Polo pony injuries: player-owner reported risk, perception, mitigation and risk factors.

The research article investigates the reported risk and risk factors for injuries to polo ponies in the UK, and how these are perceived and mitigated by player-owners.

Study Methods

• The research utilized a retrospective cohort design, gathering the data via telephone interviews.
• Equine injury data, preseason training, and risk perception were collected using a structured questionnaire targeted to a random selection of player-owners.
• Injuries in this context were outlined as any harm requiring veterinary treatment.
• Frequencies obtained were presented as percentages with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
• The study conducted univariable and multivariable analyses to identify potential risk factors associated with these injuries.

Study Findings

• The research found out that the cumulative incidence of player-owner-reported injury was 10.6%.
• Tendon injuries topped the list of common injuries with 4.3%, followed by wounds and then splints.
• The only risk factor found in the study was stabling all season, which increased the odds of injury by approximately five times.
• Tendon injuries were considered the major risk factor, with hard ground recognized as the most important risk factor.

Risk Mitigation Practices

• Among the risk mitigation practices used by player-owners, bandaging before exercise was most common, practiced by 45.7% of the respondents.
• 84.0% of the respondents checked the tendons, 40.7% used cold hosing, and 38.3% used bandaging.
• 24.7% applied clays and coolants after exercise.

Discrepancies in Perception and Reality

• Notwithstanding the high frequency of cuts and wounds (21.6% of veterinary treatments), only 2.5% of the players regarded them as the most frequent injury; 12.5% of injuries were due to splints.

Conclusion and Further Study

• The research concluded that the risk of injury to polo ponies mirrors the risk in the general horse population. Musculoskeletal injuries, particularly tendon injuries, were found to be most common, followed by wounds and splints.
• The researchers noted the need for further examination of the link between stabling and injury, risk factors for wounds and splints, and the effectiveness of cooling tendons post exercise.