The polo saddle: flat, free and built for leaning out.

What makes a polo saddle different

Wikipedia describes the polo saddle as an English saddle made for the mounted game, with:

• a relatively flat seat;
• long, fairly straight flaps, set further forward than on a dressage saddle;
• little or no padding under the leg;
• no thigh or calf blocks, so the leg can swing freely.

The South African Polo Association makes the same point by contrast: polo saddles differ from jumping saddles, which have extra pads.

The St. Moritz Snow Polo World Cup programme (2023) calls the saddle the largest and heaviest piece of a pony's equipment, and says players increasingly favour lightweight saddles fitted to each horse.

What retailers say about polo saddles

Retailers' product descriptions give a sense of what makers emphasise. These are sellers' claims about their own stock, not tested facts, and we do not recommend either model:

• Dover Saddlery describes the Henri de Rivel Jaipur polo saddle as having a reinforced tree with lateral flexibility, grippy leather on the seat and flaps, and clearance for a range of builds, from round-shouldered polo ponies to high-withered Thoroughbreds.
• Saddlemasters describes The Saddle Company's Genoa polo saddle as handmade in Walsall, UK, in seat sizes of 16.5 to 18 inches, with wool-flocked serge panels as standard and a bespoke tree, flap length and team colours on request.

Saddlecloths

The St. Moritz programme says polo saddlecloths, or numnahs, are traditionally cotton, cut square or shaped, and that some modern versions use gel.

Stirrups and how they attach

The St. Moritz programme says polo stirrups are wider than in other equestrian sports so players can stand and reach for the ball. It also says they are connected to the girth by a leather strip that must be properly fixed, because a player may put all their weight in one stirrup.

The Pony Club's 2026 polo rulebook takes the opposite line for junior polo. It forbids attaching stirrup leathers or irons to the girth, and forbids attaching the rider's feet to the girth or the stirrups. The two sources describe different settings (adult high-goal snow polo at St. Moritz, and Pony Club polo for riders aged 6 to 21), so they are not directly comparable. Follow the rule of the body you play under.

The Pony Club's 2026 rulebook also says:

• stirrups should leave about 7 mm of clearance either side of the boot;
• a stirrup design that releases the foot easily in a fall is strongly recommended;
• interlocking boot soles and stirrup treads are banned.

The tack rules that cover saddles

• HPA 2026 (Part 1 Rule 3c): ponies must be turned out in appropriate tack, and poor or badly fitted tack is not permitted. Any equipment with sharp projections that could injure a pony or player is banned.
• HPA 2026 (Part 1 Rule 20b): play stops at once for tack that is an immediate danger, and the rule names a broken girth among its examples. Otherwise umpires wait for neutral play.
• USPA 2024 Outdoor (Rule 21g): play stops at once for tack that presents a danger, such as a broken girth. The rule's examples say that when a player breaks a stirrup leather but is out of the play with the mount under control, the game continues until the ball is out of play.
• Pony Club 2026: in junior polo the umpire stops play for broken tack judged dangerous, such as a broken girth, but a broken stirrup leather is not considered dangerous.
• Umpires' ponies: under the HPA's 2026 guidance, a pony ridden by an umpire must be equipped as for playing, except that its tail need not be put up, and should be tacked for polo with ball bags, girth tight and leather work sound.

Apart from that broken-tack rule, we found no saddle rule in the USPA's 2024 Outdoor Rules, and no FIP or AAP saddle rule. The USPA revises its rules each year, so check the current book.

The saddle is held in place by the girth, overgirth and breastplate, which have rules of their own; see girths, breastplates and martingales.

The HPA's 2026 rules ban badly fitted tack. Have a saddle checked on the pony it will be used on by someone qualified to do so, and check the current tack rules of your governing body, club and tournament.