Connemara Ponies

34.Connemara

Characteristics of the Breed

Type: Compact, well-balanced riding type with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground.  Good temperament, hardiness, staying power, intelligence, soundness, surefootedness, with jumping ability.

Height: 128cms to 148cms inclusive.

Colour: Grey, Black, Bay, Brown, Dun.  May also be known as Buckskin, Palomino, Dark-Eyed Cream, with occasional Roans and Chestnuts.

Head: Well-balanced head of medium length with good width between large kindly eyes.  Pony ears, well-defined cheekbone, jaw relatively deep but not coarse.

Front: Head well set onto neck.  Crest should not be over-developed.  Neck not set on too low.  Good length of rein.  Well-defined withers, good sloping shoulders.

Body: Body should be deep, with strong back, some length permissible, but should be well ribbed up with strong loins.

Limbs: Good length and strength in forearm, well-defined knees and short cannon with flat bone measuring 18cms to 21cms.  Elbows should be free.  Pasterns of medium length, fee well shaped, of medium size, hard and level.

Hind: Strong muscular with some length, well developed second thigh (gaskin) and strong low set hocks.

Movement: Free, easy and true without undue knee action, but active and covering the ground.

The Aran Bobby Trophy

 The Aran Bobby Trophy is awarded each year to the Connemara Pony which has attained the most open working hunter points only, in that year.