A strong, solid, yet elegant horse, the Irish Draught is an excellent jumper. Irish Draught Horse Society North America
Irish Draught Horse Society of North America
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Though the name might imply it, the Irish Draught is not a draft horse in the usual sense of that category. While having the strength and even temperament of the working horse, the Irish Draught is neither as massive nor as heavily feathered as draft horses, and has movement that is smooth, free, and ground-covering without being heavy or ponderous. (An alternative spelling of “draught” is “draft” and it is pronounced the same way).
The Irish Draught is heralded as the world’s best field hunter and can perform with style in harness. It is also impressive in dressage, and excels in eventing and show jumping.
The development of this breed began long before it had a name. Over a century of selection has produced a warmblooded breed that is sound with good bone, substance, and quality. Standing over a lot of ground, the Irish Draught has an exceptionally strong and sound constitution, great stamina, and an uncanny jumping ability. In addition, it has a fabulous, willing, intelligent, docile, and commonsense temperament.
The Irish Draught can take care of its rider in all types of situations and makes a perfect mount for children, amateurs, and adult riders. It possesses the ability and versatility to be an ideal family horse. Such exceptional qualities also make the Irish Draught an invaluable and irreplaceable element in the production of the highly successful Irish Draught Sport Horse.
Versatility, heart, athleticism, kind temperament, and easy-keeping attributes have been hallmarks of the Irish Draught and Irish Draught Sport Horse, instilled centuries ago, into what has become the athletes they are today.
History
The Irish Draught is a native Irish breed and has been in existence for centuries, though it has been nearly lost on several occasions. Ireland’s soil, climate, and culture make it the most horse-friendly place on earth. The Irish Draught has benefited from this environment for longer than any other type of horse and, over time, has evolved into Ireland’s unique contribution to the equine world.
It traces its roots back to Celtic times on its island home when horses were raced in ancient festivals or pulled chariots in epic battles. Influences of Spanish and Norman blood were added to that of the native ponies and Hobbies, which gradually evolved into animals with versatility beyond what the name “Irish Draught” implies.
This versatility in native horses of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century was needed by Irish farmers, who required more than what the popular heavy draft could provide. They needed an animal that could work the land throughout the week, go fox-hunting Saturday and jump anything it faced, and then be ready to bring the family to church on Sunday. It had to be docile, strong, and economical to keep. Its traditional winter feed was young gorse bushes chopped up, boiled turnips, and bran or meal that could be spared from the cows. It was from this need that the Irish Draught was born.
During periods of poverty and famine in Ireland’s history, many breeders gave up breeding their horses, and large numbers of the heavy horses were sold as meat. Many were also exported for use in the military, where they served as remounts and artillery horses in various European conflicts. This practice continues to this day, although the horses are now used mostly as police mounts and for military ceremonial work.
The Irish Draught’s major role, however, was that of the farmer’s equine partner. In the countryside, it lived and worked closely with its farming family. Tilling fields during the week, hunting on weekends, and carting the family around, it served as an athletic, versatile, hardy, and durable companion.
In 1917, Ireland’s Department of Agriculture recognized the Irish Draught as a distinct breed and established a stud book for horses of “Irish Draught type.”
Irish (Draught) Sport Horse
A complete package in its purest form, the Irish Draught must also be acknowledged for its potent and unparalleled contribution in the creation of that magical cross, the Irish (Draught) Sport Horse, which has been so successful at international levels in eventing and show jumping.
Ever since show jumping had its birth in Ireland and went on to become an international sport at the end of the nineteenth century, the Irish Draught has played a major role in this event and in the sport horse world at large. During the turn of the twentieth century, farmers were also breeding their purebred mares to Thoroughbred stallions, producing a wonderful cross known as the Irish Draught Sport Horse. The even temperament, durability, and power of the Irish Draught mixed with the speed and athleticism of the Thoroughbred created a potent blend.
World famous for jumping and cross-country ability, the Irish Draught/Thoroughbred cross is not only a top caliber international athlete, but can serve as a perfect novice mount, adeptly boosting the confidence of a lower level rider. Although there have been crosses with other breeds, such as top quality warmbloods, Arabians, and Quarter Horses that are showing great promise, it is still the Registered Irish Draughts crossed with Thoroughbred, that has achieved and maintained worldwide fame.
This magical cross is referred to simply as the Irish Sport Horse (ISH) in Europe. Since this name is applied today to all Horse Sport Ireland registered animals of any breeding, however, the name has been modified in North America to Irish Draught Sport Horse. While this may seem confusing, there is a reason for the different names. The Sport Horse is recognized by the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America (IDHSNA) and Irish Draught Horse Society of Canada as a crossbred animal with a portion of Registered Irish Draught (RID) blood. The Irish Sport Horse, as recognized by Horse Sport Ireland, is an animal bred in Ireland of any breeding, which may or may not have Irish Draught blood in its pedigree. For example: an Arabian crossed with a Thoroughbred, a Thoroughbred crossed with a Connemara, or a pure Thoroughbred or an RID crossed with a Thoroughbred may all be classified as an Irish Sport Horse by Horse Sport Ireland. In North America, however, only a cross with RID blood is classified as an Irish Draught Sport Horse.
