Connemara Pony
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The Connemara pony ( Irish: ''Capaillín Chonamara'') is a pony breed originating in Ireland. They are known for their athleticism, versatility and good disposition.


History

The
Connemara Connemara ( ; ) is a region on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...
region in
County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...
in western Ireland, where the breed first became recognised as a distinct type, is a very harsh landscape, thus giving rise to a pony breed of hardy, strong individuals. It is often thought that the Connemara developed from Norse predecessors of Icelandic ponies that the
Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9â ...
first brought to Ireland. Another source was likely the Irish Hobby, a now-
extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...
breed established prior to the 13th century. Trade between Ireland and Spain was evident as early as the 12th century, and due to similarities between the Irish Hobby and the Spanish Jennet, there is weight to the belief that Spanish ponies imported to Ireland during that time influenced the local ponies. There is also evidence of
Barb Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to: People * Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves * The Barbs, a band Places * Barb, ...
and Andalusian stallions also being imported from Spain in the 16th century, however the more well-known myth is that galleons from the
Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...
ran aground in 1588, and the Andalusians on board were set loose. The Spanish horses bred with the native stock, refining the local ponies. Due to the Great Famine in the 19th century, life in Connemara was a struggle for those that survived and many were forced to sell their ponies, greatly reducing the number and quality of the ponies in the region. The Congested Districts Board was established in 1891 in order to improve the conditions in the western seaboard, and included responsibilities to improve breeds of local livestock. Different stallions of various breeds, including Barbs,
Arabs Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
,
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
s, Hackneys and Welsh Cobs, were introduced to Connemara in order to try and improve the local ponies by crossbreeding. However, many of the results of these crosses were highly unsuitable for the harsh environment of Connemara and began to dilute the native bloodlines too much, so the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society stud book was established in 1923 to ensure the "preservation and improvement of the Connemara Pony" as the native breed of Ireland. Today, Connemaras are bred worldwide in Ireland and Britain, as well as on the European continent, North America,
Australasia Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
, and South Africa. The Connemara Breeders' Society runs an annual pony show and has been doing so since its founding. The annual show allows the assembly of the largest collection of Connemara Ponies worldwide and is used to buy and sell ponies from Ireland and abroad.


Characteristics

The original breed standard is set by the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society of Ireland, and also used by the British Connemara Pony Society. The adults are usually in height, with a strong back, loins, and hindquarters, deep and broad through the ribs, and with a riding-type well laid-back shoulder and well-placed neck without undue crest, giving a good length of rein. The head should be of pony type, broad between the eyes, which should be large and appear kind, and with a deep but refined jaw and clearly defined cheekbone. The ears should be of pony type (relatively short). The legs should be relatively short from the knees and hocks to the ground, with a strong, muscular upper leg, strong and well-defined knees and hocks, and well-shaped hard feet, which are of a medium size. The action should be free, active, and easy. Permitted colours are grey,
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, brown, bay, dun, roan, chestnut, palomino, and cream. Pinto colouring ( piebald and skewbald) is not accepted. The Connemara Pony should be intelligent with a good temperament, suitable for adults and children; it should be hardy with good endurance; it should be sure-footed, sound, and able to jump. If a Connemara pony is to be passed as grade 1 on inspection by the Connemara Pony Breeder's Society, it must meet the breed standard; if it does not meet this specification, then it will be given a grade 2 or 3 on inspection. Connemaras in North America range from . Some Connemara Ponies carry the
autosomal recessive In genetics, dominance is the phenomenon of one variant (allele) of a gene on a chromosome masking or overriding the Phenotype, effect of a different variant of the same gene on Homologous chromosome, the other copy of the chromosome. The firs ...
disorder hoof wall separation diseasePLOS Genetics April 13 2015: ''SERPINB11 Frameshift Variant Associated with Novel Hoof Specific Phenotype in Connemara Ponies''
accessed 25 April 2015
and all foals born are tested as part of the registration process.


Uses

The Connemara is best known today as a sports pony. Ridden by both children and adults, it is considered to be a very versatile pony breed, competitive in show jumping,
dressage Dressage ( or ; , most commonly translated as "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrianism, equestrian sport defined by th ...
and eventing, but also with the stamina for
endurance riding Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide. Endurance rides can be any distance, though they are rar ...
. They are also shown in harness. Connemara Pony shows are held worldwide, with particular popularity in Ireland and the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Connemara Pony Sales are Ireland's largest and leading sale of Connemara ponies, with four sales held annually in February, May, August and October in Clifden. They can be viewed via video-stream online, allowing easier access for potential buyers to view a selection of ponies. In 2021 the highest price for a pony sold at the sales was topped at €14,000 for a 3 year old.


See also

* Mountain and moorland pony breeds


References


External links


Connemara Pony Breeders Society
(Ireland)
British Connemara Pony SocietyAmerican Connemara Pony SocietyConnemara Pony Breeders Society of Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connemara Pony Horse breeds originating in Ireland Horse breeds Ponies