Considering breeding my 16.2H retired Oldenburg mare (Scimitar xTB). Hoping to produce a fancy but ammy friendly/packer type in a smaller package.
Any recs for stallions that pass on easy/ammy friendly brains?
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when we first got back into horses in the late 1980s the Connemara was what we were looking for but there were very limited available
Even today the breed association forewarns “There are no large commercial breeding farms”
scroll down in this link to the Connemara association site, there is an interactive map of breeders by states
Since we could not find any we went to Morgans
one of the reasons we were interest in Connemara was Anne Gascoyne who lived nearby were I grew up, she was instrumental in getting the breed established in the US
The Crestwood Trophy was donated by Catherine Mack and Sue Smith in 1987 in memory of Anne Gascoyne. It is awarded annually for outstanding personal endeavor on behalf of the Connemara Pony.
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Get Smart, and he’s been bred with a lot of warmbloods so you can see his offspring of similar type.
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R Blue Moon has quite a few very lovely halfbred offspring out there and well worth a look.
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Get Smart, and R Blue Moon are both very nice. I have a Topgun colt and he’s brilliant but also incredibly mouthy. Now that could be a young horse phase or it could come from the mares side, but I will say he is probably the mouthiest gelding I’ve ever met! He needs a pacifier at all times. You tie him up and he has the lead rope in his mouth, or his mouth on the fence or the gate or anything he can reach. Put the saddle on and he’s turning around to try and chew on the stirrups.
Now he is very engaging (if cheeky) and the first few rides under saddle have gone well. I think he’ll be a lovely horse, but that personality may not be everyone’s cup of tea. He does have a great mind, and tends to think through situations rather than react. Not much scares him but some of that definitely comes from the mare, as she is the definition of bomb proof.
Elodon Zodiac is nice too. You definitely have plenty of options. Some stallions throw more height then others but it doesn’t seem like you will object to extra height.
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The Cooper babies are so nice and trainable.
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I bred my TB mare to Coud’poker Tartifume (Cooper) for a 2023 foal, and he sold to an ammy who hopes to do low level eventing with him. He is exactly an ammy horse, very laid back and loves human attention. Not phased by anything new. The stallion owner told me that Cooper is the most chill horse in her barn, and they often take him as babysitter for other horses.
I also really like WH Topgun (another Connemara) and would consider breeding my mare to him next. Seems like a lot of his offspring are owned by ammys but they are still athletic and talented.
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I know nothing about breeding or Connemaras, so please feel free to ignore me, but I just read this article about Braden Specks in COTH competing the 4* at Plantation this weekend on a Connemara/TB cross. Specks obviously has lots of talent to get to the 4* level, but Liam has brought him up through the levels the last five or so years (and apparently farther than they expected), so it seems to me that Ballywhim An Luan might be a line to look at?
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Hey there. Well first of all what is the mare like and what does she need improved? Second, what region are you in? I tend to think you can aim a dart and find a nice Connemara stud to fit almost any need. We have a lot of nice ones in the US. I personally own a niece to Elodon Zodiac (by Merlin) and she’s been the easiest start I’ve evern known, especially given she had a shoulder injury and couldn’t be started like a normal horse. I literally just got on and I ride her like twice a week on the trails. I tend to think the McDuff offspring can be a bit lazy and claustrophobic but they’re amazing movers and my mom’s became a wonderful trail pony.
Top Gun is very popular as is Ard Celtic Art and most of the offspring I’ve met have been really great. Aluinn Durango is retired, I think, but he has made some super great ponies and crosses. I’ve met, although briefly, Fionn Mac Tire and he’s a super behaved boy. I am using Illaunurra Duster and I’ver heard he is just a nice guy in person and stamps his babies with a good bone. BSF Golden Snitch would give you some of the nice older lines from Ballywhim an Luan and TAG Aka Tre Awain Goldsmith. Tag has made some NICE babies. Maplehurst Michael Macdaire is also in a number of nice eventers but some I know can be a bit hot. Caraway Brio made some nice easy babies but he has been gelded, but his sire Finn has made a lot of nice babies too. Those are just at the tip of my tongue right now.
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Does it have to be a Connemara? There are some lovely GRP stallions available. The Connemaras I’ve known all have a bit of a streak in them vs the GRP/French bred sport ponies. My guy’s sire is sadly not available in the US anymore (Nuno) or I’d suggest him in a heartbeat. There’s a North AmericaGRP group on FB that has some great suggestions usually and really knowledgeable people.
I believe Usandro Talia Derelenn is available in the US too.
Mare is on the sensitive/hot side, and hoping to tame that with a Connie that passes on amateur friendly brains. Conformation wise, her neck is a little on the long side, but otherwise very well balanced. I’m in Virginia.
