Stance on horse dispute to be aired

AGRICULTURE officials will today have to account for their stance on a civil war among the breeders of traditional working horses which is threatening the survival prospects of an endangered species.

The Irish Draught Horse Society and the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association have been fighting for the right to be considered the true representative body for protecting the breed.

However, despite their differences ending up in the High Court, neither has been awarded control of the crucial studbook by the Department of Agriculture.

And today, the officials will appear before the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee to explain their decision to instead give the studbook, which ensures the integrity of the pedigree, to Horse Sport Ireland.

The studbook is the ultimate reference tool to show which horses are of an acceptable pedigree, ensuring there is no cross-breeding with lesser quality animals.

Both the warring draught horse organisations believe the HSI is more concerned with the lucrative sporting horse and would be willing to compromise the breed.

In this regard the committee is at logger-heads with the department about who should manage this book.

It wrote to Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith in November and said his department should signal a willingness to reallocate it.

It said the Irish Draught Horses were a treasured species and needed dedicated protection.