Despite this, it isn’t good practice to continually stop the game or take too many touches on the ball. Instead you should hit and run, allowing everyone to participate. You must avoid fouling, just in order to keep the game flowing. This does not mean that people should ignore fouls, far from it. They should avoid fouling at all costs, but if someone does see a foul, they should be respected and the penalty played as quickly as possible. People shouldn't aim to argue out fouls, just respect their decision and move on.

The problem at the heart though is NOT if it was in fact a foul or not, the real problem is the player, or players who ruin the practice by insisting on stopping the game all the time, as well as generating arguments and fights.

When practices are unpleasant you have to look for solutions: 1) Clubs can put an umpire in for practices. However, often the umpire does their job with very little enthusiasm and finds it difficult to blow their whistle in practices. Often there are also arguments with the umpire and the players.

2) Another option is to designate a player on each team to identify fouls, often the number 4 as they have the greatest view over the game.

3) Some clubs designate a person in charge of the entire practice who is responsible for fouls, disallowing arguments and shouting, and nobody can question them, no matter the differential in handicap. The aim of this is so that everyone can play, and enjoy the game. Each practice will have one of these designated player/ umpire, even if they don't know the rules fully, as this will force them to learn the rules. Over time, this will consequently lead to better umpiring, in tournaments as well as chukkas, and the problem will be solved.

4) Polo managers are also often in charge of chukkas. In this situation it is up to the polo manager to ensure that

everyone enjoys equally, by not favouring certain players and making sure that the players respect their decisions. This requires a good polo manager.

5) Clubs can also bring in external players to take charge of the practices. This player should play fast, hit long and make passes. They should not try and stand out but instead allow others to play and be there to avoid and end conflicts. They should know fouls and how to deal with them, but avoid stopping the game as much as possible. It is almost worth considering that it is rule to ensure that everyone has a good time. Any spectators present should hear laughter and jokes, but never shouts or insults.

The best and worst of a club comes out during the practice environment. When chukkas are done a player should feel tired, relaxed and be smiling, and this is the best publicity a club can get. However if players are angry and wanting to leave, this can damage a clubs reputation.

There are people who can be very difficult at practices, and everyone knows this. But to spell it out, if in 2 separate practices they fight with other people, they can be deemed complicated.

If you are a complicated person, then it is likely that you have some form of importance, whether it be because of your handicap, your position in the club, or power for any other reason, you are surely ruining the chukkas, and you have to do something to resolve it.

Although you may feel the club is going well, this is because nobody will tell you, and you will be subtracting from the polo. You should make an effort to get together, perhaps over a meal, and attempt to heal the wounds. It is just as important as the actual practice itself in order to ensure everyones enjoyment. I have seen clubs with the very best fields and organisation, but people have not spoken to each other once. And this is very sad.

Chris

Milton Getting ready for the season ahead

“The polo season is looming round the corner” As our days are getting longer and the weather is generally clearing up for the most part, spring must be on it’s way, which can only mean the polo season is looming round the corner. It is, therefore, about time to start thinking about bringing in those rested and woolly ponies off their winter holidays and start getting them ready for the season ahead.

When bringing ponies into work for the season I follow a basic outline but this is flexible and can be tailored to individual horse’s requirements, especially if they possibly finished last season on an injury or are of the older generation. Everyone has different plans and theories but there are generally common ideas so this is basis of my preseason plan which I aim to take roughly six weeks.

Bringing the ponies back into work is certainly not a process to be rushed.

Yes, they are not totally unfit nor have been on box rest but equally they are not used to long periods of demanding exercise. The early stages of work, in my mind, are key to mitigating against injuries and breakdown during the season. We need to build up the work slowly to stretch their tendons and build up and strengthen muscle so we have fit healthy horses all season.

The first week is spent walking, 20-30 minutes twice a day. This helps to settle their minds back into work mode and ease their change in routine especially if they are now stabled 24 hours a day. At the start of the week they tend to be a little excitable so if I have any that are known to be fresh I will have a sit on them first before grabbing my lead horses for a set. I personally tend to use a fluffy saddle pad and also girth sleeve to limit the initial impact of coming back under saddle, as they tend to be weak over their backs after the break. In an ideal world the walk work would be done on hard tracks or roads, but with the roads getting busier in many places it is not safe to do this nowadays. For those places lucky enough to have horse-walkers, these are also very good for giving them a leg stretch for one session each day but I always make sure to vary their direction so they do not just go round the same way every time to build them up evenly. I use this first week to give the ponies a full checkover and MOT. Farrier, dentist, legs all checked over and tidy up to take those spiky manes and feathers off just helps them look that little bit less feral. As the work increases and the weather improves their coats will start to drop, which can be helped by rugging and elbow grease, so they will start to resemble those shiny sleek machines you turned out into the field many months ago in no time.

