Able Irish draught now a rare breed

IT was the animal that ploughed the fields, brought milk churns to the creamery, and took the country family to church by trap on Sundays.

The ever-faithful Irish draught horse has been eclipsed in recent times by trendier breeds, such as the Connemara pony, even the diminutive Irish bog pony, and the leisure horses that became so popular in the Celtic Tiger era. Remember all those four-wheel drives with the obligatory horse boxes in tow? The Irish draught has long since ceased to be a working farm horse: the coming of the tractor in the mid-20th century presaged its dramatic decline.

Even so, people see more of the breed than they realise. For instance, the great majority of horses in hunts are Irish draughts, while horses used for show jumping, or eventing, are also Irish draughts, or draughts crossed with other breeds. The same can be said of other equine disciplines, such as dressage, carriage driving and Trec, a relatively new sport to this country, with obstacles to negotiate et al.

The Garda mounted unit, and police forces around the world, also use Irish draughts, said to be our only native horse breed. Carefully bred by our ancestors for its versatility, intelligence, and temperament, the draught has served us well. It has been instrumental in earning the country a reputation for producing horses capable of competing and winning in all equine disciplines.

To learn more about this horse, visit an exhibition and open day by the Irish Draught Horse Society (south-west region) in the Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co Cork, on Saturday next, January 31.

Organising committee PRO, Stephen O’Sullivan says while the Irish draught is now classified as a rare breed, it is not an endangered species. “However, we want to develop the breed and create more awareness of it, raising its profile at home and abroad. In spite of the recession, it continues to be sought after and people are still prepared to pay big money for it, with filly foals fetching from €3,000 to €8,000,” he says.

“It is a world class horse and we are justifiably proud of it. It is a living inheritance and we owe it to those who have gone before to ensure that we take care of this valuable asset and pass it on to future generations.” Attempts to preserve and sustain the future of the Irish draught are expected to be helped by the publication of a new report, commissioned by the RDS as part of its ongoing support for the breed.

Specialist breeders see the report as official recognition of a grave and ongoing threat to the endangered breed-purity of the horse. They say an emphasis on performance has resulted in the increasing decline of the breed’s defining characteristics, such as good bone density, resulting in a lighter, less robust animal.

Current breeding practices, often directed towards the production of show jumpers, have also caused a lengthening of the canon bone. The emergence of what has been described as the “modern Irish draught” has threatened the future of the traditional animal.

The old image of the draught as a big, heavy horse with excessively hairy legs and wide, plodding hoofs has all but disappeared.

While the Irish draught has played its part in social history, it is also special in that it is a horse that became an officially acknowledged breed with the establishment of its stud book in 1918.

Whereas the Connemara pony enjoys its status as Ireland’s native pony, the Irish draught horse has paid the price of its versatility, its intelligence, courage, and good temperament owing to increased confusion as to exactly what its intended function is and what it should look like.

The aim of the Millstreet exhibition, meanwhile, is to showcase the Irish draught, with plenty to see and lots of valuable information for owners, potential owners, breeders and potential breeders.

The day will kick off with a presentation of brood mares and this will be followed by displays of the draught’s versatility, including show jumping, dressage, carriage driving and Trec.

Workshops will also be held. Some of the topics to be covered will include a farriery demonstration with traditional hot shoeing; preparing a horse for showing; a presentation on equine nutritional requirements; a veterinary presentation to include general horse care, a discussion on mare fertility, and a Health and Safety Authority presentation on stable and yard safety.

Admission is free and further information is available from: Tony McGrath, chairman, 087-2549479; Adrian Flynn, secretary, 087-2603276; and Stephen O’Sullivan, PRO, 087-9490883.