An Introduction to the Irish Horse
In his book, The Nature of Horses, Stephen Budiansky suggests that, “It is to mechanisation and affluence that the horse, at least, owes its redemption.” With neither war nor work claiming part or all of a horse’s life, he is free to be employed by humans for their enjoyment and competition. When the chief requirement of a horse was labour, his treatment focused on practical matters affecting his day to day functionality. It is only in the last forty odd years that science broadly has turned its gaze to the horse. “Science is now allowing the horse to tell his own story,” Budiansky explains, continuing, “If science does not always support our sentimental dreams and myths about the horse, it offer something more durable, more practical and often no less beautiful.”
In 2010, Drs. M Bower, E. Hill, et al published their genetic research which confirmed Irish and British native mares contribute approximately 61% to the maternal genes of the thoroughbred. Furthermore, they were able to identify the speed marker and trace it back to a source mare in the ancestral herd who lived over 300 years ago. This means that today we can still access the superior speed, toughness, strength, heart and brain of history’s original equine superstars. Modern breeding ostensibly focuses on performance in the Olympic disciplines. All major studbooks express a breeding objective which outlines the physical characteristics of the horse producing that breed or type’s particular athletic strengths. Breeding has also been largely shaped by geography until very recently. One need only look to our Native Breeds, named after the region
of their origin, fourteen of which can be found in Great Britain. In Ireland, there is the recently recognised Kerry Bog Pony, the Connemara Pony and the Irish Draught.
Kathleen Kirstan is an equine journalist who has specialised in the pedigrees of performance horses for over thirty years, published four books on the subject of breeding with her fifth due out late spring 2023 and runs the website: www.sport-horse-breeder.com/ . Kirstan’s pedigree research led to the same conclusion attained through analysis of mitochondrial DNA (DNA carried and passed on exclusively from the dam). From about 100 B.C to 1700 A.D. the Irish Hobby (‘Hobby’ derived from the Gaelic word for swift or fast) was the fastest horse on the planet according to historical testimony from a variety of legitimate sources of the age. They were exported around the globe, specifically to Europe and North America providing the reliable athleticism elemental to
performance horses.
In 2011, the Traditional Irish Horse Association was formed to identify, conserve and improve the traditional Irish horse. Though the Irish Hobby is extinct, its genetics are found in its descendants, Traditional Irish Horses: Thoroughbreds, Connemaras and Irish Draughts. These breeds still form the base of sport performance today. As our understanding of genetics, heritability and epigenetics increases seemingly from one minute to the next, science continues to point us backwards to move
forwards.
This academic approach to breeding is expected in the big budget sphere of elite performance horses but is it relevant for breeders who are not breeding for World Championships or Olympics? Absolutely - even more so. The world’s elite breeders and competitors operate within a different system of production and consumption. Conversely, grassroots breeders usually have a small choice of mares, many may have just one mare from which to produce. Often the intention is to keep the resulting foal. The financial and personal stakes are comparatively much higher. This makes it exponentially more important to give careful consideration to stallion selection.
Under the Irish Draught Horse Society of Great Britain, daughter stud book of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), Purebred Irish Draught stallions and Irish Draught Sport Horse stallions (minimum 25% proven Irish Draught breeding) must first pass a five stage vetting, including sixteen radiographs and an endoscope, prior to presentation for grading. On the day, they are subject to an additional vetting including flexion tests and wind assessment. All Inspectors, whether they are from Ireland or Great Britain, have undertaken training and assessment provided by HSI. The conformation and
athleticism of the horse is described in a linear profile chart, generated by a panel of three inspectors. Athleticism is evaluated via loose jumping and described on the profile. If the stallion has passed all veterinary requirements he will be graded as Class One or Class Two, according to his profile. All graded stallions who are currently standing at public stud can be found on the IDHSGB website with their contact details and linear profile. Potential breeders are encouraged to impartially evaluate their mare, noting both her strengths and areas for improvement. The linear profile is a terrific asset to breeders to identify which stallions would compliment their mare. In 2022, at the Horse of the Year Show, Irish Draught Horses, Traditional Irish Horses and Irish Draught Sport Horses were represented in the Show Jumping (Horse and Pony), Side Saddle, Driving, Workers, All Cob and All Hunter Divisions. For the past five years, the Kellythorpe Stud
Leading Hunter Sire has been the legendary purebred Irish Draught stallion, Crosstown Dancer. As the breeding season gets underway, savvy breeders will look to the consistent and reliable Irish Draught Horse: a horse for all seasons.
Text from article written by Sarah Bright-Phillips, published in The Showing Journal