THE PONIES OF CONNEMARA. 351 



Before attempting to indicate the points that should characterise the 

 ideal pony of the future, it will be well to submit evidence in proof of the 

 fact that Connemara has produced excellent ponies during quite recent 

 years. Fig. 7 represents a pony bought in 1 894 out of a herd of Connemara 

 foals. This pony, having been allowed to run at grass until he was four 

 years old, reached a height of 1 5 hands, and in course of time developed into 

 an extremely clever hunter, hard to beat as a jumper. Had he remained 

 amongst his native wilds at work before reaching his second birthday, he 

 would most probably have grown into a very ordinary-looking hobby. From 

 Mr. W. Webber, of Kellyville, Athy, and others, I have received photo- 

 graphs of quite a number of ponies with a history and record similar to the 

 one figured. One of these, bought out of a herd of foals in 1890, Mr. 

 Webber informs me, is perfectly gentle, extremely intelligent, hard to tire, 

 and able to jump anything a horse can jump. Another, bought in 1892, 

 has been hunted regularly since it was three years old, and not only jumps 

 well, but is very fast, and goes regularly in harness during the summer. Last 

 autumn I puchased a six-year-old yellow-dun pony, which was reared, as 

 well as bred, in Connemara. It is a blend of the Eastern and Cashel types. 

 This pony, though only 14 hands, would make an ideal smaH war-horse. 

 As might be expected from her beautiful head, she is extremely intelligent 

 and docile, and an experienced breaker says he never had a more clever or 

 more pleasant hack in his hands. When out with other ponies she carries 

 herself well, and is as spirited and keen as an Arab. Yet in a show of 

 riding ponies this yellow-dun would entirely fail to find favour in the eyes 

 of ordinary judges, for in her withers, and in the position of the tail, she 

 falls short of the sentimental standard. In make she closely resembles some 

 of the Arab-Barb crosses specially bred for military purposes at the St. 

 George's Stud in Algiers. 



Turning from pure-bred to half-bred ponies, I may first refer to Mr. 

 William PalHn's " Bog of Allen." This is an extremely clever hunter out 

 of a Connemara mare by the well-known thoroughbred horse " Favo." 

 Though only 58^^' inches at the withers, this horse has won a three-mile 

 steeplechase carrying 14 stone, and several jumping prizes. 



A long list of equally famous half-bred Connemara ponies could easily be 

 given. Quite a number of crosses between Connemara mares and Eastern 

 horses have been bred ; but I have only had the opportunity of examining 

 three, one by a Barb (" Awfully Jolly "), and two by an Arab. The Barb 

 cross was generally regarded as a failure, but the larger of the two half 

 Arabs is a marked success. This pony is now five years old, of an 

 iron grey colour, and decidedly Arab-like in make and disposition. Like 

 many Arabs, she measures 56 inches at the withers, has fine clean legs, well 

 let down hocks, and a short, well-rounded trunk, the girth being 67 inches. 

 Though in make unlike Mr. Pallin's half-thoroughbred, she is as intelligent, 

 and has already given evidence of very considerable speed and great jump- 

 ing powers. 



During recent years, in addition to crossing Connemara mares with Arab, 

 Barb, and thoroughbred horses, experiments have been made with Welsh 

 cobs and hackneys. If Welsh cob sires are widely introduced, in a 

 few years the Connemara ponies will be crossed out of existence ; and it by 

 no means follows that their cross-bred descendants will be adapted to the 

 unique surroundings of the West of Ireland, or be capable of producing, 



