Coneyskins was bred by John Manners (1676-1721), 2nd Duke of Rutland, at Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire, near Grantham, in Lincolnshire. His dam, an otherwise unidentified mare, also produced his full brother, the Duke of Kingston's Brisk (c 1703c Lister Turk). The General Stud Book records a Brisk (ch c 1711) by the Darley Arabian from Coneyskin's dam [GSB 1:378], however, this may be a confusion with Lord Lonsdale's Brisk (b c 1711 by Darley Arabian) who ran at York in 1716, for whom no dam is given [Orton:7; Baily1:3]. At the close of his turf career he was sold, first to Mr Marwood, then in 1720 to John Hutton, of Marske, near Richmond, Yorkshire.

However, there is a stallion advertisement that specifically notes that he was not the same horse as Mr Hutton's Coneyskins: "The bay Horse, called RAMPER, He was got by Old Crab; his Dam by Counsellor that got Thunderbolt; his Grandam by Hutton's Coney Skins. This was not the Rutland Horse that was of that Name. This Horse was full Brother to the Duke of Kingston's Brisk, that carried the Whip at Newmarket, and half Brother to Old Snake, they being all three got by the Lister Stradling Turk" [Pond1755].

Highflyer speculates that Rutland's Coneyskins was the same horse as the Acaster Turk. Rutland's Coneyskins also appears to have been a different horse than Hutton's Coneyskins based on their portraits. Hutton's Coneyskins is clearly shown with four white socks, although he also appears to have been a grey.

Hutton's Coneyskins has not been identified as to his pedigree and turf career although presumably he was bred in Yorkshire by John Hutton II (1657-1731) of Marske. This Coneyskins would seem to be the sire of offspring in the stud book. He was said to have had limited opportunity in the stud yet he managed to get a few significant fillies.