Here in my home of Bucks County PA, we have a polo grounds
right along the banks of the Delaware river, sandwiched
between river and hill. On weekends, a rather unpretentious
bunch of congenial folks come out and play a match.

Other congenial folks come out, bring picnic lunches, spread
out their blankets and enjoy the follies. Some bring vintage
cars. There's a bit of a competition for who can bring the
most extravagant picnic, but it's all in good fun.

Some time back, the local paper did a feature on the players.
By and large middle class folk, who in many cases don't own
the horses they ride on. Apparently a lot of horse owners aren't
crazy enough to play the game, and a lot of the folks crazy
enough to play the game don't have the means or urge to own a
horse.

I have the impression that the game is rather hard on the horses,
what with all the stops and sudden turns and such. But so are
pole-bending and barrel-racing and cattle-cutting in the Western
World, and so is steeple-chase and (to lesser extent) show-jumping
in the English world. All seem harder on the riders than on the
horses in many cases; all give the horses a purpose.

As to costs, experience tells me that a large breed dog is really
as expensive to keep fed and healthy as a hardy horse. Hay is cheap;
first-rate kibble is expensive. The vet costs the same either way,
only health insurance on a horse is far more obtainable. Now, if
you pay someone else to do all for your horse, that's an expense,
but that's a choice not a requirement.