Why Connemaras Kingswell Connemara Ponies

Our family's breed of choice used to be Quarter
Horses, Arabians and QH/Arab crosses. After so
many years, why did we change from these
excellent breeds?

Connemaras exemplify the best of what we
valued and loved in both our Quarter Horses and
Arabians: heart, mind, strength, stamina,
intelligence, personality, athletic ability, courage
and cool (not hot) heads. For us, Connemaras
give us everything we wanted in one,
perfect-sized package. No wonder the US breed
slogan is "Connemaras Do It All!"

Type and Conformation -- Connemaras in
North America range from 13 to over 15 hands.
Their colors are gray, bay, brown, and dun, with
some roans, an occasional black, chestnut, or
palomino. Piebalds and skewbalds are not
acceptable for registration. Connemaras are the
product of their original environment, the
rugged mountain coast of West Ireland.
Sure-footed, hardy and agile, they possess
powers of great stamina, staying power and
adaptability. They are renowned for their
versatility and their gentle, tractable, sensible
and willing dispositions.

Temperament -- Mannerly and manageable,
kind, responsive, possessing good sense and
basic intelligence.

Type -- Rugged and sturdy; body compact and
deep through the heart; with well sprung rib
cage and broad chest.

Action -- Straight and true both front and rear
with free movement in the shoulders.
Connemaras should move underneath
themselves and should be sure-footed, athletic,
and clever, covering a lot of ground.

Head -- Kind eye, head well shaped and balanced in
proportion to the rest of the body, neck of good
length and definition, meeting the shoulder smoothly.

Shoulders -- Laid-back with good slope.

Back -- Strong and muscular; some length of back is
normal in Connemaras, especially mares.

Hindquarters -- Well rounded and deep with good
length from the point of the hip through the haunch;
should balance the shoulders.

Bone -- Clean, hard, flat, measuring 7- 8 inches below
the knee for ponies, more for horses; forearms and
gaskins long and muscular, cannons short and very
dense.

Joints -- Large and well defined.

Feet -- Hard, strong.

To learn more about Connemaras in the United States,
visit the American Connemara Pony Society.

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who
takes crooked paths will be found out."
Proverbs 10:9

copyright Kingswell Connemaras

Native to Ireland, the hardy Connemara Pony started life as a true all-rounder out of pure necessity.

Before the days of tractors, most Irish farm families owned one good Connemara mare. Her jobs included
hauling rocks out of the fields, carrying kelp from the sea to the fields, taking the farmer to town, and
carting the family to church on Sunday. This faithful mare also produced one good foal a year that would
be sold for extra income. These ponies survived by forging for themselves on the wild, rocky landscape.

It was a hard life for people and ponies, alike. Only those ponies that could physically and emotionally do
the work were bred on; the rest were culled. No wonder Connemara owners of yesterday and today highly
value these smart, strong, solid, hardy ponies with hearts of gold.