THE PONIES OF CONNEMARA. 333 



no one has yet blended the more marked characteristics of the various 

 kinds of Connemara ponies into a distinct strain or breed. 



During a recent visit to the West of Ireland I had the opportunity of 

 seeing something of the native ponies, the conditions under v^^hich they are 

 reared and maintained, and the kind of work they are called upon to per- 

 form. Soon after reaching Connemara, I was struck with " the strength, 

 endurance, and easy paces " of the ponies, with their intelligence and doci- 

 lity, and with the capacity for work under conditions which would speedily 

 prove disastrous to horses reared under less natural conditions. But, as 

 already indicated, I ascertained that even amongst the so-called real Con- 

 nemara ponies {i.e. ponies which claim no kin with what are familiarl)- 

 known as " Congested " horses recently introduced), there is an all but com- 

 plete absence of uniformity alike in size, make, colour, and disposition. 

 From what I saw of the ponies between Maam Cross and Leenane and at, 

 or on the way to Cashel, Carna, Clifden, and other centres, I have come to 

 the conclusion that the Connemara ponies, instead of forming one breed, 

 may be said to belong to five fairh' distinct types, which may be known as — 



(i.) The Andalusian type ; 



(2.) The Eastern type ; 



(3.) The Cashel type ; 



(4.) The Clydesdale type ; and 



($.) The Clifden type. 



I.— The Andalusian Type. 



This group includes what some would probably call the original or 

 old Connemara breeds. In many ways the members of this section resemble 

 ponies still to be seen in Andalusia, but they also bear an even more 

 striking resemblance to some of the New Forest ponies. They vary from 

 12 to 13 hands; some are black, others grey or chestnut, but the most 

 characteristic specimens are of a yellow dun colour. Fig. i represents the 

 most typical member (a yellow dun) of the Andalusian type I came across ; 

 Fig. 2 a pony of a somewhat richer yellow tint also belongs to this section, 

 though finer in the bone and with the long pasterns often seen in New 

 Forest ponies, while Fig. 3 is a light grey with shorter pasterns, and a 

 measurement below the knee of 7 inches. The pony represented in Fig. 

 I measures ^o}^ inches {12.2}^ hands) at the withers, the girth is 60 inches, 

 the length from the point of the elbow to the ground 30 inches, from the 

 point of the hock to the ground 20 inches, and the circumference below the 

 knee is 6J2 inches. From the top of the head (occipital ridge) to a line 

 connecting the upper margin of the nostrils is 20 inches ; from the inner 

 corner {canthns) of the eye to the upper margin of the nostrils 9^ inches, 

 and between the inner angles icanthi) of the eyes 7 inches. The ear 

 measures 5^ inches. 



The ponies represented in Figs. 2 and 3 closely agree in size with the one 

 described. All three appear to be slightly roach-backed, but this is perhaps 

 due to their being decidedly out of condition. In many horses there is a 

 slight rise in the back, a short distance in front of the croup, but as a rule 

 this elevation is obscured by the spinal muscles. Barbs are sometimes 