I’ll have to look up the stallions you mentioned. I’ve heard of Top gun and Ard Celtic Art. I’ve also heard great things about Aladdin’s Denver (so that would be Aluinn Durago).
Doesn’t have to be Connemara, but hoping for something that will be a good jumper with amateur friendly brain in a smaller package.
A streak meaning reactiveness? Have you found GRP’s to be with easier temperaments?
More stubbornness. Connies are pretty sure they know better than you, sometimes they are right. They tend to be acutely aware of everything but without the extreme reactivity of many thoroughbreds. IME, GRPs tend to be a bit hotter but less testing.
I adore Connemaras and all of those that I’ve met were born jumpers. Some of them were born broke! They’re definitely smart but that’s a positive trait for me. All of the ones I’ve ridden could get me out of trouble if I made a mistake at a jump.
R Blue Moon seems to pass on both looks and rideability.
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R Blue Moon has wonderful babies!
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A stubborn and stroppy streak - the ones I’ve known have a knack for taking advantage of their amateur owners. But that’s just anecdotal! My GRP gelding has been the easiest, he was basically born broke and has been carting my amateur butt around since he was barely 4 and green as grass. He’s much more warmblood-y in the brain than the Connemaras I’ve met. It does mean he takes some fitness work to stay in shape (no, round is not an acceptable shape despite his protests). I think some of the GRPs can be hotter, but I wouldn’t call mine hot. He’s appropriately sensitive but I definitely still need my spurs.
They’re just different avenues, but I think people only think Connemara when they think pony and it’s worth knowing your options.
I think Connemara when I think pony because they’re the best 
Smart, athletic, sturdy, forgiving, and versatile…all the things a good sport pony should be. That’s my opinion anyway! But either way, my Connie cross agrees with your GRP that round is the best shape.
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A bit late to the party, but have you thought about a BRP? I have owned and trained many BRP’s over the past 20 years and they fit your box (my in laws breed welsh and BRP’s for over 50 years). They are fancy movers, are bred to be childrens ponies, so have the brain and trainability. I’m no amazing rider and have started so many of them, mostly on my own with no issues (I have a thread on Off Course right now of the first time I sat on one of my BRP’s and he was very ho hum through the whole process).
I currently have one that I show on the line, dressage shows, hunter shows, pleasure shows and combined driving. He is very handsome and versatile and does all of the sports very, very well (we have championships in all that I’ve mentioned around Canada and the US, so he is well liked by various judges 
He is our personal pony so we have done many different things with him. All of the other BRP’s I’ve had I have line shown them as youngsters and have done the hunters with them, which they have all excelled at and are out showing on the A circuit with kids now. I love to follow them and their new careers with their kids. I sold one of my BRP’s to a 60 year old who is now eventing with him and just loves him. He was one of our CDE ponies so he was used to galloping through water and going cross country. I showed him in the hunters as well so he was very brave to fences.
I have started quite a bit of pure welsh as well, and with the native blood in them, they have to be smart, strong and not always the best choice for childrens ponies - they think too much ha ha!. I have not worked with any Connemara’s, but with them being native as well, I would assume they would have some of the same qualities. Not that its bad of course! But they can be smart and a bit harder to figure out as they can have a mind and opinions of their own. It may not necessarily align with your own
I have seen quite a few pure Connemara’s out at some sport pony shows and they all seem like quiet, happy, willing ponies. Nothing crazy fancy to blow your socks off, but very level minded good all around guys. I have seen some at our driving shows as well, in combined and pleasure driving. Again they are not super fancy, but very level headed down to earth type of ponies. I don’t know of any crosses though, but I know they are popular in the eventing world!
I have found the BRP’s are a little more, “ok, thats what you want? No problem!” Very eager and willing to please, they do not like to get in trouble and can be sensitive that way, but as funny as this sounds, they honestly have never really given me any issues or been in trouble with me. I just have to say “quit that” and they do.
GRP’s are nice as well and most have BRP bloodlines in their background, with a little more WB bred into them. My in laws went with BRP’s over 20 years ago due to the breed being older and more sustained than GRP’s (they were deciding between GRP’s or BRP’s, and sided with the BRP of course). You can have a slighter higher chance of getting “honies” with GRP’s as well since WB tends to be more in their foreground as they are a “newer” breed than the BRP, so they were worried about that since they breed for ponies.
I myself like honies so I actually bred one a 13.3h BRP/Welsh mare to a 17h WB to try to get a 15h or so horse for myself for the hunters. He’s just 2 now so not broke, but he has a very WB mind, not a pony mind at all. I haven’t had a horse in over 20 years so this might be interesting when I start him next year!
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I don’t have enough day to day experience with them to speak definitively about temperament but I’ve seen some very nice and well behaved youngsters by Declan Pondi this year at YHS shows.
Top Gun
