Comments on: Wooden Horses Help Army Cadets Learn How to Play Polo (Oct, 1924) http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/ Yesterday's tomorrow, today. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:56:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Arglebarglefarglegleep http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/comment-page-1/#comment-1080357 Arglebarglefarglegleep Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:12:23 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/#comment-1080357 From a polo site http://www.sportpolo.com/History/default.htm "Contributing to the growth of polo during this period was the U.S. Army. Joining the USPA in 1902, the Army encouraged their cavalry units to participate in polo to improve their riding ability. From then until World War II, the U.S. Military would play a significant role in the sport of polo." Polo was and is upper class; It's not surprising that 'officers and gentleman' would like to participate and came up with the excuse it helped their horsemanship. It probably also helped them meet movers and shakers in politics. From a polo site http://www.sportpolo.com/History/default.htm
“Contributing to the growth of polo during this period was the U.S. Army. Joining the USPA in 1902, the Army encouraged their cavalry units to participate in polo to improve their riding ability. From then until World War II, the U.S. Military would play a significant role in the sport of polo.”

Polo was and is upper class; It’s not surprising that ‘officers and gentleman’ would like to participate and came up with the excuse it helped their horsemanship. It probably also helped them meet movers and shakers in politics.

]]> By: R NABORNEY http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/comment-page-1/#comment-1067382 R NABORNEY Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:09:55 +0000 http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/03/27/wooden-horses-help-army-cadets-learn-how-to-play-polo/#comment-1067382 The US Army was not fully mechanized until 1943 when the 2nd Cavalry Division was deactivated. Britain got rid of its last horse soldiers in 1941. Only the US and Britain fought WWII with mechanized armies. The Germans and Russians used horses right through the war (The Red Army of Workers & Peasants finally decativated its last cav units in the late fifties)as cavalry mounts and as draught animals for both artilery and supply units. BTW, a certain Captain Eisenhower was part of the first US Army "coast to coast" motorized convoy in the early twenties...the roads were so bad and teh vehicles so unrelaible that a horsed unit could probably have beaten them. This experience helped persuade him that the US needed a national network of good highways for defense - hence his support of the "National Interstate & Defence (the roads and bridges can bear the weight of tanks) Highways Act" while president (Which is why it is now "The Eisenhower Interstate Higwhay System). Bottom line, the USMA was as backward as it seems to train officers in equitation in 1921. The US Army was not fully mechanized until 1943 when the 2nd Cavalry Division was deactivated. Britain got rid of its last horse soldiers in 1941. Only the US and Britain fought WWII with mechanized armies. The Germans and Russians used horses right through the war (The Red Army of Workers & Peasants finally decativated its last cav units in the late fifties)as cavalry mounts and as draught animals for both artilery and supply units. BTW, a certain Captain Eisenhower was part of the first US Army “coast to coast” motorized convoy in the early twenties…the roads were so bad and teh vehicles so unrelaible that a horsed unit could probably have beaten them. This experience helped persuade him that the US needed a national network of good highways for defense – hence his support of the “National Interstate & Defence (the roads and bridges can bear the weight of tanks) Highways Act” while president (Which is why it is now “The Eisenhower Interstate Higwhay System). Bottom line, the USMA was as backward as it seems to train officers in equitation in 1921.

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