Connemara Pony

About the breed

The Connemara pony is an Irish native pony breed from the Connemara district of west County Galway, between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic Ocean. It is a compact, well-balanced pony with a deep body on short legs, known as a hardy, agile and willing partner. Under the Irish breed society's standard it stands 128 to 148 cm, so a child can ride it, as can a smaller adult rider. It is famous for its natural jumping talent, yet it remains a pony that needs thoughtful feeding and careful hoof care.

From Atlantic smallholding pony to studbook breed

The Connemara pony began as the working pony of poor farms on Ireland's western seaboard. The Connemara Pony Breeders' Society (CPBS) describes it working the land, carrying turf and transporting the family; its size made it easy to harness and its strength let it pull a carriage with several adults. The less able were weeded out over the generations, and the breed stabilised as a willing, even-tempered pony able to cope with a wide range of work.

In the late 19th century the Congested Districts Board, set up in 1891, sent stallions of other breeds into Connemara, but the society judges most of the resulting crosses with native mares to have been unsatisfactory. The CPBS was founded in 1923 and the first studbook appeared in 1926, listing 93 mares and 9 stallions. The pony is now bred worldwide, while the Irish society keeps the Studbook of Origin, closed to outside blood since 1964.

Why the breed also carries Irish Draught, Thoroughbred and Arab blood

The Connemara is not a completely closed breed. To widen the gene pool, the society used three Irish Draught stallions and three Thoroughbred stallions in the 1940s; the Thoroughbred Little Heaven sired Carna Dun, who founded one of the lines. In 1954 the society bought a colt by the Arab stallion Naseel out of a Connemara mare, registered in 1958 as Clonkeehan Auratum and founder of another line. Today the society recognises five main sire lines, and only three of them can be traced from today's ponies back to the foundation sires.

Connemara pony height: 128 to 148 cm

Under the CPBS standard a Connemara should measure 128 to 148 cm at the withers at five years of age, with a cannon bone of 18 to 21 cm. Ponies are measured without shoes. Animals that meet every other requirement but stand over 148 cm are placed in a separate Over Height class.

The standard does not give a weight. The FAO DAD-IS database lists average values of about 400 kg for mares and 430 kg for stallions in the Irish population, with average heights of 142 and 145 cm respectively. These are averages, not a breed range: individual ponies can be considerably lighter or heavier depending on height and condition.

Conformation, head and permitted colours

The Connemara is compact and well balanced, with depth, substance and good heart room, standing on short legs and covering a lot of ground. The head is of medium length with large, kindly eyes, pony ears and a well-defined cheekbone. The neck is well set on, the withers well defined, the shoulders sloping, the back strong and the loins firm. The limbs show strong forearms, well-defined knees and short cannons with flat bone, and the feet are of medium size, hard and level. Movement should be free, easy and true, without undue knee action.

The standard allows black, bay, brown, chestnut, buckskin (dun), palomino, smoky black, the creams (perlino, cremello and smoky cream), bay, strawberry and blue roan, and grey. Oklahoma State University notes that the breed was originally dun, a colour now rare, and that grey is the most common today.

Connemara temperament: willing, even-tempered and self-reliant

The Connemara is regarded as a willing, level-headed and intelligent pony. The CPBS lists good temperament, intelligence, hardiness, staying power and athleticism among the breed's characteristics, and describes it as self-reliant, agile and careful, with a real willingness to work.

A good breed reputation does not replace judging the individual. A young or unschooled Connemara is still learning. For beginners it is therefore suitable only conditionally: a schooled, calm pony and regular lessons with a trainer matter more than the breed itself.

Jumping, eventing and other uses

The Connemara is known for its natural jumping ability. The society describes it as an eager, confident jumper with a relatively big stride that excels in many equestrian sports today; young colts are loose-jumped up to 90 cm at society inspections. The FAO DAD-IS entry adds that some of the top show-jumping ponies in the world are Connemaras or part-bred Connemaras. The Canadian society lists dressage, eventing, hunter/jumper, driving, endurance and western games, and notes that Thoroughbred crosses do particularly well in eventing.

