The Connemara Pony

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The Connemara

While the history of the Connemara is obscure it is considered Ireland ’s only native breed. The Ancient Celts brought toe ponies to Connemara more than 2,500 years ago and used them to draw war charriats and carts along the beaches of their new found home. Legend has it that when the Spanish Armada sank off the Connemara coast in the 16 th Century, the horses swam to shore and bred with the native ponies running wild in the mountains.

The area of Western Ireland known as Connemara is rocky, barren mountainous terrain and is full of endless desolate moors and bogs with shores pounded by the tide and storms of the Atlantic . These ponies learned to live in these conditions where a misplaced step could send a pony crashing to its death. Over the centuries in the ruggedness of their western Irish environment, the Connemara developed its prized qualities of hardiness, agility and extraordinary jumping ability.

The Connemara has a short, dense, flat and clean cannon bone, 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 heights. On this strong, sturdy body sets a handsome head with a well defined jaw and good width between large kind eyes. They are mannerly and manageable, kind and responsive, and possess good sense and basic intelligence. Easy keepers, they do not require a rich diet to stay healthy and fit.

The Connemara is the largest of the pony breeds, raging in height from 13 – 15 hands with 14 – 14.2 hands as the average. Full maturity is reached at five years of age, sometimes older, and they can live well into their 30’s.

The Connemara has a natural jumping ability, and its build is suitable for dressage. They often beat larger horses with staying power, intelligence and heart. As a show jumper or working hunter, in eventing, western pleasure, endurance and driving – Connemaras can do it all!

American Connemara Pony Society
2360 Hunting Ridge Road
Winchester , VA 22603

Tel: (540) 622-5953
Fax: (540) 722-2277
Email: secretary@acps.org
Web Site: http://www.acps.org/

Connemara Pony Breeders Society
Marion Turley, Secretary
Hospital Road
Clifden Co., Galway
IRELAND

Information take from www.acps.org