THE PONIES OF CONNEMARA. 337 



In a former generation most of the " Hobbies " of Connemara may have 

 been of a chestnut colour ; but to-day, greys, if not the prevaihng colour, are 

 at least far more common than chestnuts. That the grey colour persists, 

 when once introduced into a district is widely recognised both in England 

 and on the Continent, more especially when it is the flea-bitten grey of an 

 Arab. 



The numerous greys in the New Forest are believed to count Arabs 

 amongst their ancestors, while the greys so frequent amongst the Orlof 

 trotters sometimes reproduce the characters of the Arab (Smetanka), largely 

 concerned, more than a century ago, in establishing this famous Russian 

 breed. 



When the history of Irish horses is studied it will probably be found that 

 Arabs were introduced into Connemara about the end of the eighteenth 

 century, and now and agam during the nineteenth century. Otherwise the 

 resemblance to Eastern horses so often noticed in Connemara ponies could 

 hardly be accounted for. Fig. 6 represents a light grey filly brought into 

 the Clifden market during my visit in September. This filly, now risings 

 three, reminds me strongly of a small Arab (Bernabit) I received some years 

 ago from Mr. Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, and she in many ways agrees with 

 another Arab (Fatimah), also received from the famous Crabbet Park 

 stud. 



Compared with the high-caste Arab filly, the Connemara filly is i ^ 

 inches lower at the withers and 2 inches lower at the croup. This difference 

 is partly due to the Arab measuring one inch longer from the elbow and half- 

 an-inch more from the hock to the ground. In the ears, width between the 

 eyes, length of the head, and girth, and in the hair of the mane and tail, the 

 two fillies are nearly identical. The Arab, however, measures half-an-inch 

 less below the knee, and is finer in the lower part of the face.* 



One other difference between the two fillies ought to be mentioned, viz., 

 the greater relative length of the neck in the case of the Arab ; but in the 

 Irish filly the tail is characteristically Arab, while the mane is lank, and 

 clings closely to the neck ; moreover, she is quite as intelligent as the Arab„ 

 as the width between the eyes so eloquently suggests. 



But the Connemara filly not only seems to take a thoughtful interest irr 

 her surroundings, she is extremely gentle and good tempered. Until her 

 arrival in Clifden she had never been handled. Haltering proved a difficult 

 problem — she fought bravely in defence of her freedom — but when once 

 subdued all resistance ceased, and after a few minutes' handling she was 

 mounted.t Intelligence, good temper, and courage seem to characterise the 

 majority of the Connemara ponies. These traits are doubtless the result 

 of careful selection, for, as a native said, a bad-tempered, stupid pony that 

 requires to be constantly looked after is worse than useless. 



* The difference in the face is chiefly due to a difference in the teeth. The Arab filly was 

 extremely well done during her first winter, and had plenty of hay during her second. The 

 Connemara spent, I understand, both winters on the mountains, with the result that in the one 

 case (the Arab) the central milk incisors of the upper jaw have been displaced by permanent 

 incisors, while in the other all the milk incisors still persist. 



t If horses are intelligent enough to have confidence in their masters, in other words, if the 

 element of fear is eliminated, it is surprising what liberties may be taken with them even when 

 unbroken. 



