Guide To Connemara Horses

The Connemara pony is a pony breed originating in Ireland. They are known for their athleticism, versatility and good disposition. The breed makes excellent show ponies.

The Connemara region in County Galway in western Ireland, where the breed first became recognized as a distinct type, is a very harsh landscape, thus giving rise to a pony breed of hardy, strong individuals. Some believe that the Connemara developed from Scandinavian ponies that the Vikings first brought to Ireland. Another source was likely the Irish Hobby, a now-extinct breed established prior to the 13th century. Legend, however, says that galleons from the Spanish Armada ran aground in 1588, and the Andalusians on board were set loose. The Spanish horses bred with the native stock, refining the local ponies.

For additional strength and stamina, Arabian blood was added in the 1700s. They were also crossed with Hackneys and Thoroughbreds. Too much crossbreeding began to dilute the pony bloodlines, so the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society, founded in 1923, and worked to preserve the type. The stud book was established in 1926.

Today, Connemaras are bred in Ireland and the United Kingdom, as well as on the European Continent, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

This article was writen on March 6, 2009 by Charis Alexandra for Think Horses.
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