For children and adults, but not unsupervised

The Connemara suits both children and adult riders. The CPBS stresses that its versatility makes it suitable for youngsters and adults in all areas of modern horsemanship, and FAO DAD-IS describes it as an excellent riding pony for children and adults. Suitability for a child is still conditional: a child needs a schooled pony, proper equipment and supervision by an adult who knows horses.

Connemara pony vs Irish Draught: what is the difference

The Connemara is a pony, whereas the Irish Draught is a large all-round horse. FAO DAD-IS gives the Irish Draught a height of roughly 15.1 to 16.3 hands, about 155 to 170 cm, while the Connemara standard is 128 to 148 cm. The two breeds are linked, since the CPBS used three Irish Draught stallions in the 1940s, but they are recorded in separate studbooks.

Feeding: forage first, grazing under control

The Connemara is hardy and, according to FAO DAD-IS, survives on low-quality vegetation, so its diet should be built on hay and grazing rather than concentrates. The DEFRA welfare code notes that horses in a natural state spend 16 to 20 hours a day grazing, so they should have almost constant access to forage outside work, while horses prone to weight gain may need their grazing restricted at certain times of year. Clean, fresh water must always be available, and vitamins and minerals may be needed when grazing is inadequate.

In a University College Dublin study of 200 registered Connemara ponies in Ireland, 29.5 per cent had a body condition score of 7 or more, owners reported or examination found chronic laminitis in 46 per cent, and hyperinsulinaemia was confirmed in 16 per cent. The DEFRA code adds that excessive concentrates contribute to obesity and laminitis, so weight should be monitored regularly.

Grooming, hooves and preventive care

Day-to-day grooming of a Connemara is straightforward: brush the coat, comb out the mane and tail, and pick out and check the feet before and after work. The standard praises hard, level feet, and UC Davis researchers note that the breed is often kept unshod for performance work. The DEFRA code advises that hooves be trimmed or re-shod as the farrier advises, usually every 4 to 8 weeks; horses worked on roads or hard surfaces will generally need shoes.

Under the DEFRA code, teeth should be checked by a vet or equine dental technician at least once a year, and older horses may need more frequent checks. Vaccination and parasite control should follow a programme agreed with a vet, including faecal worm egg counts and wormers when necessary.

Exercise, turnout and equine company

A Connemara needs daily exercise and as much turnout as possible. The DEFRA code notes that some horses, particularly native breeds, can live outdoors all year provided they have shelter from the prevailing wind, summer sun and flies. As a herd animal it should live with other horses: the code warns that isolation can have a negative psychological impact and that other animals are only a second-best substitute.

Health: hoof wall separation disease (HWSD)

Hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) is an inherited disorder described in the Connemara pony. In affected ponies the dorsal hoof wall splits and breaks; UC Davis researchers report that signs usually appear within the first six months of life, and severe cases can lead to marked lameness and laminitis. The cause is a variant in the SERPINB11 gene inherited as an autosomal recessive trait; carriers are completely normal.

Researchers estimated the carrier frequency at 14.8 per cent, and the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory states that mating two carriers gives a 25 per cent chance of an affected foal. A review by Carrie Finno notes that the mutation has not been identified in other breeds so far. Since 2016 the CPBS has required an HWSD test before registration, and the result has no influence on registration; ponies whose parents are both N/N do not need testing. For registration the society recognises only results of tests facilitated through Weatherbys Scientific; the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory also offers an HWSD test.

No breed-specific lifespan data are available. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives 25 to 30 years for horses in general and adds that lifespan depends on health, care and size.

Who the Connemara pony suits

The Connemara suits families in which children and smaller adults ride, riders drawn to jumping, eventing or hacking, and keepers with grazing that can be restricted. It is less suited to inexperienced owners planning to school a young pony themselves, to a stable without turnout or company, and to anyone unable to control feeding. When buying, it is worth checking the HWSD result; beyond that it needs a farrier, dental checks and a vaccination and parasite-control programme agreed with a vet, and keeping a running record of visits and weight changes is useful.

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