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Irish Draft horse

Country Of Origin	Ireland
History and Background	The breed originated from the Irish Hobby, a small ambling horse with many similarities to the primitive Garrano and Sorraia horses of Northern Spain and Portugal. War horses brought to Ireland during the Anglo-Norman invasions were bred with this local stock and later, additional Iberian blood was incorporated as Spanish horses from the shipwrecked Armada found their way ashore near Cork and the South West of Ireland. Clydesdale, Thoroughbred and half-bred sires were used on the local Draft mares in the 19th century and early 20th century, and a sprinkling of native Connemara pony blood added to form the breed known as the Irish Draft today. This breed was bred to be docile, yet strong. They were required not only to perform the farm work of pulling carts and plowing, but they were also used as riding and hunt horses, and during the Great European Wars, as army artillery horses. Irish Drafts were bred to be economical to keep, surviving on grass and gorse, and on any boiled turnips, oats and bran left over from cattle feed. The Irish government became involved with the breed at the beginning of the 20th century to promote better horses. They offered subsidies, and introduced registration for stallions in 1907 and mares in 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. Clydesdales horses were imported from Britain to meet the demand for plow horses in the heavy soil agricultural areas and also as heavy haulage horses in Dublin and other cities. Clydes were cross-bred with the Irish Draft horses in these areas, producing an animal that was taller and coarser. However, the Clydesdale was blamed for adding a lack of stamina, and poor limb and quarter conformation to the Irish Draft and so this practice was discontinued. Infusions of Thoroughbred blood helped to breed out some of these traits, and also added more refinement, greater endurance, and better shoulder conformation. The Irish draft breed flourished for a while, but numbers subsequently dropped as a result of death losses during the Great Wars, and the mechanization of the mid-20th century. During the latter period, thousands of horses went to the slaughterhouse each week as farm horses were sold to pay for tractors. In 1976, a small group of Irish breeders banded together to form the Irish Draft Horse Society and preserve the breed. By 1979, a branch of the Society was formed in Great Britain. Bord na gCapall ("Irish Horse Board" in Irish) was formed in 1976 specifically to promote the non-Thoroughbred horse industry, but was disbanded in the 1980s. The Irish Horse Board (IHB) was founded as a co-operative society in 1993 and administers the Irish Horse Register, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook and the Irish Draft Horse Studbook on behalf of the Department of Agriculture. Since the evolution of showjumping in Ireland, Irish Drafts have been popular for crossbreeding. They are well known for producing upper-level eventers and show jumpers, and are exported across the globe. Today's Irish Draft is used mainly as a foundation animal for crossing with other breeds to produce sport horses. The most popular cross is the Thoroughbred or Continental Warmblood stallion used on the purebred or partbred Irish Draft mare to produce the Irish Sport Horse (or Irish Draft Sport Horse). The Irish Draft dam passes on bone, substance, and a more sensible temperament to her crossbred offspring. The breed is also used for hunting and showing, being excellent jumpers themselves. Due to its calm good sense and strength, Irish Draft geldings are popular mounts for police forces in Britain and Ireland. Ironically, it is the Irish Draft's popularity as a foundation animal for the production of sport horses that has put the breed at risk a second time. Many Irish Draft mares never breed a purebred replacement for the herd. Aggressive selection for show jumping characteristics has degraded the foundation stock, and inbreeding to a few popular performance bloodlines has further endangered the genetic diversity of the breed. The Irish Draft is considered an "endangered maintained" breed by the Food and Agriculture Committee of the United Nations. In 2009, the breed was upgraded to the "Watch" category on the American Livestock Breed Conservancy's Rare Breed Conservation Priority List. The Irish Draft Horse Society of Ireland, with support from the Royal Dublin Society and technical assistance from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation, have spearheaded research into a breeding plan to improve genetic diversity, and to maintain the traditional breed traits that are the defining characteristics of the Irish Draft breed.
Use Today	Competition horse, Pleasure horse, Riding horse
Height	15.2 to 16 hands high (60.8-66.4 inches, 154-159 centimeters)
Colour	Bay, Chestnut
Characteristics	Type & Character The Irish Draft 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. 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 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. 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.
Personality and Temperament	The Irish Draft has a docile, gentle nature. It an intelligent, sensible horse, very active and powerful and a quick learner. This is a horse that is willing, safe to ride and takes care of its rider.
Other Considerations	The horse is mainly used for riding and hunting. It also participates in jumping, eventing, dressage and driving events. Cross-breeding the Irish Draft with Thoroughbred horses, leads to first rate competition horses.