At Myopia Polo in South Hamilton and Stage Hill in Newbury, polo lessons can get you swinging a mallet in short order. By Jeanne O’Brien Coffey
If there’s one thing Peter Poor loves, it’s introducing amateurs to the sport of polo. “My dad was very encouraging of new playersÂ… and I’ve tried to carry that on,” says Poor, who runs Stage Hill Polo School in Newbury.
By all accounts, Poor is doing a great job. He has been teaching people to play polo since 1983, and a sizable number of people on the field at Myopia-and around New England-got their start at his stable. That’s partly because Poor makes it easy; he has a string of polo ponies and offers classes year-round-in a ring in the winter and outdoors in the summer.
Poor works with everyone from experienced equestrians to beginners. He has had equal success with getting the new horsemen playing as quickly as possible, as long as they are committed to learning. And that means some not-so-fun classroom time. “Rules come first,” Poor says. “They need to learn what to expect.”
Cissie Snow, co-manager of the Myopia Polo club and the Myopia coaching league instructor and umpire, agrees that the rules are a critical first step. “Ultimately, it is all about the safety of the horse and rider,” she says. “You have eight people, mounted on eight horses, all chasing after one ballÂ… If you don’t understand the rules, it can be very dangerous.”
Snow also has a lot of experience teaching people who have never ridden a horse to play polo, but she admits that it’s easier for the kids she coaches on the Harvard University polo team to absorb and execute the rules and plays all at once than it is for more mature learners. “It’s like trying to pat your head and rub your tummy [at the same time],” she quips.
For rank beginners, Myopia offers primarily individual lessons, because the club doesn’t have a string of teaching ponies. At Stage Hill, group lessons-which can cost as little as $50 if players can find a Living Social or other web deal-are the norm. All you need to bring to your first lesson is shoes with a short heel (think riding boots), comfortable pants, a helmet, and gloves to help avoid blisters. Once a player is familiar with the basics, Myopia offers a summer coaching league, which allows beginners to play a four-chukker match several times a week.
While the initial investment in playing polo seems low, it can be a slippery slope, Poor warns. He jokes that the hardest part about learning to play polo might be “learning to write big checks.” In all seriousness, he adds, once you start, it is addictive. “I’ve had beginners who, within a year, are playing matches and own one or two ponies.”
The Classes
Myopia in South Hamilton offers lessons June 1 to mid-September; call 978-468-POLO for details. Stage Hill in Newbury offers lessons year-round; call 978-463-8668.