Connie x Warmblood yearling ?

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IrishImportHerd

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Hi everyone,

I’d love a bit of insight into my 16 month old Warmblood x Connemara gelding who I’ve owned for about four months. His dam is a 15.3hh Holstein/Hanoverian mix and his sire a 15.1hh Connemara. He’s currently around 14.1½hh in front and 14.3hh behind, with roughly 8.5 inches of bone.

This is my first time owning a yearling as I usually buy 4 year olds, but I wanted to build that bond a bit earlier. When I imported him from Ireland he was quite weedy, but he had a good set of legs which won me over. Despite coming to me completely unhandled, he’s very confident, loves people and has a lovely laid back, unflappable temperament.

I’ve never had this cross before so I’ve no idea what to expect in terms of how he’ll mature. Apologies if any of this is common knowledge — I’ve had young horses most of my life but this is the first time I’ve bought anything quite this young, so it’s been a learning curve.

At the moment I can’t make my mind up about him. From some angles he looks like an absolute unit, from others he looks all leg with a scrawny neck. He floats round his field like a sugar plum fairy though, so he can certainly move when he wants to. I’m hoping he’ll end up a chunkier sport horse type with a decent barrel to take up my height (I’m 5ft6 and about 10 stone).

I’d love to hear what others think he might mature into. Do you think he’ll bulk up or stay a bit finer? What height would you expect him to make? His sire tends to throw big foals and although his dam is 15.3hh, both her parents were taller.

I’m hoping he’ll have the movement and athleticism for dressage but still a good jump. My current Connemara is a cross country machine but really not a fan of flatwork.

I’ll attach a photo below and would love to hear your thoughts and predictions on how he might mature.


A few questions to help:

- Has anyone else had a Warmblood x Connemara? What type did yours turn out to be?

-At 16 months and 14.1½hh, what height would you expect him to make?

-Did yours end up chunkier like a sport pony or finer like a Warmblood?


Thanks in advance … I always love hearing other people’s experiences and ideas 🙂
 

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Littlest Hobo said:
I once bought a ten month old purely on his expression. He spent his entire time in the sale ring on his hind legs, but his eyes hooked me.

He was my horse of a lifetime and I miss him every day.

Yours has that lovely expression too.
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I completely agree he has a very kind look to him, I had to look past his weediness as this is what he looked like when he come to me 🥲🥲
 

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pistolpete said:
Oh he’s lovely. Connie’s are smart and agile. The warm blood will give height and as you can already see movement. Sounds like a fab cross. He’s going to be plenty big enough and I love his expression too.
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My friends daughter said he has the face of spirit the mustang 🤣🤣! I must agree he’s got a very kind face and his personality matches this because he’s a really gentle soul !
 
I have a "Irish sports horse" that is Connie X "warmblood" (but he is tobiano coloured so where did that come from?) ... he looked like the mistake of a lifetime at 5 months when I bid on him at auction, for little reason other than the loss of a wonderful ISH that looked a little bit like this little rubbish colt. And also, he was in budget because no one else wanted him. As a yearling he looked pot bellied and weird. As a 2yo he looked angular and weird. As a 3yo he looked like a terrible model that you wouldn't sell in case it ended up on the meat market. As a 4yo he looked perfect so we backed him and he said NOPE. As a 5yo he looked wonky and weak and weird - we sat on him, got off quickly and paid millions on pointless kissing spine and other investigations. As a 6yo, he'd grown an extra hand in under a year and was so bum high no saddle would fit so we didn't bother trying to sit on him again. As a 7yo he suddenly turned into a swan and asked me why I wasn't riding him, and he hasn't put a foot wrong ever since under saddle. He always had a kind eye, always so wonderfuil on the ground that I deep down knew he needed more time than the average joe. He was "to make 15.2hh" at auction and stands at 16.3hh because crosses give you all sorts. I reckon he had growing pains and now he doesn't. Just a random story to help your journey. I have learned a lot and regret nothing other than the year 5 investigations!
 
