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Frequently
Asked Questions
Why should I have my pony inspected?
It is often very difficult to evaluate one’s own stock. Even the
most experienced judges may have a blind eye for some faults in their
own ponies. The Inspectors offer an objective analysis of a pony’s
good and bad points so that the most appropriate mates may be chosen for
them. There will be 3-5 inspectors who look at your pony and sometimes
an international inspector will be present as well. The overall evaluation
is a consensus evaluation. Now that the ACPS has been accepted as a full
member of the ICCPS, inspected ponies are now eligible to be sold abroad
as they all go into an international stud book.
It is often difficult to evaluate one’s own stock.
Even the most experienced judges may have a blind eye for some faults
in their own ponies. The Inspectors offer an objective evaluation of a
pony’s good and bad points so that the most appropriate mates may
be chosen for them. Three to five Inspectors comprise a "team,"
each of them working independently on their separate work sheets, to evaluate
a pony; sometimes an international inspector will be present, as well.
The Inspectors then confer with one another, discuss the pony's merits
and arrive at a "consensus." Based on that consensus, the Team
Secretary completes an ACPS Inspection Report Form which is given to the
pony owner. He/she is invited to meet with the Team and ask any questions
relevant to the written report. Now that the ACPS has full member status
in the ICCPS, ACPS approved ponies will be listed in the International
Stud Book, and are thereby eligible for sale abroad.
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If a pony is not approved on its inspection
day, is this a “death sentence” for the pony?
Does "not approved" indicate that a pony is not a Connemara,
or worthless? No, no and no. First of all, a pony may ALWAYS be re-presented
for inspection, in fact "may be re-presented at a future inspection"
rather than not-approved is the terminology used in the Inspection Report
Form wording. But, if a pony is ultimately never approved, it will still
be a purebred REGISTERED Connemara, listed in the Registry of the ACPS.
However, it will not be listed in the ACPS Stud Book. Your pony’s
progeny, as all progeny of Connemaras registered with the ACPS, will be
eligible for inspection. Keep in mind that many unapproved ponies/horses
of all breeds go on to have wonderful performance careers. Seabiscuit,
one of the best race horses of all time, would never have passed a conformation
inspection!
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Who
are the inspectors?
The original ACPS Inspectors were chosen by a committee of ACPS members
because they were individuals who are knowledgeable about animal breeding
in general, and Connemara pony breeding, type and conformation in particular.
All had been heavily involved with the Connemara breed for many years,
as is appropriate, and had spent time in Ireland and other ICCPS countries
working with breeders and inspectors there. Since then, an inspector training
program has been put into place. Any person who wishes to be an inspector
can apply for inspector candidate status or be referred by any knowledgeable
horse person. Once they are accepted into the program, they must go through
the process as junior inspectors for as long as necessary until the inspection
committee is convinced that they have the knowledge as well as the other
requirements to become full fledged inspectors. The ACPS has a Certification
Committee within the Inspection Committee, dedicated to assuring the quality
and objectivity of the Inspectors. Inspector Candidates, serve an apprenticeship
prior to achieving Inspector status. Some of the qualities of an Inspector
as listed in the Inspector’s manual are as follows: “….they
must be willing to tactfully and graciously share their decisions in an
open and educational atmosphere. They must be able to clearly articulate
the characteristics being sought by the Society in breeding stock as well
as be able to see how the goals of the ACPS match the goals of the ICCPS……they
must NOT ONLY be experts in their equine field but they must also be sympathetic
to and enjoy working with people….integrity, leadership, diplomacy,
flexibility and judgment are essential qualities in combination with the
requisite knowledge of conformation, movement and Connemara type.”
One of the current IC’s is a veterinarian as well as a horse breeder,
as has been requested by the membership.
They come
from many different "walks of life." Some have been breeders
for as long as 30 years. All have been to other countries, studying those
Connemara populations in order to gain a good "eye" for breed
type. In addition, they have all studied horse conformation and judging
through clinics, Pony Club, (as members or leaders), 4-H judging teams,
or individual study. Many also earn their livings through horse-related
activities or are otherwise involved in the horse industry. Aside from
being a breeder of Connemara ponies, one of the Inspectors is an equine
sculptor who has studied extensively the anatomy and conformation of ponies
and horses. Others are riding instructors, graduate "A's" from
the United States Pony Club, coaches for 4-H Horse Judging Teams, and
all have worked alongside inspectors from Ireland, England, and Scotland
who came to the US in the early stages of the ACPS Inspection program.
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Why
are Connemara breeders inspectors? Is that not a conflict of interest?
Breeders are chosen to be inspectors because they know and care more than
anyone else about their breed. No professional society would turn the
future of their discipline over to individuals who are not personally
involved in the discipline. Paso Fino breeders judge Paso Finos, Irish
Draught horse breeders judge Irish Draught horses. Even for government
peer-reviewed grants, one’s colleagues and sometimes competitors
are the ones to review one’s grant applications. Why? Because they
know the most about the subject! Conflicts of interest are not a problem
in these cases as the people involved are professionals and adhere to
a professional standard and are severely sanctioned if they do not behave
professionally. The same is true of the Connemara Society. ACPS Inspectors
are individuals who have very high standards and have taken advantage
of appropriate and often, more-than-adequate training, to prepare themselves
for the job of confidently and equitably inspecting Connemara ponies.
