ORIGINS OF THE CONNEMARA

"Connemara, what is that?", is the most common phrase we have heard since deciding to breed them. Nobody really knows how the breed originated: only that it has existed somehow on Ireland’s rugged west coast since sometime before recorded history. Perhaps its root was the shaggy, tough little animals that carried the Celts through Europe a couple of thousand years B.C.. Perhaps merchants and travelers from Ancient Carthage introduced Barb or Arab blood into the native stock. Perhaps there is some truth to the popular and widespread tale that the Connemara has a strong relationship to the Andalusian Horse, developed when the shipwrecked equine survivors of the Spanish Armada mingled with the Irish ponies. Whatever its heritage, the Connemara was recognized by 1900 as a breed that was "strong and hardy as mules, capable of living where all but wild ponies would starve," and that they were so "fertile and free from disease that their extinction would be a national loss." To preserve and oversee the development of this remarkable breed, the Irish Connemara Pony Society was started in 1923 with 100 selected foundation mares and a few good stallions. The U.S. Connemara story began some time later, with the first introduction of the ponies to Virginia in the late 1940’s. In 1956 the American Connemara Pony Society was born with 16 stallions, 86 mares, and assorted foals, geldings and half-breeds (which later appear in a separate section of the registry).

Good-natured individuals may be found in most breeds, but for the Connemara Pony a gentle disposition is its most outstanding characteristic. The Connemara has a natural jumping ability that is out of proportion to their size and an ability to adapt to any situation, excelling in all equestrian sports.

The Connemara "stands on short legs, covering a lot of ground". The cannon bone is short, dense, flat and clean, measuring 7 to 9 inches below the knee. The body is deep and compact, well-balanced with depth, substance and good heart room. The Connemara has a good sloping shoulder, length of rein, and moves freely with little knee action in surprisingly large strides for its height. On this strong, sturdy body sets a handsome pony head, with a well defined jaw and good width between large kindly eyes. Easy keepers, they do not require a rich diet to stay healthy and fit. The Connemara is the largest of the pony breeds, ranging in height from 13 to 15 hands, with 14 to 14.2 hands as the average. Full maturity is at five years of ages, sometimes older, and they can live well into their 30’s. The most common colors are grey and dun, but there are blacks, bays, browns, chestnuts, palominos and an occasional roan. Black points are common, but paints are not acceptable.