Poloist's polo list

The founder of Palm Beach Polo and a player for 65 years, Bill Ylvisaker, has some advice you might want to consider

By Gwen Rizzo

Bill Ylvisaker has some advice about polo for you. For the few readers who may be unaware, advice about polo coming from Ylvisaker is best heeded. He's done something right all these years. He won the Monty Waterbury Cup at age 28 in 1948 and again at age 76 in 2000. In between, he founded the Palm Beach Polo & Country Club in Wellington, Florida. Most recently he revitalized polo in Saratoga, New York. Another reason to heed his advice is his longevity in the sport. "See I'm 77," he said, "so I've played since I was 13 years old, 12, 13. So take 12 from 77, I've played 65 years." His advice consists of an 88-point checklist divided into 15 categories. Most or all of the points necessary for the proper care of horses and management and maintenance of a polo barn are covered, though Ylvisaker invited people to write letters to the editor to add their own ideas. Categories cover exercise, feeding, tack and equipment, fencing and the like. Ylvisaker's list includes a section on travel, including an amount to allow for food expenses, grooms' bar bill not included.

"There's a lot of interest in it, I know that," Ylvisaker said. "I give it to everybody who goes to work for me. Then I usually sit down with them and go over it. And a lot of people have requested it. I don't know how many copies I've given out. It's very good for the grooms because a lot of them get their own ideas or they haven't learned properly. I'm not being critical, but you know what I mean, everybody can learn a little bit, me, too. And I've had other players suggest things to me, also. I've had something like this for probably 15 years. I'd add something or expand it … it just kind of continued on." Ylvisaker said the most important aspect of his list is the care of the horses. "Somebody said, 'Well, why do you give them hay before you give them oats and stuff?' Well, it's so that their stomach starts to digest the hay; they'll digest the oats better. I had one vet say to me in Aiken, 'That's really good to have that in there, people don't even know that.' " Ylvisaker just has two grooms now, but when he had 45 to 50 horses, he said he had 11 or 12 grooms. He's slowed his polo operation considerably, but he continues to play in low- and medium-goal polo in Saratoga, New York, in the summer and at Gulfstream Polo Club in Lake Worth, Florida, in the winter.

"I think (the list) will do a lot of polo players a lot of good, and a lot of grooms, too," he said. "It might draw suggestions, too, people can draw from it and add to it." Organization will help any polo operation. Though you may not agree on every point, Ylvisaker's list gives you a good idea of how to be better organized and can serve as a guide to help you set up your own checklist. Now, if the grooms can just get their employers to pay for the drinks …

Bill Ylvisaker's barn guidelines

I. Conditioning

1. Turn horses out at least one hour per day if possible.
2. Never turn out two horses in the same paddock if they have rear shoes on.
3. First week: walk one hour in morning and walk one hour in the afternoon.
4. Second and third weeks: walk and trot equally for one hour in morning and walk one hour in afternoon.
5. Fourth week: walk, mostly trot and a little cantering for one and a half hours in the morning and walk one hour in the afternoon.
6. Fifth and sixth weeks: Begin some short wind springs and schooling the afternoons. Walk and trot in the morning.

II. Exercising during polo

1. Turn out all horses each day for at least one hour if possible.
2. Never two horses in same paddock with rear shoes on.
3. On non-polo days, walk and trot for a total of one to 1½ hours in morning. Walk for one hour in afternoon.
4. School and short wind sprints in the afternoon on the day before polo.
5. On polo days, walk and trot for 45 minutes before each match.
6. Warm up each pony, as needed or requested, before each period of play or in the morning as needed by specific ponies.

III. Feeding

1. Salt in all stalls and fields (brood mares in foal, white salt; horses in training, red salt block).
2. Feed by 7:30 a.m., hay first (one or two flakes as needed), then grain a half hour later, after hay.
3. Feed twice a day. Certain horses may be fed three times per day as needed, others less.
4. Feed may be varied in amount, depending on condition and need of each horse.
5. Check quality of feed on delivery. Reject anything not of good quality (musty, non-green or sticky hay or dusty oats). Accept crimped full, clean and bright oats only.
6. Drive or 707 added to evening feeding, one small cup as described.
7. Oats and cup of bran in all feed when in training except as directed below.
8. Honey, one-half oats and one-half sweet feed the evening before matches; oats only the morning of matches.
9. Hot bran mash (oats/bran/flaxseed (1 cup)/nuts/etc.) after each match and at least once per week. Order flaxseed.
10. No hay the morning of a match.
11. In Florida, when in training, keep horses muzzled at all times when out of stall or in small pens, some even muzzled in stall. Purpose: to prevent eating sand, which cases colic.
12. Electrolytes in water during warm or hot season.

