Pat Lyne researched the background of Connemara ponies in Ireland. This book is the first of her books about the ponies, the history of the Connemara region and the part the ponies have played in that history. It is fascinating to read about how the land, the weather, the poverty, and even the politics affected the pony's development from early times up until the 20th century. The Connemara pony is very popular around the world today and Pat Lyne provided the most authoritative background and analysis of the sometimes haphazard and sometimes deliberate decisions that created the well loved Connemara Pony of today.