The Connemara pony is getting too big. This serious risk to the "integrity" of a breed dating back to the fourth century was confirmed by the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society (CPBS) yesterday when the State handed over its own herd to the organisation.
The handover - or "privatisation" - of the national Connemara pony herd was performed by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, at Connemara National Park in Letterfrack, Co Galway. A management agreement worked out between Dúchas, the Heritage Service, and the CPBS aims to guarantee the preservation of the special breed for "years to come".
Ten young ponies, and two older ponies which spent much of their lives at Áras an Uachtaráin in Dublin, will now be cared for by the society. The contract includes leasing of 150 acres of national parkland to the society, which has six stallions.
Dúchas had managed the herd since the establishment of Connemara National Park in 1980. Following the presentation of six mares with some foals to the late President Childers in October 1974, it was decided that a herd of pure-bred Connemara ponies should be kept in the National Park.
The challenge now will be to preserve the pony's unique dimensions - a fact recognised by Mr John Luskin, president of the CPBS, at yesterday's function. A decision to bow to the demands of German buyers in the late 1950s is believed to have influenced the growth in height, from an original 13.2 hands.
An Arab-bred stallion named Nazeel or "Little Heaven" was brought in to service the native mares at the time. Unfortunately, the current generation of ponies is now at risk of reaching the 14.2 hand limit, while quite a few exceed it. Mr Luskin said he believed the ponies should not be allowed to register if they exceed 146 centimetres at two years.
The Connemara pony is the largest mammal in the National Park, and may have walked the terrain since the arrival of the Celts in the fourth century. The CPBS was formed almost 80 years ago to encourage breeding, to publish a studbook for animals and to organise the annual Connemara Pony Show.
Dr Noel Kirby, regional manager with Dúchas, said he was delighted the society was taking responsibility for the national herd, as it had been hiring in people with the expertise.