What Are the Causes of Polo Pony Deaths?

The lives of polo ponies are often filled with cruelty from the time they are tamed to the time of death. They receive mineral and vitamin injections to boost performance, are pushed to physical extremes and sometimes killed when they've outlived their usefulness.

  1. Selenium Overdose

    • Selenium is a trace mineral that is necessary for optimal cell function and health in animals. Too much of this mineral can be fatal. While polo ponies often receive mixtures of vitamin B12, selenium and additional minerals in the form of a shot, incorrect administering of such shots can prove deadly.

    Heart Attack

    • Polo ponies that are treated cruelly and are over-exerted can have fatal heart attacks. Hearts of polo ponies either rupture or burst from extreme exertion. Polo ponies can also die of heart attack due to old age.

    Gunshot

    • Polo ponies past their prime are either sold to riding clubs which "overwork and underfeed" ponies according to the Bihar Times article on cruelty to polo ponies. Ponies that are not sold are shot.