Polo sport is a sport with a high demand, where players are expected to have a lot of discipline and commitment in order to be successful.
Because of this there are some injuries that are quite common. Low back pain is perhaps the most common pain experienced by polo players, but ironically, it is also the most neglected. Those who do not counteract certain movements of the horse tend to suffer pain. The human body is not built to deal with knocks against a saddle, received, for example, when we grab, check or turn the horse. These driving characteristics can cause injury, especially when the horse stops with its front legs, jumps, or trips during a game. When we talk about improper driving, we mean holding the horse with one hand, sitting in the saddle or holding it with both hands, and not using your knees to counter the blow.
Both counteracting the horse’s movements and riding smoothly and uniformly throughout the game are critical to reducing the chances of pulling a muscle, and are key to protecting the knee and hip joints.
It is also true that most injuries begin to develop on the right side; tilting the body produces asymmetric spinal pressure on that side. It is natural, therefore, that back pain starts on the right side of the body.
Therefore, we can conclude that poor driving and uneven platform are the direct causes of back pain and injury, the most common physical obstacle for polo players, regardless of the level of polo they play. Polo is a sport that puts a lot of pressure on the spine. Therefore, it is essential that players train this area, as it is compatible with the upper body and is the core of both driving and hitting movements.
