Connemara Prices

[ktj1891]

Can anyone enlighten me as to why they are so expensive? I can understand them being expensive if they are broken, have some experience, good temp and competitions under their belt the same as any of horse.

Yet I am finding unbroken Connemara's that have no education or experience etc between £3000-£5000 which I find extortionate. Why does the label of being a Connemara warrant such high prices? This is genuine curiosity, as in my mind for that price you could by yourself a very well established horse or pony.

Thankies

 

[Kadastorm]

blimey, that is expensive for unbroken!
A connie pony I know has just passed a 5 stage vetting today and has sold for £8500 but then he is a mothers dream, rising 8, dope on a rope who is an angel to handle. hacks alone or in company, schools beautifully and will dob around or jump 1m20 tracks. he has a proven record.

I used to work for a yard who regularly bought and sold connie ponies and trust me, in the current market, its hard to sell them for £3-5k if they haven't got a lot of experience. You can pick a nice pony up for £400 from clifden sales!

 

[onemoretime]

Following with interest.

 

[Kadastorm]

just to add though that connemaras are lovely ponies who are usually great all rounders with really sweet natures and great temperaments. I would have another any day and prefer them to WB's and TB's.

 

[Jo1987]

They are wonderful, (I have a connie x myself) but I'm not sure they're THAT wonderful! Still, a horse is worth what someone will pay I suppose!

 

[Kadastorm]

They are wonderful, (I have a connie x myself) but I'm not sure they're THAT wonderful! Still, a horse is worth what someone will pay I suppose!

Definitely agree with this! one pony we sold for £4500, really don't know how, I wouldn't have paid more than £2k but the people bought her, still have her and spoil her rotten so cant complain really! It is frustrating though when you do have ones that are worth the money but don't sell so you reduce them.... funny game this buying and selling malarkey. glad I don't do it anymore, my last one to sell I still have almost 3 years later. he isn't going anywhere now!

 

[wilsha]

I found that my current connemara sold as an unbroken 3 year old for £5000, which is more than what i bought him for as a 5 year old with plenty of experience!

He is a class one with very good breeding, allthough he is now overheight, is the only reason i can see why he sold for that much as a 3 year old.

I can however say is is absolutely worth his weight in gold and the best little horse i could have ever wished for! (apart from being white!!)

 

[tda]

I don't have one but have seen them at work - they are a good size, look smart, often mother/daughter share, can show, XC, jump well so do workers, plaited and m&m. Very flexible animals and are(or have been) very fashionable!

People also like their temperaments, though I have met a couple of VERY quirkly ones......

 

[honetpot]

I do not know where you are looking. The Irish breeders have over bred and if you have a look on Preloved you can usually find something a lot cheaper. I have three Connemaras, one mare at the height of the boom I paid £800 as a two year old, and she has won sports pony classes, an old brood mare who has very good performance breeding and a colt who's mum competed elementary BD and is half brother to an eventer. If you go for an unfashionable colour or something that's a bit backward but has good confirmation and temperament you can still find a bargain.

 

[Princess16]

just to add though that connemaras are lovely ponies who are usually great all rounders with really sweet natures and great temperaments. I would have another any day and prefer them to WB's and TB's.

I'll second that as mine is the most lovely natured you could imagine, not a bad bone in his body !

 

[Splashy pony]

I know I paid OTT for my Connie. Not looking for any particular breed but had a lot of boxes to tick and he was the one so worth every penny. I think Connies do tick a lot of boxes for a lot of people.

 

[ktj1891]

Okay so I'll re-word a bit. So then what would you expect to pay for a 3-5 unbroken Connemara compared to the same for another Native such as New Forest, Fell, Dales, Highland.

Its just seems to me they are a lot of money for what they are as unbroken, untried ponies. I agree they are lovely ponies but so are all the above and correct me if I am wrong but they don't seem to cost the same as a Connemara?

So in your experience if I was to look for a 4/5 year old Registered Connemara pony how much would be I be reasonably expecting be to pay?

 

[Spring Feather]

Connemaras have always been expensive. I've owned Connemaras (and still have two) for over 40 years and they are just the most wonderful ponies ever! They are super-capable of doing whatever you ask and in my opinion most are worth every single penny you pay for them.

 

[MagicMelon]

I think connies are "in" at the moment which always puts the prices up for a while. Wait until they're "out" and they'll be a lot cheaper £3k - £5k for an unbroken one is insane IMO, even for one with half decent experience I'd say that's a lot! I know a lot of people in my area are buying them direct from Ireland where I guess they must be a lot cheaper.

 

[onemoretime]

I have been looking for a connie x TB for 5 months now and they seem to be in very short supply. I would love to find a breeder of this X as I would like a home bred and well handled gelding but having no luck at all. Agree they are super and have great temperaments and jumping ability.

 

[Copperpot]

I have one who is a Connie x tb. I paid a fair amount for him. He was just what I wanted though. He does have his small "moments" but has an exceptional jump and I can get on him after months of no riding and he will be the same. Things I used to struggle to do on my other horse, he makes easy for me. And he's also very cute ☺️

 

[honetpot]

I am thinking of putting my Connie mare in foal this year to a dressage or show jumping stallion.

 

[Umbongo]

Supply and demand, they have been "in fashion" as it were for a while now. I think they will fetch a higher price than other natives mainly due to their ability and their size. I have found that the larger ones will go for more due to many adults riding them. I would love a larger connie but a new forest, dales etc is too small for me.

If I could afford it, I think 3-5k seems normal and would be willing to pay for a nice stamp of horse. Or a nice connie cross (which seem a bit thin on the ground!)