MissTyc said:
I have a "Irish sports horse" that is Connie X "warmblood" (but he is tobiano coloured so where did that come from?) ... he looked like the mistake of a lifetime at 5 months when I bid on him at auction, for little reason other than the loss of a wonderful ISH that looked a little bit like this little rubbish colt. And also, he was in budget because no one else wanted him. As a yearling he looked pot bellied and weird. As a 2yo he looked angular and weird. As a 3yo he looked like a terrible model that you wouldn't sell in case it ended up on the meat market. As a 4yo he looked perfect so we backed him and he said NOPE. As a 5yo he looked wonky and weak and weird - we sat on him, got off quickly and paid millions on pointless kissing spine and other investigations. As a 6yo, he'd grown an extra hand in under a year and was so bum high no saddle would fit so we didn't bother trying to sit on him again. As a 7yo he suddenly turned into a swan and asked me why I wasn't riding him, and he hasn't put a foot wrong ever since under saddle. He always had a kind eye, always so wonderfuil on the ground that I deep down knew he needed more time than the average joe. He was "to make 15.2hh" at auction and stands at 16.3hh because crosses give you all sorts. I reckon he had growing pains and now he doesn't. Just a random story to help your journey. I have learned a lot and regret nothing other than the year 5 investigations!
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Awww I’m so glad he turned out well in the end ! Do you have any pictures of him he sounds like a gentle giant ! Wow that’s sooooo much bigger than 15.2 🤣 !! I’d be happy with 16hh I think I’d need a step ladder to get on ✌🏼
 
MissTyc said:
I have a "Irish sports horse" that is Connie X "warmblood" (but he is tobiano coloured so where did that come from?) ... he looked like the mistake of a lifetime at 5 months when I bid on him at auction, for little reason other than the loss of a wonderful ISH that looked a little bit like this little rubbish colt. And also, he was in budget because no one else wanted him. As a yearling he looked pot bellied and weird. As a 2yo he looked angular and weird. As a 3yo he looked like a terrible model that you wouldn't sell in case it ended up on the meat market. As a 4yo he looked perfect so we backed him and he said NOPE. As a 5yo he looked wonky and weak and weird - we sat on him, got off quickly and paid millions on pointless kissing spine and other investigations. As a 6yo, he'd grown an extra hand in under a year and was so bum high no saddle would fit so we didn't bother trying to sit on him again. As a 7yo he suddenly turned into a swan and asked me why I wasn't riding him, and he hasn't put a foot wrong ever since under saddle. He always had a kind eye, always so wonderfuil on the ground that I deep down knew he needed more time than the average joe. He was "to make 15.2hh" at auction and stands at 16.3hh because crosses give you all sorts. I reckon he had growing pains and now he doesn't. Just a random story to help your journey. I have learned a lot and regret nothing other than the year 5 investigations!
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I’m hoping this is where mine is at. 5yo and nowhere near ready to be backed. I’m on cusp of a fortune in investigations or just giving him heaps more time. So your story is giving me hope! (No help to OP as mine is full Connemara, but he was fugly on arrival as a long yearling and looks sooo different now).
 
BBP2 said:
I’m hoping this is where mine is at. 5yo and nowhere near ready to be backed. I’m on cusp of a fortune in investigations or just giving him heaps more time. So your story is giving me hope! (No help to OP as mine is full Connemara, but he was fugly on arrival as a long yearling and looks sooo different now).
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Im not sure if it’s any consolation but along side my Connie x WB yearling I also have a 10 year old full oversized Connemara gelding. I will attach a photo below of him as a 5yo and now 10 year old. He almost looked to immature to ride looking back but all I did at this age was hack him out as he came as a 4 year old already broken.
 

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IrishImportHerd said:
Im not sure if it’s any consolation but along side my Connie x WB yearling I also have a 10 year old full oversized Connemara gelding. I will attach a photo below of him as a 5yo and now 10 year old. He almost looked to immature to ride looking back but all I did at this age was hack him out as he came as a 4 year old already broken.
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Gosh he’s cracking, what a job you have done. Mine is currently fat and flabby as he’s done NOTHING due to health issues, so it’s hard to tell what he could look like, but he’s a nice type. He has this weird feral hypersensitivity to him though, which makes me think pain, but he has had a really bad liver and a bad worm burden, so am trying to give him the winter for liver recovery and weight loss and then see where I’m at come spring once we have had a good few normal blood tests back.IMG_7802.jpeg
 
BBP2 said:
Gosh he’s cracking, what a job you have done. Mine is currently fat and flabby as he’s done NOTHING due to health issues, so it’s hard to tell what he could look like, but he’s a nice type. He has this weird feral hypersensitivity to him though, which makes me think pain, but he has had a really bad liver and a bad worm burden, so am trying to give him the winter for liver recovery and weight loss and then see where I’m at come spring once we have had a good few normal blood tests back.View attachment 168992
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I mean he is absolutely gorgeous you don’t see many Connie’s that aren’t grey ! He’s sure special ! What is his breeding ? What type of things does he do that make you think pain ?

Mine has been feral since the day I got him 🤣! He was left unhandled till the age of 3 I was told so was extra cautious, I have to handle him all the time even if not riding because he forgets I own him and turns into a wild mustang who can’t be tamed snorting and refusing to catch 🤣!
 
IrishImportHerd said:
I mean he is absolutely gorgeous you don’t see many Connie’s that aren’t grey ! He’s sure special ! What is his breeding ? What type of things does he do that make you think pain ?

