365 Days in Horse Country – The Connemara
The rugged,
damp, and rocky landscape of Ireland is the original home of the Connemara
pony, an Irish Breed.
The ancestors of the Connemara pony came to Ireland with Celtic Warriors from elsewhere in Europe more than 2,500 years ago. These small hoses, which pulled war chariots and carts, escaped and became feral, living in the mountains of the Connemara Isles. More than 1,000 years later, a Spanish armada sank off the Irish coast. The horses on board swam to safety and bred with the wild mountain ponies. The result was the early Connemara.
Although Connemaras are called “ponies”, many of them are horse sized. Measuring anywhere from 13 to 15 hands, Connemaras have big bones and compact bodies. They are known for having hard feet, and for being sure –footed and athletic.
Connemaras come in gray, bay, brown, and dun, with some roans, and, once in a while, a black, chestnut, or palomino. Sometimes pinto Connemaras occur, but they are not eligible for registration.
Connemaras are well known for their easy going attitude. They are willing to work, easy to train, and able to perform many different disciplines, especially and disciplines that involve jumping.
One of the Connemara’s biggest talents is jumping. Some people believe the breed became good jumpers while living on the rocky slopes of the western coast of Ireland.
Michael