After a week I start to introduce trot work gradually. I start with an easy 5 minute trot and build up adding 5 minutes every 3 days. I make sure I split the time and ride both directions evenly to build the horses up evenly on both reins. After 2 weeks of trot I get the horses looked at by a physio for a preseason work over before they start individual schooling work. I find this important as the ponies have started to lose some of their extra winter weight and are building condition. We want them to work properly and if they start tight and working incorrectly at this schooling phase they will start to adjust gate and compensate with the easiest, usually incorrect, way of movement.

The horses are now schooling and singling a few times a week alongside continuing increasing sets. They have started canter work in weeks 4 and 5 with the same gradual start we had in trot. I always structure exercise with a warm up leg stretch, work, recovery, work followed by a warm

down, which is similar to how us as humans have been found to effectively train best using interval training. That is, you would work two intervals of five to 10 minutes as opposed to one interval of 10 to 20 minutes. From schooling it is a natural progression to stick and balling and then slow chukkas in weeks 5 and 6 respectively. They are now ready mentally and physically to start more competitive play and the upcoming start of the season.

It is a consideration at this point that without game play a polo pony can not be fully match fit and ready for tournament polo, which has been shown in research carried out in a study in Thailand of polo mares[1]. So after the basic 6 week program it is important to give them some time in practices and chukkas to be fully prepared to hit the ground running in that first tournament.

[1] Modulating effects of exercise training regimen on skeletal muscle properties in female polo ponies Metha Chanda, Ratchakrit Srikuea, Worakij Cherdchutam, Arthit Chairoungdua and Pawinee Piyachaturawat BMC Veterinary Research 2016 12:245 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0874-6

1. How did your family influence your current career choice?

GS – I grew up with horses; my father was Jurancy Santos a 4 goal Brazilian player. He was a great horseman, one of the best in the world at making polo horses. He was my biggest inspiration in life. When I finished my studies nine years ago I came to England to work with my father and devote myself to the horses.

2. What is your current job and how did you get into it?

GS – Now I work with Henry Brett based near Cowdray. We have been producing top level polo horses together since 2014. I started working with him after my father passed away.

3. Do you prefer to play polo or train ponies? Why? GS – I prefer training horses over playing. My father was such a great horseman and I grew up enjoying the pleasure which is gained by making a great horse. I find training horses much more rewarding. The pleasure that I get from seeing a horse which I have made playing a top level game is immense.

4. You say on your social media that you have the best job in the world. What part of working with horses is most enjoyable?

GS – I most enjoy when I first start working with a young horse - when we are in the round pen in the first hour. For me the most enjoyable time is when the horse joins up with me and starts to give me their trust.

5. Who taught you how to train ponies and what was the best piece of advice they gave to you?

GS - My training methods have been influenced by many people. I learnt a lot from my father of course. I have also trained with Polito Ulloa and Monty Roberts but I really refined my skills during the last five years working with Henry Brett. I learnt a lot from him. The best advice I have had came from my father and that is to be patient and to be sensitive to what the horse is feeling and what the horse needs.

You need to know how much you can ask for and when to release.

6. Have you developed your own preferred methods of training?

GS – All of the great trainers I have worked with has a method which is similar in many ways. My method is a combination of these techniques. I am always very gentle with the horses so they have no fear. Because of this they progress quickly and are often playing chukkas three months after being broken in.

7. When starting a young horse is there a standard process you follow for them all?

GS – Yes, I start working with them in the round pen and work to gain their confidence. Some take longer than others. On the first day, once I have their trust I will start to ride them in a headcollar without a saddle. The second day I will ride them with a saddle with a bit it their mouth, but with the reins on the headcollar. The third day I will ride them in the arena. Around the fifth day I start asking for leg changes, always moving them forward with no pressure on the mouth. Most horses are in this timeframe, but some are different.

8. What advice would you give to a player who was trying to retrain a pony for polo.

GS – Be patient because the horse needs a bit of time to learn, but also make them work. You don’t need more than 15 minutes per day working a young horse, but it is best to work them at least five days per week. Horses learn from repetition.

9. You recently had an accident. Was this riding and how long will you be out of action for?

GS – Yes I had an accident when I was riding a young horse and she tripped and fell. I couldn’t get my foot out of the stirrup and the horse fell on my leg and I broke my foot. I should be able to ride properly again at the beginning of April, although I did ride one without stirrups a week after breaking my foot.

10. What are your plans for this season and beyond?

GS – My plan is to continue with the young ones I broke in during the off season and start playing chukkas on them. Clients send horses to us all year round for our starting and training services, so I will be breaking in more horses throughout the season too. I start horses for all disciplines, not just for polo.

I instagram my days with the horses at @gs_horsebreaker.

Contributors This Months Contributors: • • • • • • •

Chris Milton Ignacio Llorente Francis Douglas-Lamb Chukka Wellness SUPA Emmpix Photography Gabriel Santos

Editor Connor Kay

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