Mine has been feral since the day I got him 🤣! He was left unhandled till the age of 3 I was told so was extra cautious, I have to handle him all the time even if not riding because he forgets I own him and turns into a wild mustang who can’t be tamed snorting and refusing to catch 🤣!
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He’s pretty gorgeous, he’s a smokey black genetically but looks anything from black to brown to dark buckskin depending on the time of year as his mane has lots of orange highlights (which may or may not disappear as I sort out his iron/copper balance)

His site is Magherafadda Lad, who from what I could see was a bit of a chunky unit. His dam is a Caherlistrane mare I think but I think was a carrier for HWSD so not class 1.

Things that make me think pain. He is the sweetest most genuine horse but he is fairly adverse to being touched, hyper-sensitised skin, flinches over the muscles in his quarters and will leave if he can. He can move beautifully in trot and canter but is prone to ambling in a lateral walk and finds it hard to move forwards in hand. He gets very anxious if asked to do anything (like walk a lap of the arena) and will start to hiccup and lie down as if he thinks he is colicing. My vets have never seen one like him. Half the vets say that liver disease can be painful enough to hyper-sensitise him and to give him time to recover, the other half say his neck X-rays are slightly suspect and could be causing compression of peripheral nerves, but that I would need a neck CT myelogram to prove or disprove it.
 
BBP2 said:
He’s pretty gorgeous, he’s a smokey black genetically but looks anything from black to brown to dark buckskin depending on the time of year as his mane has lots of orange highlights (which may or may not disappear as I sort out his iron/copper balance)

His site is Magherafadda Lad, who from what I could see was a bit of a chunky unit. His dam is a Caherlistrane mare I think but I think was a carrier for HWSD so not class 1.

Things that make me think pain. He is the sweetest most genuine horse but he is fairly adverse to being touched, hyper-sensitised skin, flinches over the muscles in his quarters and will leave if he can. He can move beautifully in trot and canter but is prone to ambling in a lateral walk and finds it hard to move forwards in hand. He gets very anxious if asked to do anything (like walk a lap of the arena) and will start to hiccup and lie down as if he thinks he is colicing. My vets have never seen one like him. Half the vets say that liver disease can be painful enough to hyper-sensitise him and to give him time to recover, the other half say his neck X-rays are slightly suspect and could be causing compression of peripheral nerves, but that I would need a neck CT myelogram to prove or disprove it.
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Oh wow quite complex then … It sounds like neuropathic sensitivity or pain, I really feel for you because he’s absolutely stunning. I have a feeling you will get to the bottom of it ! I’m hoping you will get to 7-8 and his issues were maturity ! Not sure where you are but I’ve been Sophie Seymour gets given a lot of horses with similar issues to you she may have some ideas/insight on her videos. However, I also think certain strains of Connie do have issues mine certainly have a few in the earlier years now aged 10 he’s a lot better.

I wish you the best of luck 🙏🏼
 
Lovely chap OP - I echo what everyone else says about not looking until they're 3 maybe even 4 at least!

I had this the day he arrived at almost bang on 3yo and 16.2hh

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then this at almost bang on 4 and 17.1hh (now 17.3hh just at 5.5yo!)

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I'm also sure you're aware/know this already, but I would try not get too much more weight on him as it stands at the moment, the last thing you want on baby joints is any more weight than necessary :)
 
AShetlandBitMeOnce said:
Lovely chap OP - I echo what everyone else says about not looking until they're 3 maybe even 4 at least!

I had this the day he arrived at almost bang on 3yo and 16.2hh

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then this at almost bang on 4 and 17.1hh (now 17.3hh just at 5.5yo!)

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I'm also sure you're aware/know this already, but I would try not get too much more weight on him as it stands at the moment, the last thing you want on baby joints is any more weight than necessary :)
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Oh wow he is absolutely gorgeous thank you for sharing 😍! Is he the same mix ? Such a kind face too ! I agree I think I just need to ignore what he looks like as clearly from the above pics he could transform 🙏🏼 !

No I agree with not having them too Chucky. He was very scrawny when he come to me, I can’t say I feed him as such. I don’t have the best grazing so he’s on ad lib haylage via a haybell and currently quite fluffy so looks like he has a better rib covering than he does. He lives out with access to a stable should he want to shelter as I feel this is the best for horses to have the choice 🙂
 
I bought a very nice 4yo cob then spring grass came through and he had a really wonky growth spurt - managed to look scrawny, bum high and both forelegs from the same socket. I wondered what I'd done!

So don't look closely until he's 4 and if he's still weedy then keep your eyes shut until he's 5 😂
 
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