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| Cúchulainns’s pony, Liath Macha, was a grey. Connemara pony—Wiki |
A well-meaning writer friend who leads New Age spiritual anim cara style trips to Ireland, invoking its mythical misty past, posted a story on Facebook about how the Vikings brought the Connemara pony to Ireland. Well, you can bet your bottom dollar that got my goat, er, pony. I mean he has something like 4000 followers who dote on his every word. Perhaps seeking damage control, I posted this comment on his page:
Contrary to what Wikipedia says, the Connemara pony is native to Ireland, it was not brought to Ireland by the Vikings. I can’t even begin to fathom how that notion came about. There were already plenty of fine horses in Ireland. And because Ireland was a cattle culture from the Bronze Age, right up to the Viking invasions, horses too were very much part of the cultural landscape.
The Connemara pony’s genetic ancestry is derived from an ancient source that predates the arrival of the Vikings. In fact, they carry a northern late glacial European mDNA C1 gene cluster shared with Exmoor, Shetland, Fjord, Icelandic, and Scottish Highland ponies—which “suggests a common late glacial or postglacial origin for these pony breeds.” 1. DNA studies were conducted on “five British-Irish native pony populations... Carneddau (Welsh)... Connemara ponies (native to Ireland) and Highland ponies (native to Scotland).” 2. And they discovered that “The Highland and Connemara matrilines were more closely related than to the Welsh ponies.” Meaning they probably did travel back and forth across the Irish Sea.
We know, at least according to the Irish epics, that native aboriginal Bronze Age British and Irish ponies were theoretically being raced in two-wheeled chariots as early as 400 BC. Icelandic ponies, related to what is called the early Celtic horse—specifically the Kerry Bog pony, Ireland’s oldest breed—probably contributed to the Icelandic pony gene pool too, as Dublin was the main port of call to Iceland, not Norway.) The ambling, or toelting gene present in 8th c. British horses and Icelandic horses, but NOT in Scandinavian horses—strongly suggests that Icelandic horse ancestry included ponies from Shetland and the British Isles.
Sometimes articles cite the Andalusian horse as an ancestor breed that contributing to the Connemara bloodlines. The problem with that theory is that the Andalusian horse carries a completely different gene cluster, D1. The DNA isn’t there. So how does this work? Magical thinking? During the 1970s Connemara ponies were crossbred with warmbloods to “improve the breed” as a sport horse.
But to be fair, “In the 12th Century, Spanish (Iberian) stallions were imported and used to breed with small (Welsh) mountain mares.” 2. in Wales, to create the bigger Powys, and Hackney pony (British). So it’s remotely possible some of that hot Iberian bloodline eventually found its way into the Connemara pony bloodlines, but, here’s the rub, the appropriate DNA cluster simply isn’t there. Besides, the 12th c. is no longer considered to be the Viking era, the Norman era, maybe.
This story may be the source of the Andalusian bloodline theory. “The Connemara Pony's origins go back some 2,500 years to the time when Celtic warriors brought their dun-colored ponies onto the island of Ireland and used them to draw war chariots and carts along the beaches and river plains of their newfound home. The history is obscure, yet the Connemara Pony is considered Ireland's only native breed. Mythology tells us that the tribes of western Ireland were mounted. Legend has it that when the Spanish Armada sank off the Connemara coast in the 16th Century, the horses swam to shore and bred with the native ponies running wild in the mountains.” 3.
But anything linking an Armada ancestry theory is always suspect. Legend, and not fact. Repeat something often enough, and it becomes “true.” Like with today’s politics. Ditto that with the Viking story. Also, why would Vikings even need to bring horses to Ireland, it would be like bringing coals to Newcastle. (I actually had to explain that idiom to someone who had never heard of Newcastle before. It’s a good thing I didn’t have to explain First Footing. But I digress.)
