'Garran' horses: do they still exist?

Rebelheart

Has anybody heard of 'garrans' (gearráin)? They were very common workhorses in Ireland in the early modern period and they were termed 'garrans' in English. I've never heard of them in modern Ireland. Would they be known by another name now?

Thanks.



http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Garran

http://books.google.ie/books?id=Mapur4SwDiAC&pg=PA300&dq=garrans+horse&as_brr=3&ei=p51-SovmK5KgygTxqKTACg#v=onepage&q=garrans%20horse&f=false

weatherford

Ah, the article refers to them as small - perhaps it was just another name for one of the native pony breeds - such as the Kerry Bog (which is a distinct DNA type) or Connemara...

Check with the Horse Board - they might know someone who could tell you, if they don't know themselves.

Rebelheart

weatherford wrote: »

Ah, the article refers to them as small - perhaps it was just another name for one of the native pony breeds - such as the Kerry Bog (which is a distinct DNA type) or Connemara...

Check with the Horse Board - they might know someone who could tell you, if they don't know themselves.

Thanks a million, Weatherford. In the late medieval and early modern period they were very common, it seems, in north Leinster so I was thinking they may be some sort of workhorse indigenous to Leinster. Although they could have been brought to Leinster from Connacht through any of the big cattle markets on the western borders of Meath and Kildare. Connacht cattle were regularly purchased there to be fattened in Leinster.

weatherford

I can imagine they would have been one of the pony breeds - the Connemaras and the Kerry Bogs were useds as "workhorses" as well as riding/driving horses, and I can imagine the British army thinking they were "too small"!! I don't know of any indiginous to Leinster, however - but certainly the Connemaras would have been found in the Athenry market town! (I live here - gotta give the local history its due! )

Rather like the "Morgan horse" in the US - which was developed to be a small, hard working, do everything breed.

If you find anything, do post it - you have me very curious now!!

convert

Weatherford is probably right - it's more than likely the Connemara or Kerry Bog pony. I've heard the name used before, but I can't remember what type of horse it was describing. I'll see what I can dig up and if I hear of anything I'll get back to you.

mylittlepony

Could it be the Irish Draught horse?

http://www.irishdraught.ie/

Oop, just read your links it say the native 'garrans' too small.
Im thinking is it spanish for horse/pony.
So it could be Conemara or Kerry Bog Pony.

Maybe more likely to be bog pony.

Cos Im sure I read somewhere that the Connemara was bred from a spanish horse (that survived the spanish shipwrek that hit the irish coast in galway) with a irish native pony.
Im just guessing. Hope its some help.