• The Connemara Breed

  • About the Connemara  Breed  

    The Connemara has a natural jumping ability, and its  rectangular build lends it suitable for dressage as well. They often beat  horses 16 hands and over with staying power, intelligence and heart. Evidence  of this can be seen in horses such as Dundrum and The Nugget, who both made  records by clearing 7'2" jumps. A Connemara can be a great show jumper,  working hunter, eventer, western pleasure, endurance, or driving horse, they  are a wonderful well rounded breed with tremendous potential in everything they do. 

    Although their history is obscure, the Connemara Pony is considered Ireland's only native  breed. The ponies were brought to Connemara, Galway, Ireland by the Ancient  Celts, who were skilled horsemen. Mythology tells us that the tribes of western  Ireland were mounted. Legend has it that when the Spanish Armada sank off the  Connemara coast in the 16th Century, the horses swam to shore and bred with the  native ponies running wild in the mountains.     

    The cannon  bone of a Connemara 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. As easy  keepers, they do not require a rich diet to stay healthy and fit.

    The most  common colors are gray and dun, but there are blacks, bays, browns, chestnuts,  palominos, and an occasional roan. Black points are common, but paints are not  acceptable.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 age, sometimes older, and they can live well  into their 30's.

        We are  absolutely thrilled with our Connemaras at M&M Farm. Our Connemaras have  proved to be loyal friends, incredible competitors, and fantastic producers. We  believe they are the perfect sports pony for children and their families as  well as women/men who want to have fun and be competitive on a smaller mount.

    Breed Standards:

    Height The height of the Breeding Connemara Pony is 128cms to 148cms. (12.2 to 14.2 hands high). Throughout Ireland nowadays, as well as at M and M Connemaras, some of the purebred Connemaras are measuring up to 15.3hh.
       
    Colours Grey, Black, Bay, Brown, Dun with occasional Roan & Chestnut, Palamino, &    Dark Eyed Cream.
    Type Compact, well-balanced riding type with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground for their size.
    Head Well balanced pony head of medium length with good width between large, kindly eyes. Pony ears, well defined cheekbone jaw relatively deep but not coarse.
    Front Head well-set onto neck. Crest should not be over developed. Neck not set too low.    Good length of rein. Well-defined withers, good sloping shoulders.
    Body Body should be deep, with strong back, some length permissible but should be well-ribbed up and with strong loin.
    Limbs Good length and strength in forearm, well-defined knees and short cannons, with flat bone measuring 18cms to 21cms. Elbows should be free. Pasterns of medium length, feet well shaped, of medium size, hard and level.
    Hind    Qtrs Strong and Muscular with some length, well-developed second thighs (Gaskin) and strong low-set hocks.
    Movement Movement is  free easy and true, without undue knee action, but active and covering  ground.

     

    Athens Olympian and Canadian silver medalist, 2010 World Equestrian Games riding M&M's  Rory O'Sullivan

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