Irish Draught
| Irish Draught | ||
|---|---|---|
 Irish Draught stallion |
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| Distinguishing features: | Powerful warmblood type | |
| Alternative names: | Irish Draft | |
| Country of origin: | Ireland | |
| Breed standards | ||
The Irish Draught horse, sometimes spelled Irish Draft, is the national breed of Ireland which developed primarily for farm use. Today, they are especially popular for crossing with Thoroughbreds, producing the popular Irish Sport Horses (or Irish Horses) that excel at the highest levels of eventing and show jumping.
History of the Irish Draught
The breed ancestors were the war horses of the 12th century, taken to Ireland by the Normans
during the
The traditional breed was bred to be docile, yet strong. They were required not only to perform the farm work of pulling carts and ploughing, but they were also used as riding horses, for fox hunting. They were also bred to be economical to keep, in the winter surviving on gorse, boiled turnips, and bran that was left over from the cow feed.
The breed flourished for a while, but numbers subsequently dropped as a result of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1849, and later agricultural recession in the 1870s. During this time, thousands of horses went to the slaughterhouse each week. After the economy improved, Clydesdales and Shire horses had to be imported from Britain to meet the demand for work horses. They were cross-bred with the remaining Irish Draught horses, producing an animal that was bigger and coarser. However, the Clydesdale was blamed for adding a lack of stamina and poor lower leg conformation to the Irish Draught. Infusions of Thoroughbred blood helped to breed out these traits, and also added more refinement, greater endurance, and better shoulder conformation.
The Irish government became involved with the breed at the beginning of the 20th century, trying to promote better horses by introducing registration and offering subsidies for stallions (in 1907) and mares (1911). Inspections for registration also began. The stud book was opened by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1917, selecting 375 mares and 44 stallions to enter as the foundation stock.
As motorized vehicles became popular, and tractors took the place of the horse on farms, Irish Draughts became increasingly popular for crossbreeding. They were well-known for producing upper-level eventers and showjumpers, and were exported across the globe. However, the purebred Irish Draught was in danger of dying out. In 1976, a small group of Irish breeders banded together to form the Irish Draught Horse Societyto preserve the breed. By 1979, a branch of the Society was formed in Great Britain. The Bord na gCapall (in Gaelic, "Irish Horse Board") was formed in 1976 specifically to promote the non-Thoroughbred horse industry[1], but later became defunct, and was replaced in 1993 by the "Irish Horse Board" (now titled in English). The IHB administers both the "Irish Sport Horse Studbook" and foal registry and maintains the Irish Draught Studbookand the Irish Draught Marebook on behalf of the Irish Draught Horse Society.
Today, the Irish Draught is mainly used for crossing with other breeds, usually lighter mares to give better bone to the offspring. The most popular cross is with the Thoroughbred, producing an Irish Sport Horse. The Irish Draught gives bone and substance to lighter stock. The breed is also used for showing, being excellent jumpers themselves. Due to its calm good sense and strength, Irish Draught geldings are popular mounts for police forces in Britain and Ireland.
- ^ Fell, A: "The Irish Draught Horse," Pages 54-55, incl.; J.A. Allen & Company, Ltd., 1991
Breed Standard
Type & Character The Irish Draught Horse is an active, short-shinned, powerful horse with substance and quality. It is proud of bearing, deep of girth and strong of back and quarters. Standing over a lot of ground, it has an exceptionally strong and sound constitution. It has an intelligent and gentle nature and is noted for its docility and sense.
Height Stallions: 15.3 h.h. to 16.3 h.h. approx. Mares: 15.1 h.h. to 16.1 h.h. approx.
Bone Good, strong, clean bone.
Head Good, bold eyes, set well-apart, long, well-set ears, wide of forehead. Head should be generous and pleasant, not coarse or hatchet-headed, though a slight Roman nose is permissible. The jaw bones should have enough room to take the gullet and allow ease of breathing
Shoulders, Neck and Front Shoulders should be clean-cut and not loaded, withers well-defined, not coarse; the neck set in high and carried proudly. The chest should not be too broad and beefy, the forearms should be long and muscular, not caught in at the elbow; the knee large and generous, set near the ground; the cannon bone straight and short, with plenty of flat, clean bone, never back of the knee (calf kneed), i.e. not sloping forward from knee to fetlock. The bone must not be round and coarse. The legs should be clean and hard, with a little hair permissible at the back of the fetlock as necessary protection; the pastern strong and in proportion, not short and upright nor too long and weak. The hoof should be generous and sound, not boxy or contracted and there should be plenty of room at the heel.
Back, Hindquarters, Body & Hind Legs The back to be powerful, the girth very deep, the loins must not be weak but the mares must have enough room to carry the foal. The croup to buttocks to be long and sloping, not short and rounded or flat topped; hips not wide and plain; thighs strong and powerful and at least as wide from the back view as the hips; the second thighs long and well developed; the hock near the ground and generous, points not too close together or wide apart but straight, they should not be out behind the horse but should be in line from the back and the quarters to the heel to the ground, they should not be over bent or in any way weak. The cannon bone, etc, as for the foreleg short and strong.
Feet The feet should not be those of a carthorse, but more of a hunter. They should be able to withstand a great amount of concussion, including that from jumping and hard surfaces. Indeed, this is the reason why the Irish Draught is so popular in the breeding of show jumpers.
Action Smooth and free but without exaggeration and not heavy or ponderous. Walk and trot to be straight and true with good flexion in the hocks and freedom of the shoulders.
Colour Any strong whole colour, including greys. White leg, above the knees or hocks, not desirable.
Famous Irish Draughts and Part-bred Irish Draughts
- King of Diamonds: Irish Draught stallion most famous for producing top show jumpers, including Special Envoy and Mill Pearl
- Special Envoy: top show jumper for Brazil, ridden first by Nelson Pessoa, and then by his son Rodrigo.
- Mill Pearl: was ridden by Joe Fargis in the United States. She was a Team Silver Medalist at 1988 Olympics
- Clover Hill: Top class Irish Draught stallion who produced Carling King and Cagney, top international show jumpers.
External links
- Irish Horse Board, Ireland (maintains stud books for Irish Draught Horse and Irish Sport Horse)
- Irish Draught Horse Society, Ireland
- The Irish Draught Horse Society, Great Britain
- The Irish Draught and Sport Horse Society, Australia
- Irish Draught Horse Society of North America
- Irish Draught Horse Society of Canada
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