IV. Tack & Equipment

1. Wash and clean riding boots immediately after use. Polish game boots.
2. Clean tack after each game, as soon as possible.
3. Halter and shanks to be hung up at each stall.
4. Have a bridle and martingale for each horse, marked with name of horse.
5. Mark all new tack in its proper place with our brand.
6. Air and dry saddle blankets after each use.
7. Wash bandages and clean saddle blankets as needed.
8. Have broken tack repaired at once if it can be reused.
9. Check tack regularly, especially billets and girths.

V. Barn

1. Keep feed bins closed, water buckets emptied and rinsed out daily.
2. Keep barn, barn area and driveway area clean and swept.
3. Hang up all tools-forks, roll up and hang hoses.
4. Keep brushes, curry combs, hoof picks and medicine clean and in cabinet.
5. Keep tack rooms neat and clean, barn cleared of cobwebs and windows washed.
6. Empty trash cans daily.
7. At barn, spread manure daily if spreader is more than half full

VI. Blacksmith

1. See that he visits every four weeks. Set a schedule and keep records on each horse.
2. Keep a record of type of shoes and pads for each horse.
3. Set it up with blacksmith so his visit is in his schedule.
4. Check shoeing for angle and taper on each horse-front and side check. Review after with the blacksmith. Be especially careful of too low a heel. Stand up straight, if anything, to avoid stress to tendon area.
5. Use Huff Grip pads on all ponies that have leg problems, front or back.

VII. Polo

1. Call polo club to get line-up and time before loading horses.
2. Arrive at field at least one hour before game or practice. Have all ponies completely tacked before game.
3. Take all equipment-mallets, gloves, oxygen kit (check regularly), helmet, clean towel, knee guards, chairs, etc.-and lay out neatly on blanket. Bring sports drink, soft drinks and water to all practices and games.
4. Pay hot walkers if needed, and keep expense record.
5. Take complete blacksmith supplies, wash water and drinking water for horses to all practices and matches. Use a liniment in wash.
6. Make sure emergency kit, including oxygen, medical supplies, etc., is always on hand.
7. Give horses a small drink of water after period or game at the field.

VIII. Fencing

1. Keep all fencing in good repair and check regularly.
2. Have other needed repairs done, such as carpentry, plumbing, etc. Check stalls for protruding nails or wood slivers, etc.

IX. Before leaving barn

1. Lights out and water off.
2. Tack room doors locked.
3. Outside doors and gates securely shut.
4. Tools, tack, halters, hoses, buckets, etc., in proper place.
5. Droppings picked up.
6. Walks swept and yard raked.

X. Horse sick or lame.

1. Use ice boot or ice machine for strain, liniments or a blow to leg by mallet or ball-20 to 30 minutes, two to three times per day-and as soon as possible at games.
2. Use good judgment-call me or a vet if necessary.
3. If horse has colic, give 1 gallon of mineral oil at once-oral and rectal. Give 10cc of Banamine intra-muscular. Keep walking. Call vet. Do not give grain until manure is passing normally again.
4. If lame from knee down, put on ice boot at once and then three times a day for four days. Other medication as needed.
5. Keep record on calendar of the time and date mares are "in season."
6. If horse ties up, keep warm with cooler; do not walk it, and give Banamine 10 cc intra-muscularly plus 1cc Ace intra-muscularly. Call vet if not better in one hour.
7. All shots intra-muscular. Never a vitamin B plus iron combination shot. Vitamin B only is OK as needed.
8. Poultice all ponies' legs after a game or practice.
9. Inform WTY [William T. Ylvisaker] of any problems with horses by phone at once.

XI. Horse care

1. Check all horses daily when grooming, walk and trot out, paint sores and put Vaseline on old cuts and give medication as needed.
2. Paint Hooflex on hooves at least three times per week.
3. Wash down after exercise and each chukker-use wash liniment.
4. Cool well before loading in van. Walk for at least 15 minutes.
5. Cool weather-be sure to have sheets at polo.
6. Clips manes and trim head and feet as needed.
7. Have extra water for horses to drink at games before loading and driving home. Also after a period if they are to play a second period.
8. After practice or matches, poultice legs from knees down to below fetlock and put on standing bandages.

XII. Truck and trailer

1. Sweep out trailer after each use.
2. Wash truck and trailer regularly as needed. Keep cab interior clean.

XIII. Field and lawns

1. Where applicable, have stick and ball area mowed weekly and cut pastures 4 inches high depending on growth.
2. Trim weekly around barn.
3. Have pastures dragged and fertilized as needed.

XIV. Rain weather

1. Clean, repair or paint equipment.
2. Clean barn, tack rooms, etc.
3. Take bridles apart and re-clean and apply saddle soap. Shine bits and irons.

XV. Traveling

1. Plan ahead, have reservations for self and horses well in advance-see WTY on plan.
2. WTY will pay travel expenses except bar bill. $12/day for food while traveling on road. Use double room, two per room.
3. Be sure to have all necessary veterinary certificates, trip tickets as required, Coggins, etc., and save them all after each trip. Also save all expense chits and turn them into WTY.