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The first recorded game took place in 600 BC, between the Turkomans and the Persians, the Turkomans won. The Moguls were largely responsible for taking the game from Persia to the east, and by the 16th century the Emperor Babur had established it in India. It had already long been played in China and Japan, but had died out by the time the west came in contact with those countries.

In the 1850s British tea planters discovered the game in Manipur (Munipoor) on the Burmese border with India. The first polo club in the world was formed by them at Silchar, west of Manipur. Other clubs followed and, today, the oldest in the world is the Calcutta Club, founded in 1862. Malta followed in 1868, due to soldiers and Naval officers stopping off there on their way home from India. In 1869 Edward “Chicken” Hartopp, 10th Hussars, read an account of the game in The Field, while stationed at Aldershot, and with brother officers organised the first game - known then as “hockey on horseback” on a hastily-rolled Hounslow Heath. He drew up a short list of 9 or 10 rules; but it was John Watson (1856 - 1908), 13th Hussars, who formulated the first real rules of the game in India in the 1870s. He later formed the celebrated Freebooters team - who won the first Westchester Cup match in 1886 - and was a foremost player in the All Ireland Polo Club, founded in 1872 by Horace Rochfort of Clogrenane, Co. Carlow. The first polo club in England was Monmouthshire, founded in 1872 by Capt. Francis “Tip” Herbert (1845 - 1922), 7th Lancers, at his brother’s seat, Clytha Park, near Abergavenny. Others, including Hurlingham, followed quickly. Handicaps were introduced by the U.S.A. in 1888 and by England and India in 1910. The first official match in Argentina took place on 3rd September 1875, where the game had been taken by English and Irish engineers and ranchers. In 1876 Lt. Col. Thomas St. Quintin, 10th Hussars, introduced the game to Australia - he was the “Father of Australian Polo” and two of his brothers stayed on there as ranchers and helped the game to develop. In the same year, polo was introduced to the U.S.A. by James Gordon Bennett Jr, who had seen the game at Hurlingham while on a visit to England. Today, upwards of 77 countries play polo. It was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1939 and has now been recognised again by the International Olympic Committee.

The Hurlingham Polo Association (HPA) is the governing body of polo in the UK, Ireland and many other countries throughout the world. As such, it is responsible for the regulations and rules under which the game is played. This includes the handicapping of any one playing in the U.K. or Ireland. The object of the HPA is to further the interests of polo generally and support by all possible means the common interests of its affiliated clubs and associations.

A Guide to the game of Polo
Two underlying concepts govern the game of polo. The first is that polo is a tactical team sport with either 3(indoor or enclosed arena) or 4(full size ground) players a side. Like all tactical team sports, each player fills a specific role and supporting the team effort on both offence and defence. The objective of the game is for a team to score the most goals by hitting the ball through their goal posts at the end of the ground. Like other high contact team sports such as Rugby or Football, defensive plays, such as “riding off” and “hooking” are important defence tactics and can result in fouls which incur penalties. Normally, polo is played on an outdoor polo field which is 300 yards long and 160 yards across, the area of 10 football fields. The second is "the line of the ball". This is the imaginary line the ball creates as it travels from point A to point B. This "line" determines the strict rules about how players can approach and attack the ball and each other, ensuring that the players and horses, travelling at 35mph when at top speed, do not collide resulting in serious injury to either horse or rider. When two players ride to the ball, both hoping to hit it, they must ride on either side of the "line" so that both will have access to the ball. They must remain on opposite sides of the line, thus minimizing the risk of collision. The line remains set until the ball is struck by a player, changes direction, and a new line is formed. A player may cross the line only when it does not create a hazardous situation such as a collision with another rider. This may result in a foul and consequent penalty being awarded.

Team Positions and Tactics
Team members are numbered 1 to 4 (or 3 in Arena polo) with No 1 being the attacking or offensive player and No 4 being the back or defensive player. In Indoor or Arena polo, the pivotal player on the team is the No 3, as he must stem the opponent's offence, turn the play to the attack, and pass the ball up field to his No 2 and No 1 player, as they turn to press the penetration toward the enemy goal. The No 1 player concentrates on opportunities for scoring, but also has the defensive responsibility for the opposing No 3 player. The No 2 team member supports No 3 on the pivotal plays, turns quickly to follow the No 1 player on attack, and harasses the opposing No 2 player. Outdoors the No 4 player is primarily responsible for defending the team's goal. These assignments are not rigid, and each player must be prepared to make any play that will benefit his team, temporarily changing position as the pattern indicates.