The Irish Draught Sport Horse is not a special breed, or a product of a U.S. breeding program; it is simply a moniker aimed at educating the public about the Irish Draught blood that is so prevalent in many of the top performance animals. Whether the cross is known as an Irish Draught Sport Horse, an Irish Sport Horse, or even an Irish Hunter, if there is Irish Draught blood running in those veins, it is one great horse!
Examples of this are horses like Cruising, Cagney, Ado Annie, Flexible, Carling King, and Hopes Are High, some of the shining stars of the Grand Prix circuit. Others like McKinlaigh, Custom Made, Supreme Rock, Giltedge, and Sailing have thrilled the eventing world. In fact, McKinlaigh earned an individual silver medal for eventing at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Preservation of the Purebred
Although the success of this cross fueled an economical upswing for the Irish, the sport horse breeding boon left many high-quality purebred mares reproducing crossbreds, severely reducing the number of purebred daughters. Falling numbers of breeding purebreds has posed a serious threat to the continuance of the breed. It was this eventual decline in numbers that saw the pure Irish Draught, while busy creating international super horses, be listed as At Risk with the Equus Survival Trust by 2008.
Fortunately, with a total world herd of less than 2,500 horses, the purebred has developed a new following of enthusiastic and dedicated breeders who want to preserve and perpetuate the much sought-after qualities of the purebred. The breed is currently experiencing a resurgence of both the outcross and rare lines
Registry and Inspections
The IDHSNA was established in 1993 and fosters appreciation for both the Irish Draught and the Irish Draught Sport Horse. It maintains a registry and stud books for qualified Irish Draught and part Irish Draught horses in North America. It is recognized by the Irish Draught Horse Society (IDHS) in Ireland and the Irish Horse Board, as is the IDHS of Canada, another recognized daughter society of the IDHS in Ireland.
Both societies in North America organize an annual inspection tour conducted by qualified Irish inspectors, provided by the IDHS in Ireland, to approve horses in the stud books of the daughter societies. This supports high standards of breeding and quality so North American Irish Draughts remain true to type. Every breeding purebred Irish Draught is required to be presented at an official inspection in order to be added to the official stud book.
Any purebred horse brought forward for inspection must be from approved parents; sport horses applying for breeding approval must have one approved parent. Mares and geldings may be presented at any time after two years of age, and stallions any time after three years of age. The inspections are carried out by a team of qualified Irish Draught inspectors, selected from the ranks of approved judges from within the IDHS in Ireland.
Mares and stallions in North America are required to pass the physical inspection for breed type. Conformation, movement, temperament, and athletic ability via loose line jumping are part of the inspection criteria. A medical exam is also performed by an attending veterinarian. Upon successful inspection, mares and stallions are registered into the stud book and carry “RID” after their names, or “RIDSH” for approved sport horses. Horses that fail the inspection are given an opportunity to be brought forward at a later date, as some take time to mature fully.
Standards
Type and character: The Irish Draught is an active, short shinned, powerful horse with substance and quality, 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 is graceful and surefooted, courageous and athletic, and possesses an inherent jumping ability. In addition to all these qualities, the Irish Draught has an intelligent, willing, people-oriented nature and is noted for its even temperament and common sense.
Height: Stallions are generally between 15.3 and 16.3 hands, while mares are generally between 15.1 and 16.1 hands. (Taller individuals may be accepted, as long as they meet the majority of Irish Draught standards.)
Bone: The Irish Draught has good, strong, clean bone.
Head: The horse has large, bold eyes, set well apart, as well as a wide forehead and long, well set ears. Head should be generous and pleasant, not coarse or hatchet headed, though a slight Roman nose is permissible. The jawbones 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, and withers are well defined, not coarse. The neck set in high and carried proudly, showing good length of rein. The chest should not be too broad and beefy. The forearms should be long and muscular, not caught in at the elbows, with the knee being large, generous, and set near the ground. The cannon bone should be straight and short with plenty of flat, clean bone, never back at the knee (calf-kneed)—that is, not sloping forward from knee to fetlock. The bone must not be round or coarse. The legs should be clean and hard with a little hair permissible at the back of the fetlock as a necessary protection. The pastern is strong and in proportion, not short and upright, or 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 and hindquarters: The back should be powerful, the girth deep. The loin must not be weak, but mares must have enough room to carry a foal. The croup to buttocks should be long and sloping, not short and rounded or flat topped, and hips are not wide and plain. From the back view, thighs are strong and powerful and at least as wide as the hips, with the second thighs long and developed. The hocks are near the ground and generous. Points of the hocks are 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 weak. The cannon bone for the foreleg should be short and strong.
Action: Movement should be smooth and free, without exaggeration and not heavy or ponderous. Walk and trot should be straight and true with good flexion in the hocks and freedom of the shoulders.
Color: The Irish Draught can come in any strong, whole color, including gray. White legs above the knees or hocks are not desirable, and paint/pinto patterns are not permissible.
Credit: Irish Draught Horse Society of North America