During the 1700s, Arabian blood was introduced to many Forest, or northern/cold horse breeds. That’s how we got the thoroughbred. But according to conservation genetics of endangered horse breeds, the native pony breeds show far less less foreign genetic influence than the large horses—probably because they weren’t considered valuable. Their diminutive size protected their gene pool. But no matter what, the native mare always carries essence of the bloodline. Blood will out.
the second and third letter indicates the breed (AB = Arabian–Barb cross, AL = Andalusian, AN = ancient sample according to ref. 2, AR = Arabian, BA = Barb, BE = Belgian, CH = Cheju, DU = Dülmener, EC = according to ref. 2, EX = Exmoor, FE = Fell, FJ = Fjord, FR = Friesian, HO = Holsteiner, IS = Icelandic, JAP = Japanese, KA = Caspian, KO = Konik, KP = Kazakh, LI = Lipizzan, LU = Lusitano, MO = Mongolian domestic, MU = Mustang, NN = no breed given, NO = Noriker, OL = Oldenburger, PL = Pleistocene Alaskan, PR = Przewalski's, QH = Quarter, RD = Rhineland heavy draft, RO = Rottaler, SC = Scottish Highland, SE = Senner, SH = Shire, SO = Sorraia, SP = Shetland, SU = Suffolk punch, TR = Trakehner, TS = Tsushima, VB = Thoroughbred, WB = Warmblood, WP = Welsh, YU = Yunnan), and the final number is taken from the original study.
My sources:
1. From Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse
2. I also used Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of native mountain ponies of Britain and Ireland reveals a novel rare population
Contrary to what Wikipedia says, the Connemara pony is native to Ireland, it was not brought to Ireland by the Vikings. I can’t even begin to fathom how that notion came about. There were already plenty of fine horses in Ireland. And because Ireland was a cattle culture from the Bronze Age, right up to the Viking invasions, horses too were very much part of the cultural landscape.
The Connemara pony’s genetic ancestry is derived from an ancient source that predates the arrival of the Vikings. In fact, they carry a northern late glacial European mDNA C1 gene cluster shared with Exmoor, Shetland, Fjord, Icelandic, and Scottish Highland ponies—which “suggests a common late glacial or postglacial origin for these pony breeds.” 1. DNA studies were conducted on “five British-Irish native pony populations... Carneddau (Welsh)... Connemara ponies (native to Ireland) and Highland ponies (native to Scotland).” 2. And they discovered that “The Highland and Connemara matrilines were more closely related than to the Welsh ponies.” Meaning they probably did travel back and forth across the Irish Sea.
We know, at least according to the Irish epics, that native aboriginal Bronze Age British and Irish ponies were theoretically being raced in two-wheeled chariots as early as 400 BC. Icelandic ponies, related to what is called the early Celtic horse—specifically the Kerry Bog pony, Ireland’s oldest breed—probably contributed to the Icelandic pony gene pool too, as Dublin was the main port of call to Iceland, not Norway.) The ambling, or toelting gene present in 8th c. British horses and Icelandic horses, but NOT in Scandinavian horses—strongly suggests that Icelandic horse ancestry included ponies from Shetland and the British Isles.
Sometimes articles cite the Andalusian horse as an ancestor breed that contributing to the Connemara bloodlines. The problem with that theory is that the Andalusian horse carries a completely different gene cluster, D1. The DNA isn’t there. So how does this work? Magical thinking? During the 1970s Connemara ponies were crossbred with warmbloods to “improve the breed” as a sport horse.
But to be fair, “In the 12th Century, Spanish (Iberian) stallions were imported and used to breed with small (Welsh) mountain mares.” 2. in Wales, to create the bigger Powys, and Hackney pony (British). So it’s remotely possible some of that hot Iberian bloodline eventually found its way into the Connemara pony bloodlines, but, here’s the rub, the appropriate DNA cluster simply isn’t there. Besides, the 12th c. is no longer considered to be the Viking era, the Norman era, maybe.
This story may be the source of the Andalusian bloodline theory. “The Connemara Pony's origins go back some 2,500 years to the time when Celtic warriors brought their dun-colored ponies onto the island of Ireland and used them to draw war chariots and carts along the beaches and river plains of their newfound home. The history is obscure, yet the Connemara Pony is considered Ireland's only native breed. Mythology tells us that the tribes of western Ireland were mounted. Legend has it that when the Spanish Armada sank off the Connemara coast in the 16th Century, the horses swam to shore and bred with the native ponies running wild in the mountains.” 3.
