Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina

Polo is a high-speed equestrian sport that imposes mechanical demands on horses and turf, yet limited research has examined the functional behavior of polo playing surfaces. This study characterizes the spatial variability of mechanical surface properties across turf polo pitches representing high-,...

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Autores principales: Blanco, María Alejandra, Peterson, Michael L., Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel, Apecechea, Fernando
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: MDPI 2026
Materias:
GOLF
CESPED
MONITOREO
Acceso en línea:https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/21099
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040685
Aporte de:
Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA) de Universidad Católica Argentina
id I33-R139-123456789-21099
record_format dspace
spelling I33-R139-123456789-210992026-03-05T05:01:14Z Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina Blanco, María Alejandra Peterson, Michael L. Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel Apecechea, Fernando GOLF CESPED MONITOREO Polo is a high-speed equestrian sport that imposes mechanical demands on horses and turf, yet limited research has examined the functional behavior of polo playing surfaces. This study characterizes the spatial variability of mechanical surface properties across turf polo pitches representing high-, medium-, and low-handicap categories. Three fields were assessed using lightweight field-based instruments, including the Impact Test Device (ITD), Rotational Peak Shear (RPS) tester, Going Stick© for penetration (GSP) and shear (GSS), and a TDR probe for volumetric moisture content (VMC%). A total of 210–223 grid-based sampling points per pitch were analyzed to evaluate mechanical responses under vertical and horizontal loading conditions. Significant differences among pitches were observed, with ITD and VMC emerging as the indicators of surface behaviour. Spatial analysis revealed heterogeneous within-pitch patterns, expressed as directional gradients and localized variability. Linear discriminant analysis demonstrated that the combined measurements could differentiate pitches associated with different handicap levels with high classification accuracy (0.88). Although the applied instruments do not replicate full equine biomechanical loading, they proved effective in detecting spatial variability in surface uniformity, a functional property relevant to performance and equine welfare. These findings support integration of spatially explicit surface assessments into routine turf management practices. 2026-03-04T16:40:06Z 2026-03-04T16:40:06Z 2026 Artículo 2076-2615 https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/21099 https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040685 spa Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ application/pdf MDPI Animals. 2026 16(685)
institution Universidad Católica Argentina
institution_str I-33
repository_str R-139
collection Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA)
language Español
topic GOLF
CESPED
MONITOREO
spellingShingle GOLF
CESPED
MONITOREO
Blanco, María Alejandra
Peterson, Michael L.
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Apecechea, Fernando
Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
topic_facet GOLF
CESPED
MONITOREO
description Polo is a high-speed equestrian sport that imposes mechanical demands on horses and turf, yet limited research has examined the functional behavior of polo playing surfaces. This study characterizes the spatial variability of mechanical surface properties across turf polo pitches representing high-, medium-, and low-handicap categories. Three fields were assessed using lightweight field-based instruments, including the Impact Test Device (ITD), Rotational Peak Shear (RPS) tester, Going Stick© for penetration (GSP) and shear (GSS), and a TDR probe for volumetric moisture content (VMC%). A total of 210–223 grid-based sampling points per pitch were analyzed to evaluate mechanical responses under vertical and horizontal loading conditions. Significant differences among pitches were observed, with ITD and VMC emerging as the indicators of surface behaviour. Spatial analysis revealed heterogeneous within-pitch patterns, expressed as directional gradients and localized variability. Linear discriminant analysis demonstrated that the combined measurements could differentiate pitches associated with different handicap levels with high classification accuracy (0.88). Although the applied instruments do not replicate full equine biomechanical loading, they proved effective in detecting spatial variability in surface uniformity, a functional property relevant to performance and equine welfare. These findings support integration of spatially explicit surface assessments into routine turf management practices.
format Artículo
author Blanco, María Alejandra
Peterson, Michael L.
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Apecechea, Fernando
author_facet Blanco, María Alejandra
Peterson, Michael L.
Cipriotti, Pablo Ariel
Apecechea, Fernando
author_sort Blanco, María Alejandra
title Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
title_short Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
title_full Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
title_fullStr Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Spatial Variation in Turf Surface Properties of Polo Pitches: A Case Study of Different Handicaps of Argentina
title_sort spatial variation in turf surface properties of polo pitches: a case study of different handicaps of argentina
publisher MDPI
publishDate 2026
url https://repositorio.uca.edu.ar/handle/123456789/21099
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040685
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