All countries in the world use breeders as inspectors. The ACPS strives
to avoid any conflict of interest, actual or perceived, by assuring that
an Inspector will not inspect his/her own ponies, ponies they have bred,
ponies they have raised, or any pony with which they have had an explicit
interest. Prior to certification, the policies and procedures used by
the Inspection Committee train/inform future Inspectors to show no favoritism
or bias in any instance. Three to five Inspectors at every inspection
site evaluate independently, confer and arrive at a CONSENSUS. It is highly
unlikely that all of the Inspectors serving with a given "Team"
will have a personal stake in any one pony.
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Should
the inspectors buy ponies from other inspectors?
There is no reason why Inspectors should not buy ponies from other Inspectors.
As previously pointed out, no one may inspect their own ponies, ponies
they have bred, ponies they have raised, or any pony with which they have
had an explicit interest.
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Do
the inspectors just pass each others ponies regardless of their faults?
Emphatically, NO! This is patently untrue. Inspectors do not approve each
others ponies regardless of their faults. Critics of the ACPS Inspection
program are responsible for this rumor as they are afraid/resentful of
the inspection process and have not had the opportunity--or taken the
opportunity--to be a part of the years spent in developing the carefully
considered procedures being used in today's inspection process. Most Inspectors
have bred or presented ponies which have not been approved. Inspectors
are, perhaps, even harder on other Inspectors’ ponies, just to AVOID
any appearance of impropriety.
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Why
are some stallions failed when mares with the same faults have been passed?
Stallions must adhere to a MUCH higher standard than mares because of
their potential greater influence on the breed. All over the world, inspections
of stallions are much stricter than inspections of mares.
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What
if a pony has perfect conformation but looks like a little TB?
This pony may not be approved. Connemara type is one of three areas that
are evaluated so it is important that the pony look like a Connemara.
But inspectors are aware that within the Connemara breed type, there are
many different “looks” that should be taken into account.
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Are
pedigrees considered when passing/failing a pony?
In most cases, the pedigree is considered only when a stallion is being
evaluated. If an important question arises that might be best answered
by accessing a pedigree, it can be done. In the formative stages of establishing
inspection procedures, as requested by ACPS members and recommended by
the Inspection Committee, it was decided that Inspectors should not know
the pedigree of a pony prior to looking at the individual. If, in the
case of a stallion, his marks were in question, it could be to his advantage
to look at his pedigree. However, it is a rare case, when Inspectors'
evaluations are influenced by the presence of noteworthy or rare ancestors
in a stallion's pedigree.
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Can
a pony be registered if it fails inspection?
Yes, any pure-bred Connemara can be registered no matter what the inspectors
think. However, the pony will not be listed in the Approved Section of
the studbook.
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What
percentage of stallions (and mares) that are presented at inspections
fail?
To date, the approval rate for stallions has been around 50%. The approval
rate for mares is much higher….about 90 percent are approved.
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Should
inspectors make decisions about YOUR breeding program?
Inspectors should not give advice regarding a pony owner's breeding program.
When reviewing a pony's Inspection Report Form with its owner, the Inspectors
may point out strengths and weaknesses heretofore unnoticed by the pony
owner and offer helpful, constructive comments in accord with the pony's
written evaluation. That is ALL. The Inspection Report Form is intended
to be a helpful aid in choosing a stallion or mare to complement the inspected
pony.
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What
exactly is the process, ie, must ponies see the vet and be measured first,
what paperwork needs to be sent in when?
Nomination forms must be accurately completed and sent to the ACPS Secretary
using the timeline published in the "American Connemara" magazine
and/or on the ACPS web site. Usually the deadline is June 1st, but if
regional inspections are scheduled at other times during the year, the
deadlines will correspond and be published accordingly. After the pony
is nominated, a licensed equine veterinarian must officially measure and
record the pony's height and inspect it for genetic faults. A person’s
own equine veterinarian may be used to examine the pony, there are no
ACPS vets. The veterinarian inspection form may be sent to the ACPS secretary
or brought with the pony to the inspection site.
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How
should ponies be presented?
Ponies should be presented clean and well-groomed. Connemaras are traditionally
shown in their natural state. Pulled manes, tails and braiding are discouraged,
as is excessive trimming; however, no pony will be penalized for specialized
grooming, especially if the pony is mature and competing in a discipline
which requires a specific "look."
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How
does an inspection proceed, from start to finish?
Ponies are examined first at the halt, but preferably not precisely "square."
The Inspectors want to get a good look at all four legs. The handler will
then be asked to walk the pony away from the Inspection Team,and to walk
back to the Inspection Team. The same format is used at the trot. As in
Ireland, ponies are shown moving in straight lines, not on the triangle.
Additionally, stallions are shown "at liberty," but are not
free jumped. If a mare is eligible for Premium Status, the Inspectors
may ask that she be shown "at liberty."
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Is
there a dress code for handlers?
There is no dress code for handlers. They should wear neat, clean attire,
enabling them to move freely and show their pony at its best.
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How
many inspectors inspect each pony?
3-5
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Explain
how it is decided if a pony passes inspection, and explain the worksheet.
Three to five Inspectors comprise an "Inspection Team," and
those three to five Inspectors, using their respective work sheets, will
independently evaluate each pony. Specific points of each pony are given
a rating, ranging from "Excellent" to "Not Sufficient."
Following the evaluation period, the Inspectors will meet as a team and
discuss each point, ultimately arriving at a consensus. The Team Secretary
then fills out the official Inspection Report Form given to the pony owner.
There are three areas to be completed on the Inspection Report Form: I)
Type and Temperament II) Conformation III) Movement.
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My
question wasn't answered here. What should I do?
Email Donna Duckworth at Duckwort@mgm.ufl.edu
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