If Santa Claus can evolve, how about the Connemara breed?

An Associated Press story published on Dec. 20, 2013, looked at the changing appearance of today’s Santa Claus.

Santas that appear in malls now reflect their black, Hispanic and Indian audiences, as well as those with so-called “white” skin.

As it should be.

Santas must evolve to reflect current society.

Shouldn’t this same principal apply to horses, particularly Connemaras?

Why, in the diverse country of America, do we require Connemaras to look like some fabled European Connemara, an image that may or may not be accurate? Why do we say Connemaras must be big boned, when the world may not need big-boned ponies anymore, and extra bone impedes movement? Why do we force Connemaras to stay under 14-2 for a society growing ever larger? Why do most Connemara judges and inspectors prefer a white horse when Connemaras have and should be allowed to have coats of all colors and with spots?

AP’s Santa article noted a backlash against those bigoted Americans who cling to the idea that Santa should be white: A New Mexico high school teacher was placed on paid administrative leave after telling a black student who dressed as Santa Claus, “Don’t you know Santa Claus is white? Why are you wearing that?”

When I read that, I pictured an Irish Connemara inspector waving a ruler at an American child with a black-coated Connemara.

The Santa story quoted Andrew Chesnut, who oversees Catholic studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Chestnut said the white Santa came about mainly because he was a European import, but there’s no reason he can’t reflect the more diverse population now.

Exactly.

Similarly, horses should be allowed to reflect the population they serve, no matter their breed. Short, white, big-boned Connemaras may have reflected a certain population at one time, but they do not mirror the US population today.

A New York Times article on Nov. 25, 2013, looked at the current US population, which has undergone a huge transformation that goes beyond color.

The article said: “Researchers who study the structure and evolution of the American family express unsullied astonishment at how rapidly the family has changed in recent years, the transformations often exceeding or capsizing those same experts’ predictions of just a few journal articles ago.”

The rigid societal structures of previous generations are gone. The husband no longer is the bread winner. The wife no longer is expected to obey the husband. Diversity and equality reign.

According to the Times, “In increasing numbers, blacks marry whites, atheists marry Baptists, men marry men and women women, Democrats marry Republicans and start talk shows. Good friends join forces as part of the ‘voluntary kin’ movement, sharing medical directives, wills, even adopting one another legally.”

All the while, horse breed societies haven’t kept pace. These organizations require animals to follow very rigid structures in the form of breed standards, inspections and discrimination based on shape, color and height. Which appears to make the horse owners hypocrites.

Connemara owners should be required to follow the rules they set for their horses: They should have to be certain colors, of a certain thickness, under a certain height and lacking any deviation physically from an arbitrary description that someone made up, or they can’t participate in the society.

Let’s see how long that lasts.