A wonderful day of firsts
3 years ago
Sunday 14 March 2010
Connemara pony breeding
Fascinating thread about Connemara breeding in the 'Sport Horse Breeding' COTH forum (mostly in the US but internationally historical information about bloodlines and past and present ponies of note).
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The type of Connemara now found in any particular country is dependent upon when the original imports were made to that country. The Connemara in the USA and Canada first came into prominence in the 1950's - about the same time as Dundrum took the world by storm. The first US imports were in fact half breds all by Little Heaven (TB) (sire of Dundrum). Consequently the US 'type' developed as being overheight and quite horsey.
ReplyDeleteWhat one is used to seeing is what is the 'norm', therefore overheight and horsey Connemaras are now what is prefered in the US. Real pony type does not get viewed as favourably there as it does in NZ where our first imports were all brought in during the 1970's. Interestingly enough the Connemara ponies of NZ are in fact in a genetic time warp and have the same phentotype as was common in Ire in the 60's - and have changed very little since. Ire also has the problem with overheight and horsey 'ponies' because of their insistance to breed to meet a specific type of market. They are now having to import from the continent to re-establish bloodlines they bred out. Mostly the smaller, stockier lines of stallion lines Dun Lorenzo, Rebel Wind and mare lines Bog Oak.
Yes, I find it particularly interesting to read that the more die hard breeders (at least one of whom is from Ireland) commenting on the whole over height and 'de-ponying' of the breed in the US and how it is their opinion that this is doing the breed a disservice. The Americans have done exactly the same with the Clydesdale - breeding them to Shires and thus breeding them up in height and down in bone/substance and effectively turning them into Shire horses which they should never be!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the Irish have stuffed their 'own' pony by doing the same with the overheight thing is what floors me. When I was at the inspections in Ire in 2006 there were a lot of overheight ponies (or they will be at maturity) being measured at 2 yrs old as under height (just) and being accepted into their Classified section 2. Hence the imports from the continent. The reason for the original exports from Ire to the continent is also very interesting; certain types/bloodlines were chosen because the conformation closely resembled the continental breeds which had all but been wiped out because of WWII - eaten (the ponies that is) because of lack of human food sources, killed outright by the war or died from malnutrition because of the war.
ReplyDeletePoor little buggers (those that were wiped out) - damned war, has a lot to answer for! It's really interesting stuff to read, esp. for a newby like me. It's good to see there are still those who believe in saving/breeding the traditional type. If I had the resources, I would love to do my bit by bringing in an old type mare or two. I will keep buying those lottery tickets ...
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