338 THE PONIES OF CONNEMARA. 



A somewhat different member of the section is represented by a 

 14-hands, four-year-old, dark grey stallion. This horse in his head and 

 limbs resembles the light, grey filly ; but while the filly suggests a Syrian 

 Arab, the dark grey stallion in some respects agrees with an Orlof trotter, 

 in others with the Arab-Barb crosses often seen in Algiers. Neither the 

 light nor the dark grey could very well have been obtained by crossmg old 

 Connemara duns (Figs, i and 2), with an Arab ; such a cross would refine, 

 rather than increase the bone. The Orlof trotters having mainly sprung 

 from an Arab horse and certain Dutch mares, it occurred to me that the 

 Syrian-like Connemara ponies might include in their ancestry not only 

 Arabs and native ponies, but also large, strong-limbed horses belonging to 

 other parts of Galway or to some of the adjacent counties. On making 

 mquiry, I learned that both the dark grey stallion and the light grey filly had 

 descended from an old grey horse still living at Cashel. This horse bean 

 more resemblance to an Irish hunter than to an Arab, and essentially differs 

 from the typical Connemara breeds. The history of this horse has not yet 

 been ascertained ; but that it has amongst its ancestors large-boned horses, 

 such as Roscommon is famous for, may be safely assumed. In the size of 

 the head, make and length of the Hmbs, he is not unhke a first cross between 

 a Connemara pony and an Irish thoroughbred. 



The dam of the nearly white filly is a small, grey Connemara pony ; the 

 dam of the dark grey horse is a bay Connemara pony, the sire a grey son of 

 the old grey Cashel stallion. While in the one (the filly) Arab ancestors 

 seem to have mainly controlled the development. Barb ancestors seem to 

 have prevailed in the other. 



With the four-year-old stallion and several carefully selected mares, it 

 would be an easy matter to fix and perpetuate this particular type of Con- 

 nemara pony, should it be thought desirable. 



3.— The Cashel Type. 



Two members of this type have already been alluded to — viz.: — (i) the 

 ■old Cashel stallion ; and (2) the sire of the dark grey stallion. 



A third member of this section is a gelding. This gelding 

 also a son of the old Cashel Stallion, has been regarded by some as 

 one of the best and most typical living examples of a Connemara pony. It 

 is, however, very different from the old-fashioned dun-coloured ponies (Figs. 

 [ and 2), and it neither forcibly suggests an Arab nor a Barb, nor yet the 

 short-legged, highly characteristic ponies (Clifden variety) described below. 

 The gelding figured is a very hardy pony, strong and willing when in har- 

 ness, and pleasant and safe to ride. 



The typical members of the Cashel group are characterised by a long 

 head, high withers, and long forelegs, in all of which points they differ from 

 Arabs. They also differ from Arabs in having short ears — -in this only 

 may they be said to agree with typical ponies. In the gelding the 

 measurements are as follows : — Ears, $% inches ; head, from occipital ridge 

 to line between upper margin of nostrils, 21 inches; between the eye and 

 the nostril, 1 1 inches ; between the eyes, 7^ inches ; height at withers, 56 