But anything linking an Armada ancestry theory is always suspect. Legend, and not fact. Repeat something often enough, and it becomes “true.” Like with today’s politics. Ditto that with the Viking story. Also, why would Vikings even need to bring horses to Ireland, it would be like bringing coals to Newcastle. (I actually had to explain that idiom to someone who had never heard of Newcastle before. It’s a good thing I didn’t have to explain First Footing. But I digress.)
During the 1700s, Arabian blood was introduced to many Forest, or northern/cold horse breeds. That’s how we got the thoroughbred. But according to conservation genetics of endangered horse breeds, the native pony breeds show far less less foreign genetic influence than the large horses—probably because they weren’t considered valuable. Their diminutive size protected their gene pool. But no matter what, the native mare always carries essence of the bloodline. Blood will out.
“The clearest association between cluster and breed is evidenced by cluster C1 (n = 48): in our sample, it is geographically restricted to central Europe, the British Isles, and Scandinavia, including Iceland (Fig. 1). A total of 17 of 19 documented horses with C1 are northern European ponies (Exmoor, Fjord, Icelandic, and Scottish Highland). Additionally, 14 of 27 undocumented horses (3) with C1 are ponies, including Connemara ponies. The cluster is younger than perhaps 8,000 y (Table 1), but definitely older than 1,500 y, because C1 was also found in two ancient Viking horses. Furthermore, mtDNA cluster E (n = 16) consists entirely of Icelandic, Shetland, and Fjord ponies. Taken together, this suggests a common late glacial or postglacial origin for these pony breeds.”
In other words, they shared a common Neolithic ancestor, along with the Exmoor, the Welsh, the Fell, the Kerry Bog, and other ponies. And I am certain that the Vikings did not import horses to Ireland ca. 1500 years ago, in 523 A.D. Do the math. The timeline just doesn’t work.
My sources:
1. From Mitochondrial DNA and the origins of the domestic horse
2. I also used Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of native mountain ponies of Britain and Ireland reveals a novel rare population
3. a tough read, compares the Connemara with a similar breed with a different genetic background. Consider it convergent evolution. Genetic characterisation of the Connemara pony and the Warmblood horse using a within-breed clustering approach
4 International Museum of the Horse, Connemara Pony
Other horsey bits
Becky Dart: Born to Run my quarter horse had Three Bars ancestry
Becky Dart: Born to Run my quarter horse had Three Bars ancestry
Connemara pony origins
Kiger mustangs carry rare Iberian Sorraia mtDNA
On the ambling gait of horses only Neolithic horses carry this gene.
Kiger mustangs carry rare Iberian Sorraia mtDNA
On the ambling gait of horses only Neolithic horses carry this gene.
B/G Sandwich Shops plate, or the tale of Ralph Moody
Eating the Wind
Helgar the Horrible and Icelandic pony
Eating the Wind
Helgar the Horrible and Icelandic pony
Letter to Sigrun in Iceland (Helgar the Horrible)
Mexico Journal: Aug. 19, San Juan Chamula on horseback
The Little Shits my Shetland ponies, gave me a lot of grief.
Shetlandish Escape Artists
Shetland foal, H.M.S. Salt
Horse Chestnuts
Horses in Heaven
Sitting Deep
Mexico Journal: Aug. 19, San Juan Chamula on horseback
The Little Shits my Shetland ponies, gave me a lot of grief.
Shetlandish Escape Artists
Shetland foal, H.M.S. Salt
Horse Chestnuts
Horses in Heaven
Sitting Deep
LATE HOUSEWARMING POEM TO WM.T.WILEY
HORSES RUNNING THROUGH THE STREETS OF ZENIA AT NIGHT even I don’t understand why I wrote this poem other than it was from a dream, as if voices were speaking through me.
HORSES RUNNING THROUGH THE STREETS OF ZENIA AT NIGHT even I don’t understand why I wrote this poem other than it was from a dream, as if voices were speaking through me.
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| Connemara pony —Wiki Commons |
Cúchulainns’s chariot pony, Liath Macha, a grey, was probably similar to the Connemara pony.
“Liath Macha ("grey of Macha") and Dub Sainglend ("black of Saingliu") are the two chariot-horses of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Both horses appear to Cúchulainn from the pool of Linn Liaith in the mountains of Sliab Fuait, a gift from either Macha or her sister the Morrígan. “ —Wiki
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