The Connemara Breed Standard

Type and Conformation:	Connemaras in North America range from 13 to over 15 hands. Their colors are gray, bay, brown, and dun, with some roans, an occasional black, chestnut, or palomino. Piebalds and skewbalds are not acceptable for registration. Connemaras are the product of their original environment, the rugged mountain coast of West Ireland. Sure-footed, hardy and agile, they possess powers of great stamina, staying power and adaptability. They are renowned for their versatility and their gentle, tractable, sensible and willing dispositions.
Temperament:	Mannerly and manageable, kind, responsive, possessing good sense and basic intelligence.
Type:	Rugged and sturdy; body compact and deep through the heart; with well sprung rib cage and broad chest.
Action:	Straight and true both front and rear with free movement in the shoulders. Connemaras should move underneath themselves and should be sure-footed, athletic, and clever, covering a lot of ground.
Head:	Kind eye, head well shaped and balanced in proportion to the rest of the body, neck of good length and definition, meeting the shoulder smoothly.
Shoulders:	Laid-back with good slope.
Back:	Strong and muscular; some length of back is normal in Connemaras, especially in mares.
Hindquarters:	Well rounded and deep with good length from the point of the hip through the haunch; should balance the shoulders.
Bone:	Clean, hard, flat, measuring 7- 8 inches below the knee for ponies, more for horses; forearms and gaskins long and muscular, cannons short and very dense.
Joints:	Large and well defined.
Feet:	Hard, strong.