"The Sport of Polo"

• At Destination Polo we feel that horses are our most valuable asset when it comes to the game of polo. Whether you are learning to ride, learning to hit the ball or playing practice chukkers / games having a mount suitable to you is the most important aspect for enjoyment and safety of the game. 

• All our horses are sourced from Mexico where they start their time as a “Destination Polo Pony”. Every horse we buy is done so based primarily on temperament and secondly on ability for the needs of our clients. These horses have played polo anywhere from one to two years. 

• We don’t start with any horses that are “green” or buy horses to be “trained for polo”. It's our opinion that its easier to buy a horse suitable for our clients that we know exactly what it is rather than try and train one where we don’t know what its temperament will be. From there the horses spend anywhere from 6 months to a year playing polo in Mexico at all levels to ensure that the horse we bought is what we want to ship to the states for our clients. It gives us a chance to see the horse on a daily basis and see exactly what they are. 

• Once the horse is ready for the USA, it makes its journey by land to Virginia where we play it for a month and evaluate it and then turn it out for usually 6 months to relax and recover in its new environment. From there we start the horse again in work and assimilate it into the program where we are able to finally introduce them to our clients and it takes the field alongside the other horses. 

• The process is anywhere from 1-2 years for a horse to enter our program in the USA and  so you see why we are in no hurry to sell them! There’s a reason why we feel comfortable saying our horses are the best because they are game/time proven with a track record for fun and safety. 

• The basis of polo is the horse and without them it would just be a big game of field hockey. We are super fortunate to have many different options in Northern Virginia when it comes to horse providers. Obviously it is a business for people but horse leasing is also an important element in creating an environment for players that want to enjoy the sport of polo without the work that goes along with horse ownership. 

• You pay when you play and basically show up 30 minutes before game time and everything is ready. You jump on, play and when you are done you hand the horse back and then either head to lunch with everyone else, back to work or home with the family. While the short term costs may appear to be higher when you weigh in the year long care of the horse, leasing on a per game basis actually works out to be a pretty attractive option. The reason why is because the horse providers have something called economy of scale on their side and can repeatedly offer a better finished product for a lower price than any one person is able to achieve. (If you don't believe us we have it broken down on a spreadsheet!) 

•  To be completely honest owning horses is one of the most rewarding things that you can do but can also be full of pitfalls for beginners because there is a definite learning curve. If you want to own horses I don’t want to discourage you but I think its important that you weigh all the options including ones that most people overlook. 

• If you’re considering owning horses because you want to have the bond with them and experience polo from an owners standpoint then I applaud you 100% and will do anything to help you make that dream a reality. 

• If your goal is to save money thinking that you can do it yourself at a lower price point then I will show you on paper in a real world application that that is not the case. I don’t want to discourage anyone from ownership, but I want to be 100% honest with people and make sure they have all the information and can make the best educated decision for themselves.

• When it comes to horses the upfront purchase price is probably the smallest part of the equation. People routinely get baited into a horse for a lower price thinking that they are going to save money in the long run. Once the vet check is done on the horse, the bills start and they never stop. Horses aren’t like an RV or a boat, you can’t just park them, cancel the insurance and let them sit for 6 months until the season starts again. They require constant care, food, attention and maintenance to ensure their longevity. In addition for each practice, game or event it requires hours of prep work beforehand and then travel time to and from. 

• I would say opportunity cost for your time is probably one of the most overlooked aspect of horse ownership. If you are fortunate enough to have a good boarding barn or someone that can help you with this no matter what the cost it will absolutely make the decision to own much easier. If you want to do it yourself you also have to factor in the cost of a truck and trailer and all the equipment necessary for the logistics of dealing with horses. If you get to a point where you have enough horses to be able to justify someone dedicated to their care it alleviates this headache and puts you in a much better position to be able to enjoy polo in this dynamic. Horses ownership is a journey that can be exciting but it’s imperative that all the aspects are taken into consideration and not as an afterthought. 

• I’m happy to help build a plan that works for you or answer any questions that you might have so that you are armed will all the information necessary to make an educated decision as to whether horse ownership is right for you and to make sure we remove as many “surprises” as possible so your enjoyment in the whole process is the highest that it can be. 

              Doug Barnes 

              Destination Polo