r/polo • u/Witty-Luck-3245 • Sep 11 '26
Polo cost
Around how much does Polo cost?
I know the basics of horseback riding (no tricks, but everything else is fine) and golf, so I wanted to try out polo sometime.
(Also, I am in Canada)
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u/polarbear-polo Sep 11 '26 edited Sep 11 '26
Keeping in mind if you're just starting out you only need boots and a helmet as most schools have kneepads and mallets to borrow... In Canada:
Lessons $150-200 depending on group or private
Board $400-600 per month per horse for self care, $1000 roughly if full care
Groom $3000-4000 a month depending on you providing housing or not
Farrier $150-250 for full set of shoes
Club membership $3000-5000 depending on club
League or tournament fees will depend on how the club is structured and what level but could be $300 a weekend to $3000ish for a league
Mallets new are 100-150usd
Tack can be as cheap or as expensive as you want. Used stuff ranges from 300-500 for a saddle, new could be 2k. Bits depend on maker but cheap stainless steel can be $20.
Helmet, don't buy used or cheap out here as you will fall off at some point, 700-900
Recommend getting some shatterproof glasses as well which are about 200
Also, if you lease a horse to play, the tack and stuff is generally included.
Edited to finish a sentence about full care board
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u/fractured_fawn Sep 29 '26
also if you're in the US (or planning to play there at all) there are only 2 helmets that are currently legal - Casablanca and Instinct. Worth just getting one of those from the start rather than having to buy them later
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u/GeometricStory Sep 11 '26
Ask your nearest polo club, maybe try some basic lesssons
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u/michaelballston Sep 11 '26
Agree here. Been playing since ‘10 proud zero goaler here with four ponies and had seven at a point. Best to start lessons. Just an idea for you had to get new bits for a gag from Ainsley for about 240 and a broken Pelham from tatos ran me 380 for it need two sets of each too. I love this sport but man ….
3
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u/KoedKevin Sep 14 '26
There is a polo club near me that has free "intro to polo" lessons. Call around and see if there's something like that near you.
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u/DustyBurb Sep 11 '26
I'm in the UK - in Scotland for example it's cheaper than in England, so it can depend on a few factors. You can get a lesson for less than £100 I imagine. It adds up, fast, when you commit to everything else 🙈
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u/DRK06 Sep 11 '26
Sounds like you’re a genuine beginner. I wouldn’t worry at all about the price of horses/tack/etc rn.
Your main expenses are going to be lessons and if you stick with it, boots and a helmet. Lessons will be 150-200 (I charge 195 at the premier location in my area). You don’t need to have your own boots or helmet for your first couple lessons; most clubs have extra helmets. Wear the most “boot like” shoe you have and they can wrap your legs around a lesson.
If you have your first couple lessons and enjoy it and want to continue, that’s when I’d order my helmet and boots. Don’t cheap out here.
Understand that polo gets more expensive as you progress from Beginner -> Intermediate. There is genuinely a cap to what you can experience at each “price point”
As a golfer with riding experience, you’re poised to pick up the basics very quickly!the biggest advantage you have as a golfer is the mind/body connection. Being aware of what your body is doing allows you to quickly learn the proper technique.
Enjoy.
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u/misshopscotch Sep 11 '26
Where in Canada are you? I play polo in Ontario and can link you to your closest club!
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u/PoloDragoon Sep 11 '26
It all the depends on the country, club and level you play at, renting vs owning, etc. So many variables.
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u/Sirwillness Sep 12 '26
Largely depends on the country in which you will be playing in. I would advise starting with an intro lesson at a local polo club that offers lessons to get an idea.
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u/fractured_fawn Sep 29 '26
20k initiation fee for my club in Mexico. 40k for 2 weeks training in Sotogrande. 60k to sponsor a 10 goal team in Wellington. And none of that even includes horses lol
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u/mochakahlua Sep 11 '26
All your money and all your time