Despite the breed having origins centuries before, in the 16th century, an official society to safeguard the Connemara Pony wasn't established until 1923. There were concerns that the bloodline may become too diluted due to additional cross-breeding with Arabian blood in the 1700s and subsequent cross-breeding with Hackneys and Thoroughbreds, according to the society's history.
The Connemara Pony Breeders' Society was established in 1923 as a result. Thirty local men founded the Clifden, County Galway-based Society with the goal of safeguarding and advancing the breed. The Society published the Connemara Pony Stud Book in 1926 to officially recognize it.
These lovely ponies can now be found around the world, as their work ethic and sensibility put them in high demand. Today, Connemara ponies are bred in Ireland, the UK, across Europe, in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.