How we recommend
We recommend gear by category and use, not by brand, and do not quote prices. We may earn a commission on purchases at no cost to you.
Get trained
This page explains the principles. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified polo instructor or club, and it does not replace the rules of your governing body, club or tournament.
Start without a pony
The HPA's academies page says HPA-affiliated academies (polo schools) are licensed and insured, with coaches and ponies, and take complete beginners, including people who have never ridden. It says HPA-affiliated pony hirers let players take part in matches and tournaments without owning a pony. The Pony Club's 2026 rulebook says its Centres make the sport accessible to children without their own ponies, and its 2026 New to Polo pack says ponies can be hired for training, tournaments and the Championships. Ask your academy or club what it provides and what you need to bring.
Clubs set their own rules for lessons. Singapore Polo Club's 2019 lesson rules, for example, require a helmet and polo boots or short riding boots with mini-chaps, and let instructors turn away students who are not properly dressed.
What the rules require for a first sanctioned game
| Body and rulebook | Who may play | What you must wear |
|---|---|---|
| HPA (UK and Ireland), 2026 rules | Registered HPA Associate Member, joined an affiliated club and received the HPA's membership confirmation (Rule 2.2a). A first handicap of -2 once you have passed the HPA rules test and are judged safe (Rule 2.2b). | A helmet approved under the HPA Helmet Regulations, chinstrap fastened, whenever mounted; polo boots and knee pads during play; eye protection; white jeans or breeches for matches (Part 2 Rule 2.3). |
| USPA (United States), 2024 Outdoor Rules | USPA registration paid and a current handicap; otherwise the game is forfeited, whatever the player knew or intended (Rule 2b and 2c). | A helmet with a chin strap certified to NOCSAE ND050 in USPA Events and Club Events; boots, or boots and half-chaps, covering the calves; white pants or breeches in USPA Events; eye protection if under 18 (Rule 4). |
| Pony Club (UK junior polo), 2026 rulebook | Pony Club polo is for ages 6 to 21, in sections by age and handicap. | A hat to its listed standards, tagged by officials; eye protection; kneepads in all sections except HX, JOPPS and JOR (strongly recommended there); boots to its footwear rules. Spurs are banned in every section. |
The USPA revises its rules each year and its 2026 book was not reviewed for this site, so check the current edition. Clubs and tournaments can add conditions of their own.
Our picks by category, in buying order
Polo helmets
Required by every rulebook above, and under the HPA's 2026 rules whenever you are mounted. Choose by the label against your governing body's current list, not by look, and have it fitted in person. The Pony Club strongly recommends against second-hand hats. See choosing a polo helmet.
Best for: Your first purchase
Face guards and eye protection
Required for all players under the HPA's 2026 rules and the Pony Club's 2026 rulebook (sports glasses, goggles or a face guard), and strongly encouraged for adults under the USPA's 2024 rules. Under NOCSAE's ND055 standard, a helmet-mounted guard is certified only with the helmets listed on its packaging.
Best for: HPA and Pony Club players, and USPA players under 18
Polo boots
Polo boots are compulsory in play under the HPA's 2026 rules; the USPA's 2024 rules ask for boots covering the calves. If you start in short boots and mini-chaps where a club allows it, check your footwear against the rule before match play: polo boots under the HPA's 2026 rules, or boots, or boots and half-chaps, covering the calves under the USPA's 2024 rules. See choosing boots and knee guards.
Best for: Anyone moving from lessons to chukkas
Polo knee guards
Compulsory during play under the HPA's 2026 rules. The St. Moritz programme says they are worn because the knees are exposed in ride-offs.
Best for: HPA and most Pony Club players
Riding gloves
Not required by the rulebooks we read, but the St. Moritz programme says nearly all players wear gloves for grip and protection.
Best for: Every new player
Mouth guards
Recommended, not required, under the HPA's 2026 rules and the Pony Club's 2026 rulebook, which suggests having one fitted by a dentist.
Best for: Players who want the recommended extra protection
Polo mallets
No rulebook we read limits a mallet's size, and sources tie length to pony size and the rider's build. Wait until a coach has seen you swing and you know the ponies you will ride. See choosing a polo mallet.
Best for: After a few lessons, with a coach's advice
What can wait
- Tack and pony protection. These belong to the pony. If you hire or ride school ponies, ask who provides them before buying anything. Our saddles and tack and pony leg protection guides are for when you have a pony of your own.
- Spurs and whips. The Pony Club bans spurs in every section, and the HPA's 2026 rules limit both closely. Ask your instructor before using either; see spurs and whips.
- White match trousers. Required for matches under the HPA's 2026 rules and in USPA Events under the USPA's 2024 rules, so buy them when you are ready to play matches.
Riding comes first
Some clubs take complete non-riders and some do not. Tedworth Park Polo Club says complete beginners can take an introductory lesson with no riding experience, while its one-day courses need riders who feel safe and are competent at the canter. The HPA's Arena Polo Hub says no riding experience is needed to start arena polo. Check what your club expects before you book, and before you buy.
Before your first game, check the current rules of your governing body, club and tournament, and the label on every piece of protective gear.
Sources
- Hurlingham Polo Association, Rules and Regulations for Polo 2026 (Polo South Africa copy, PDF)
- United States Polo Association, 2024 Outdoor Rules (PDF)
- The Pony Club, Polo Rulebook 2026 (PDF)
- The Pony Club, New to Polo information pack (2026, PDF)
- HPA, academies and pony hirers
- HPA, Arena Polo Hub
- Singapore Polo Club, polo lessons rates and rules (2019, PDF)
- Tedworth Park Polo Club, learn to play
- NOCSAE, ND055 polo eye protection standard (PDF)
- Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz, equipment explained (2023, PDF)