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History of the Connemara PonyWhile the history of the Connemara is obscure it is considered Ireland ’s only native breed. The Ancient Celts brought toe ponies to Connemara more than 2,500 years ago and used them to draw war charriats and carts along the beaches of their new found home. Legend has it that when the Spanish Armada sank off the Connemara coast in the 16 th Century, the horses swam to shore and bred with the native ponies running wild in the mountains. The area of Western Ireland known as Connemara is rocky, barren mountainous terrain and is full of endless desolate moors and bogs with shores pounded by the tide and storms of the Atlantic . These ponies learned to live in these conditions where a misplaced step could send a pony crashing to its death. Over the centuries in the ruggedness of their western Irish environment, the Connemara developed its prized qualities of hardiness, agility and extraordinary jumping ability. Farmers in this area had large families to support and could usually only afford one good pony. These were often captured off the mountain and tamed. This pony had to be a mare who could have a foal each year to sell and also pull a plow or a cart and word from dawn to dusk often under extremely harsh conditions. These ponies were fitted with baskets called creels to carry heavy loads. The moved tons of rock and hauled seaweed from the shores to fertilize the barren fields. Their strong sturdy legs could maneuver through the muck which might swallow a different type of horse. She also carted the family to Mass on Sunday. Hardiness, stamina and a good disposition were needed or she was replaced. Stallions would travel the primitive roads between villages breeding many mares and covering many miles in one day. The Connemara Pony Breeders Society was formed in 1923 in Clifden by the local breeders for the purpose of conserving and developing the breed. Centuries of natural selection, some interference needed for human survival, followed by the past 72 years of selective breeding has given us the quality Connemara we have today. American Connemara Pony Society Tel: (540) 622-5953 |
