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Connemara
These Irish ponies are said to be as rugged as the rough mountains they come from.
The Connemara is a "sporting" pony breed. It does well in equestrian competitions. A winning show jumper of all time was a Connemara named Dundrum. It cleared heights of 7 feet (213 cm)!
Height: 13-15 hh (horse hands)
Color: Gray, Bay, Dun, Black, Roan
Body Type: Pony
This breed comes from...
Western Ireland
Explore the traits of this breed!
SIDE VIEW
The Connemara is compact and small. At the withers, this horse is 15.1 ends (5 ft 1 in, 155 cm) high.
It has a strong back. A long time ago, people used the Connemara to carry heavy cargo. Today, it pulls carriages in driving races.
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FRONT and BACK VIEW
Its hoofs are hard and strong.
See how its face curves slightly inward? It has a concave face.
It has small ears.
The Connemara has short legs. But it can still cover lots of ground in little time because it has a good stride.
The Connemara has strong, rounded hindquarters. This trait helps it win both jumping and driving competitions.
This gray horse is sporting a hairy winter coat. Gray is a common color for the breed along with bay, dun, and black. Sometimes, they are roan, chestnut, or palomino.
Look at the Connemara's hind legs. The strong muscles power the horse's gallop and jump.
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The Connemara Story
The origin of the Connemara ponies goes back to the Connemara region of western Ireland. It is a harsh landscape of stony mountains and treacherous bogs.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, native ponies may have mixed with foreign breeds, like Spanish horses, Barbs, and Arabians. The crossbreeds are small and tough. People used the ponies to carry baskets called "creels," full of rock, peat, seaweed, and hay. They also used them to pull carts full of people and goods.
Over time, people were concerned that certain Connemara traits, like strong bones and hardy dispositions, were being lost due to random crossbreeding. So, in the 1920s, Connemara owners in Ireland started inspecting and selecting ponies for breeding. Today, Connemaras are among the most successful breeds of sport horses. It is also a popular mount for young riders.
Appaloosa | Arabian | Belgian Draft | Connemara | Friesian | Haflinger | Hanoverian | Icelandic Horse | Lusitano | Miniature Horse | Morgan | Oldenburg | Paint | Percheron | Quarter Horse | Selle Français | Thoroughbred
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All images, © AMNH