|
For the 2009-2010 school year, the Skidmore Polo team will be boarding, practicing, and playing home games at Win-A-Maker Farm in Gansvoort, NY. We are excited to return to Win-A-Maker this year and hope that we are able to take advantage of its offerings. This facility has an indoor arena, viewing area, acres of turnout and spacious (10’ x 8’) stalls that accommodate our ponies. The Skidmore polo ponies are turned out for the majority of the day, weather depending, and spend hours outside. They are brought into stalls in the evening, where they are fed and then tacked up for practice. The polo ponies are groomed daily, their manes and tails are trimmed on a regular basis, and they are clipped in the winter months in order to facilitate practice schedules. After the ponies are clipped they are blanketed to insure their warmth and comfort. Each practice the ponies participate in drills and chukkers; afterwards they are walked out and each player takes care of their mount. Games are run in the same fashion.
Our ponies are fed liberal amounts of hay and they are given grain twice a day, and have made some exceptions to feed lunch to the ponies as well. The grain is supplemented by corn oil and electrolytes in order to make sure the work load does not dehydrate them.
Our farrier and coach, Ed Burns, regularly monitors the polo ponies’ feet in order to keep them in the best possible condition. If any pony becomes ill and needs professional medical attention the club uses Saratoga Equine to address the concern. The players are all extremely conscious of the ponies condition and we all make sure that the ponies are happy and healthy.
All of the players in the club know there would be no polo without the ponies, and that if we want to remain active in the intercollegiate polo world we need to make sure our ponies are given the best possible care.
Val Schwartz , Barn Manager
The renovated facility is a beautiful place
and the Polo Team is very excited to be playing there. We
have full varsity women and men’s schedules. We hope
you’ll stop by for a visit!
|
