Connemara
Height: 13-14.2 hands
Colour: Grey, black, bay, brown, dun, occasiona/ roans and chestnuts.
The exposed western seaboard of Ireland, with its mountainous bogs and moorland north of Galway Bay, is the home of the Connemara Pony. It is an environment that has encouraged the characteristic qualities of hardiness, agility and intelligente attributable to this popular breed. Subsisting on the rough mountain herbage, the ponies were once indispensable in the struggle for survival of the local farming population, carrying out all the duties of the farm horse.
In the days of Spanish commercial trade with Ireland, it is thought that imported Spanish Barb and Andalusian horses exerted a beneficial influence on the breed, and as late as the mid-19th century Arab blood was being judiciously introduced. In 1891, further influence was exerted by the importation of Welsh Stallions.
The Connemara Breeders Society was founded in 1923. Since then, many Connemara Ponies have been exported and breed societies have been formed in many countries, including England and America. Its jumping ability is renowned and, when used as a Cross, the breed has produced some notable Stars, such as the show jumper Dundrum, dressage horse Little Model and, more recently, the eventer The Done Thing. Despite its 'riding' conformation, the Connemara tan equally well provide a keen and agile, yet calm, driving Pony, up to FE1 competition level.