Brought to you by the American Connemara Pony Society
Welcome!
OUR MISSION is to educate, inspire and create a following for the Connemara Pony all over the world.
Learners train their eyes to see and their hearts to open to the wonders of the Connemara Pony.
Welcome to the Connemara Pony Online Learning Program.
Step through through these learning modules and take a quiz after each video to see what you’ve learned.
Movement
Introduction
Presented by Tom MacLochlainn, Fonda Eigel and Dave Sheedy
The Connemara Online Learning Program is designed to educate and inspire Connemara enthusiasts worldwide.1.1 An Introduction to the Connemara Pony Online Learning Program
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5 MINUTES
Dive into the roots of the Connemara Pony with Tom MacLochlainn, author, breeder and historian.
7 MINUTES
Type
Presented by Sarah McRae Thrasher, Caroline Nesbitt and Elizabeth Petch
Type refers to a set of physical, observable characteristics or traits that set one breed apart from another. Learn to see the traits of the Connemara Pony; learn how breeders strive to preserve these traits and why.
- Type: Compact, well-balanced pony with good depth and substance and good heart room, standing on short legs, covering a lot of ground, good temperament, hardiness, staying power, intelligence, soundness, surefootedness, with athletic ability
- Height: 128cm to 148cm inclusive
- Colour: Grey, black, bay, brown, dun (may also be known as buckskin), palomino, dark-eyed cream, blue-eyed cream, and occasional roan or chestnut
- Head: Well-balanced head of medium length with good width between large kindly eyes, pony ears, well-defined cheekbone, jaw relatively deep but not coarse
- Front: Well set onto neck, crest should not be overdeveloped, neck not set on too low, good length of rein, well-defined withers, good sloping shoulders
- Body: Body should be deep, with strong back, some length permissible, but should be well ribbed with strong loins
- Limbs: Good length and strength in forearm, well-defined knees and short cannon with flat bone measuring 18cm to 21 cm, elbows should be free, pasterns of medium length, feet well-shaped, of medium size, hard and level
- Hind: Strong, muscular with some length, well-developed second thigh (gaskin) and strong low-set hocks
- Movement: Free, easy and true, without undue knee action, but active and covering the ground
with Caroline Nesbitt
Caroline Nesbitt — longtime Connemara breeder, inspector and rider — describes her experience with these “good doers.”
5 MINUTES
with Caroline Nesbitt
Caroline Nesbitt explains what it takes to begin to understand Type.
7 MINUTES
with Elizabeth Petch
Elizabeth Petch, lifelong Connemara Pony breeder, exhibitor and narrator of this film, explains what to look for when breeding, judging and inspecting Connemara Ponies. This film was produced by the Connemara Pony Breeders Society (CPBS) in 2002; in 2023 CPBS gave permission to include this in The Connemara Pony Online Learning Program.
30 MINUTES
Movement
Presented by Sarah McRae Thrasher, Kieran McGrath and Robbie Fallon
An introduction to correct movement and how conformation influences movement of the Connemara. This module is coming soon!
Conformation
Presented by Sarah McRae Thrasher
Core material on how the Connemara is put together physically, the bony and muscular make up. Conformation that lends itself to a lifetime of soundness.with Sarah McRae Thrasher
Sarah McRae Thrasher — breeder, trainer, competitor,Director of youth and adult pony camps, clinician, ACPS Certified Inspector, Member of ACPS Inspection Committee, invited speaker — explains conformation and how our knowledge of this subject makes us a better steward of our pony and the breed at large.
20 MINUTES
Temperament
Presented by Sarah McRae Thrasher, Catherine Mack and an Irish Inspector
Learn the personality traits of the Connemara Pony. There are very few unwilling Connemaras.5.1 Common Temperament Traits
with Sarah McRae Thrasher
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5 MINUTES
with Catherine Mack
Catherine Mack, one of the original inspectors in the USA, talks about how a stallion prospect should be evaluated.
6 MINUTES
with Catherine Mack
Catherine Mack, longtime breeder and inspector gives advice for inspectors and inspector candidates.
4 MINUTES
5.4 Irish Wisdom
with an Irish Inspector
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5 MINUTES
Wonderful Stories
Presented by Joan Webster and Tom MacLochlain
Enjoy these wonderful stories about adventures people have had with the Connemara Pony.with Joan Webster
Joan Webster, longtime breeder and inspector, describes how she got introduced to the breed and how that shaped her experiences with the pony and her family.
5 MINUTES
with Joan Webster
Joan Webster describes Connemara’s as intelligent and having the ability to manage big situations calmly.
6 MINUTES
6.3 Irish Tradition
with Tom McLochlainn
X MINUTES
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6.4 Family Connections
with Tom McLochlainn
X MINUTES
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Conclusion
Presented by Sarah McRae Thrasher
Why it all matters. This module is coming soon!RESOURCES
Reading References
- The Connemara Pony, A History
Tom MacLochlainn - Principles of Conformation Analysis (Volume 1,2,3)
Deb Bennett, PhD - The Pony Breeder’s Companion
Caroline Nesbitt - Connemara Pony Breeders Society 1923–1998
Lib Petch - Shrouded in Mist
Pat Lynde - Seahorses: Connemara and Its Ponies
Stephanie Brooks - Moycullen Man
Tom MacLochlainn - The Influence of Thoroughbred Blood in the Connemara Pony
Bartley O’Sullivan - The Connemara Story
Stanislaus Lynch
Online Resources
American Connemara Pony Society
- “Learn”/Breeders Map
- Stallion Directory
- Digital Library
USEF Learning Center
- “Connemara Pony: Type Temperament and Versatility”
- Digital Library
CPBS and Daughter Societies
- Ireland: www.cpbs.ie
- Australia: www.cpbsa.au
- Austria: www.pony.at www.connemaraponys.at Belgium: www.connemaraponybelgium.be www.bcpa-connemara.be Britain: www.britishconnemaras.co.uk Canada: www.canadianconnemara.org Czech Republic: www.connemarapony.cz Denmark: www.connemarapony.dk www.connemara-ponyer.dk Finland: www.connemara.fi France: www.connemara-france.com Germany: www.pferd-aktuell.de/deutsche-ponyzucht Netherlands: ww.connemara.ni New Zealand: www.horsetalk.co.nz/connemara Norway: www.ponniavl.no South Africa: admin@ashgarconnemara.co.za Sweden: www.connemaraponny.org Switzerland: www.SVPK.ch United States www.acps.org