 

[Abby-Lou]

Would make a visit to Clifden Sales as long as you have a good eye and can see through the rough

 

[kassieg]

Connies are fantastic little ponies.

I worked at a dealers where we sold them & nothing sold for less than 4k.

I have just bought a lovely 3 year old who is class 1 in her breeding all the way back, she's not been graded yet but I got a major bargain at £600 I was very lucky. She was very nervous when I got her but after owning her only a month she is a lovely little mare & adores cuddles already.

I'm on the look out for another 3 or 4 year old

For me they have lovely movement but also a hell of a lot of jump and just generally a really good attitude towards things.

I think over welshies who can be fiery & unpredictable (not all but quite a few) connies are more the mothers choice for pony club ponies. I think new forests get a bad deal as I really like them but fetch no where near as much, the only reason I can think is that it may be because they are not as certain to make full up 14.2 or over as some connies do, but they certainly have the paces & the jump & the temperament very much like the connie. If I was buying for myself I would definitely consider a new forest !

 

[hihosilver]

I think connies are "in" at the moment which always puts the prices up for a while. Wait until they're "out" and they'll be a lot cheaper £3k - £5k for an unbroken one is insane IMO, even for one with half decent experience I'd say that's a lot! I know a lot of people in my area are buying them direct from Ireland where I guess they must be a lot cheaper.

^^^ this they are definitely in atm I am going to see one next week a 5 year old that has hunted has amazing paces and he is very good looking crossed with Irish he is up for £5000. I have been looking for a while and connies are fetching a lot! Interesting to see what they make at the sales in the spring.

 

[NinjaPony]

I paid over the odds for my Connemara and he is worth his weight in gold- I've never known a kinder, more willing and versatile pony.

 

[Echo24]

When I was horse hunting about two years ago I found connies to be very expensive, especially compared to new forests which someone called a poor man's connemara! Someone suggested going to Ireland and viewing directly with sellers and breeders as their prices do seem to rocket once they've been shipped over here.

Edited to add that my only experience of connies was a connemara x ISH, one of the grumpiest horses I had ever met! However I knew people with lovely connemaras but ultimately they were out of my price range.

 

[Kezzabell2]

I have two Connie x tbs and got them both cheap. I can put you in touch with the breeder of my 4yr old. She has pure Connies and Crosses for under 1k

 

[SO1]

Connemara's have dominated the M&M showing scene both on the flat and over fences for years and I think this is fueling the prices along with an increase in popularity with M&M showing for both adults and children. Lots of people want them and that is keeping the prices up - over height connies tend to fetch less as not suitable for the showing market. You can get a cheaper pony in Ireland because there are more of them and perhaps people in Ireland will not pay the same premiums those in the rest of the UK are willing to pay. However you have to factor in transport cost and time both for you to go and view the pony and to get it back the UK.

I have a new forest and he can do everything a connie can do and added bonus he is bay so easy to clean. When i was looking to buy 7 years ago I wanted a connie but they were so expensive I could not really justify the cost when I could get a new forest of the same quality for about half the price.

 

[Kadastorm]

I agree with those saying that new forests are similar to Connies. I have one, he is a bit of a diva but he is kind, charismatic and brilliant fun. He is bay, easy to keep clean and although I'm bias, a pretty little chap. And they are much cheaper than Connies (unless you go to clifden horse sales). Got to love a native!

 

[MissJessica]

I have a Connie & I too found them more expensive than other breeds when in the look out.
I have a well bred overgrown registered Connemara, therefore paid for his breeding & he had done all the basics, ready to go on.

However unbroken? If your plan is to buy an unbroken one take a risk & go to Clifden sales that happen quarterly. I found my horses full sisters foal in the last booklet. Took all my strength not to bid for it.

Good luck, they're the best. X

 

[Dubsie]

When looking for my daughter 5 years ago Connemaras were always a lot more pricey than New Forest, and I too didn't want a grey (previous was a grey Sec A!) so finding a bay Connie was like finding hen's teeth, and we settled for a super bay New Forest who is adorable, could out-jump any Connie in Pony Club (bit of a speed merchant) and such a fantastic temperament, a lovely character. However he doesn't quite have the natural dressage performance of the Connies although he can muster mid to high 60s as he is very obedient once he's calmed down and realised it's not jumping which he adores, but I'd say that's his only downfall when comparing the two breeds. Will be reluctant to sell him later this year as he is getting to be a bit outgrown (5ft 8 or 9 and still growing daughter ), but they still have lots of fun together he's so versatile happy to turn his hoof to anything from side saddle to mounted games! Really should learn to ride him myself!
Do consider a NF if it suits your budget best, you won't be disappointed.

 

[ktj1891]

Yes please

 

[ktj1891]

When looking for my daughter 5 years ago Connemaras were always a lot more pricey than New Forest, and I too didn't want a grey (previous was a grey Sec A!) so finding a bay Connie was like finding hen's teeth, and we settled for a super bay New Forest who is adorable, could out-jump any Connie in Pony Club (bit of a speed merchant) and such a fantastic temperament, a lovely character. However he doesn't quite have the natural dressage performance of the Connies although he can muster mid to high 60s as he is very obedient once he's calmed down and realised it's not jumping which he adores, but I'd say that's his only downfall when comparing the two breeds. Will be reluctant to sell him later this year as he is getting to be a bit outgrown (5ft 8 or 9 and still growing daughter ), but they still have lots of fun together he's so versatile happy to turn his hoof to anything from side saddle to mounted games! Really should learn to ride him myself!
Do consider a NF if it suits your budget best, you won't be disappointed.

I have a NF X appaloosa- she was fantastic very very bold! Unfortunately, she fractured her knee at 8 years old so now is only capable of hacking