Irish Draught Horses

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When you write online articles, you have to remember that content is king. When you think of horses, remember Ireland. Ireland is a country where horse is king. Irish horses have been around for so many centuries already and so the Irish people have shared a special relationship with their horses.

For so many centuries, Ireland is mainly an agricultural country.  Irish farmers needed a different kind of horse that’s tailored to the Irish farming conditions. In answer to this need, they started developing a lighter and more adaptable breed which could help them in working the land, transporting their products to the marketplace, fox hunting and family outings. They needed a horse with power, superior bone structure and exceptional personality.

The name, “Irish Draught” was given by the English horse dealers who went to Ireland to buy Irish horses. During the 20th century, Ireland’s economy became unstable. Irish farms also adopted the newly introduced farming machineries. Since then, the Irish Draught started to decline. Fortunately, the Irish Draught horses were saved in 1976. Irish Draught breeders realized the great importance of the Irish Draught horses. So, they came together at the West End Bar in County Cork. At the end of their discussions, the breeders decided to form a society all for the sake of their beloved, Irish Draught Horses.

They established the Irish Draught Horse Society (IDHS) Limited. As of today, the Irish Draught is considered to be endangered yet its popularity is growing worldwide. To enrich the breed’s genetic diversity as well as to preserve their traits, the Irish Draught Horse Society of Ireland with two other organizations, have combined their efforts in researching and coming up with better breeding plans. Altogether, their efforts are deemed for the survival of Ireland’s national horse breed.

The Irish Draught stallions stand between 15.3 to 16.3 hands high while the mares are 15.1 to 16.1 hands high. They good and strong bone structure, bold eyes, well set ears, wide forehead, well-defined withers, clean and hard legs. They are bold and distinct. They come in solid colors which includes grey. They learn quickly and they’re smart as well.

The Irish Draught do almost anything that you command them to do, whether its dressage, jumping, hunting, eventing and everyday leisure riding. They are also used as a foundation breed for the Irish Sport Horse.