Connemaras - movement and Spanish influence

[Blacktree]

I recently met a Connemara mare that reminds me a lot of our Andalusian cross mare. It has a very similar personality, holds body tension in similar places, etc. It also tends to start trotting in a similar ‘stuck’ feeling up and down (not out) fast mini trot as our Andalusian cross did when she was green, before we showed her how to stretch her topline and use her hind leg. At first I thought this Connemara mare must need some joint support. That little trot just felt so tight in the back and frenzied. But once you get her to stretch, her movement feels sound, and in fact quite reachy and lovely. She is green, so every day gets better. And of course she has that fabulous Connie jump! But every time she gets tense on the flat, that little trot is her natural tendency as it was with our Andalusian cross mare at the beginning.

Anyway, I recently found an article about Connemaras that talked about a Spanish influence, and I wondered if this would explain the trot thing? The more I think about it, the more this mare reminds me of our Andalusian cross. Thought I would ask as there are many Connemara breeders here that may know about certain bloodlines and their influence that may shed some light on this for me. This mare was imported from Ireland by her owner and is papered, I don’t know her bloodlines to share unfortunately. Thanks!

[MuskokaLakesConnemaras]

Trotting tight under saddle is a training/education thing, not so much a breed thing. It takes time for them to work softly and relaxed over the back.
I would judge the gaits freely moving unencumbered by a rider, not while under saddle as that is usually different for a good while.

[MuskokaLakesConnemaras]

Adding that… some are very similar to the baroque breeds!

[Janet]

The legend is that the Connemara breed was influence by the shipwreck of a ship (full of Spanish stallions) in the Spanish Armada. But that was over 400 years ago (1588 - 1604)

The breed is much more influenced by the introduction of TB (Little Heaven and Winter) and Arab (Naseel) stallions in the mid 20th century, when the focus switched from pony-of-all-work to performance-pony

[Rallycairn]

I always thought Glenormiston Flurry Knox had a Baroque look about him.

[Huntin_Pony]

Some might see Baroque in Tre Awain Devalera too.

[Willesdon]

Some say that a good Connie is characterised by a rather Spanish look. But when and how that blood arrived is harder to identify. All the breeds in the British Isles, with the exception of the Shetland pony, appear to be linked in their DNA to an ice age refuge on the Iberian penninsular. Irish legend claims that Iberian people actually settled in Ireland some time in the far past. Then there is the legend of horses coming ashore from ship wreaks as the Spanish Amarda limped home around Ireland. The Welsh cobs also have definite Iberian characteristics: square shaped quarters when observed from the rear, a triangular eye lid, good hocks, but that can definitely be dated back to the 12th century when the Earl of Shrewsbury kept Spanish stallions in Wales to breed warhorses.