i remember reading an article about Sudden Impact (if i recall correctly he was by Domo Cavallo Praize) as is Feldale Mouse CCI 5star (probably the highest ranked connemara competing internationally in the last few years.
I really like Kathy’s balanced comments, which are more like my experience with my PB and HB. Oh, how I wish I’d listened to the one trainer who warned me they can be more pony-ish than one would think from the starry-eyed accolades one usually hears – pony-ish as in stubborn, spooky when you’d think they’d be perfectly fine because they seem generally curious and confident, and just more bent on getting their way than any other equid I’ve ever known.
I’m not trying to suggest they are mean rogues or anything. Mine have never offered to bite or kick. They just want everything on their terms. They have to be on the equine version of the Nothing In Life is Free training program or they’ll run right over everyone and everything – no respect without constantly earning and re-earning it. They aren’t pleasant horses to have around, to me. I’m a terrier person in dog terms – I’m not looking for an animal to be a fawner – but Connemaras aren’t these perfect sweet dream horses like they are often described, imo.
Just so you have some different viewpoints!
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what you are describing is what i meant by the cheekyness you sometimes see with the purebreds and to a lesser degree (ime) with the partbreds. Some are Einstein smart and will use it against you and they tend to know who they can test or not. I have found them to be very individual in personality but not ever unmanageable. With respect to soundness they are in general a very hardy breed-i have 4 purebreds and 2 partbreds (ranging from 1-22) and rarely has any of ours been sick or sorry and nearly all are barefoot.
this is an excerpt of an update i received on one of our homebreds last week (filly is not quite 3y) with names removed **BNT-big name trainer
Just wanted to say that in addition to gorgeous looks, you should also advertise the super temperaments that *Stallion creates in his offspring. I was working with *PONY, supervised by *BNT, doing “leg leading” today. This is where you use a cotton lead rope to teach a horse to yield to the pressure so that heaven forbid they ever get tangled in wire, vines, etc. they will relax and let you free them. It’s also great pre-driving training because there are so many pieces of tack that can drag or tangle especially in early driving training. Anyway, *PONY NEVER got the least bit concerned or worried. By the time we got to her third leg, she was already offering a step forward with that foot. When we moved to a rope around her girth area, she took steps sideways crossing over front and back legs like she’d always been doing it. *BNT has worked with a LOT of horses over the years, and she is very impressed by *PONY’s mind and her way of thinking things through vs. reacting. So, thank you again. She is amazing and you have the right to crow about the minds *STALLION throws.
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On that note there are several older well known breeders near you. I know where a small collection of the Bantrys now reside (one in my pocket :P)
That farm had one of the best productions of ponies but sadly she didn’t register many for a while.
HWSD is not a deal breaker per se. If a horse is HWSD/N it’s fine. There is some belief that these ponies may have a higher incidence of some hoof issues but it’s more a consideration for breeding the animal. I know several “carriers” that have no issues themselves but it is wise to take note of their feet regardless. Connemaras should have solid feet and not require shoeing for most work (in my opinion anyways). I ride one pony that can get a soft toe and I put him in easyboots for rough trails or high summer work when the ground is hard. That’s it. He goes 15 miles in just a front pair of boots. His brother is a weenie and gets front shoes for summer. That’s the most dramatic we have. Those are both HWSD/N geldings. The other brother in this group has never needed shoes or boots or anything.
As to the OPs concern about width. Nah. Yes they have wide backs often but I know people with hips problems and such who are not bother by the pony’s width only the twists of the saddles they may have.
Accurate assessment! Ours are used for basically everything and I find they can dial it back to handle the itty-bittiest of newbies and ramp it up for the adults. I’ve got one who will randomly decide to throw me a few bucks but wouldn’t even lift a foot the wrong way for a little. Another who does in fact know how to open most things and I’ve met more than one who had to be padlocked in. You do not leave things near these pony’s stalls…
The person who got me back into horses has had three in the time I’ve known her. Two were crosses. #1, a TB cross who was basically a pony on stilts at almost 17 hands! He was a great eventer and a nice horse to be around as long as one could deal with some pony-tude. He had a few hoof problems as the jumps got higher. He ended up with some sort of neuro issue and had to be put down. But what a great horse! #2 was also a TB cross, bought as a yearling, but much more like a pony. Sweet, great brain, super-safe even when very green, but grew out much too little for my friend, so she’s packing an adult ammy around BN and possibly N eventing and they’re having a blast. She recently got a 3rd one – a young, purebred, oversize (15.1"???) gelding. And he is just the most awesome horse. He has a lot of bone and is a broad boy. Wonderful personality, very brave, very willing. At one point, before she bought him, she was trying to get me to consider him, because I’ve been on and off the fence so much WRT retiring my mare. She ended up liking him so much she bought him for herself.
I have also met several of the Bantry Bay horses and they are great… very few around anymore, though.
I have a connemara mare that I love! I would buy another in a heartbeat. She’s very kind and unflappable. Super easy to ride (I can put a beginner child on her). She has large gaits like a horse (she’s 14 hands), a very good mover and jumper. I bought her 2 years ago from her breeder, kynnemont connemara in Pennsylvania (HIGHLY recommend; they have wonderful ponies). Her sire also sired Gunsmoke Gideon, a 3/4 connemara showing in GP dressage with JJ Tate https://www.team-tatedressage.com/kynynmont-gunsmokes-gideon
I’ve like all the Connies I’ve met.
Would also not outright cross GRPs or crosses off your list. I have a super duper little GRP x DWB in for training right now and she is a total gem.
