 | |
 | |
| Conservation status | FAO (2007):not at risk [1] : 66 |
|---|---|
| Other names |
|
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Use | |
| Traits | |
| Height |
|
| Colour | any |
| Breed standards | |
The Irish Sport Horse (ISH), or Irish Hunter, is an Irish horse breed used mostly for eventing and show-jumping. Historically the ISH was bred by crossing Irish Draught and Thoroughbred stock, and the breed was formalised in the 1920s. [4] [3]
The Irish Sport Horse should have the proportions and functionality of a performance horse at international levels, move straight and balanced with good carriage, and jump well. It has good bone , a short back and strong loins, muscular hindquarters, a sloping shoulder, deep chest, and a long neck. The ISH has a good temperament which is willing, sensible, and steadfast. Horses may be of any color, and the standard describes stallions as being generally taller than 160 cm (15.3 h) and mares 150 to 161 cm (14.3 to 15.3 h). [5] [6]
According to the registration rules of the Irish Draught Horse Society of Canada,
The Irish Draught Sport Horse is a versatile, powerful and athletic animal with substance and quality. It has a pleasant head, good bone and a short shin, good spring of rib, strong loins and hindquarters and an active powerful stride. Known for its good temperament, docility and willing nature, it has a robust constitution and is inherently sound. [7]
The main two components of the Irish Sport Horse are the Irish Draught (RID) [a] and Thoroughbred breeds. Historically, Irish hunters were classified by weight typically based on the percentage of Thoroughbred blood—heavyweight hunters were either 100% Irish Draught or 1/4 Thoroughbred cross, mediumweight were half Thoroughbred, and lightweight were 3/4 Thoroughbred.
The Irish Sport Horse received a small (5%) infusion of warmblood blood in the 1990s from crosses with Hanoverian, Selle Français and Trakehner horses. [3] In recent years, European warmbloods have been used to cross with RID to make Irish Sport Horses because the warmbloods mature faster than Thoroughbreds. [8] [4] [9] According to Emily Donoho, "while [adding warmbloods] increases genetic diversity and gets more Irish horses in the showjumping ring, some competitors and breeders are concerned that the traditional TB-ID lines are being lost". [5] A report from a study of Irish Draught genetics recognized the importance of ID genes in producing high quality contemporary sport horses, however it pointed out the difficulties because of the small population size of the endangered Irish Draught, and the problems of dilution on second and third generations without additional infusion of ID blood. [10]
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) maintains the Irish Sport Horse Studbook by authority of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. [11] [12] HSI also maintains a category for Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) which is a designation for horses with only Irish Sport Horse, Irish Draught, Thoroughbred, and Connemara Pony in their pedigrees. [13]
The Australian society, established in 1989, requires an Irish Sport Horse to have at least 25% Irish Draught and no other breeds except Thoroughbred, they require an inspection to enter the studbook, and use the standards of the Irish studbook. [14] [12] The North American society, established in 1993, requires 1/4 RID (verified through DNA) and an inspection. They do have an uninspected classification which allows as little as 1/8 RID. [15]
The Irish Sport Horse is a successful competition riding horse, used primarily in eventing where its qualities of speed, jumping strength, scope and courage are best used. It also does well in show-jumping and dressage. The Irish Sport Horse Studbook is highly placed in the annual rankings of eventing competitions by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses, placing first amongst the other breeds in every year from 1994 to 2018, except for two years. [b] [8] [5] [16] According to Donoho, the ISH "dominates eventing" including at such top level competitions at Badminton, Burghley, the Olympics, and world championships. [5]
Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds primarily originating in Europe and registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport.
The Friesian is a horse breed originating in Friesland in north Netherlands. The breed nearly became extinct on more than one occasion. It is classified as a light draught horse, and the modern day Friesian horse is used for riding and driving. The Friesian horse is most known for its all-black coat colour, its long flowing mane and tail, feathering on its legs, a high head carriage, and high stepping action.
The Hanoverian or Hannoveraner is a German breed or stud-book of warmblood sport horse. As with other German warmblood breeds, eligibility for registration depends on performance rather than ancestry.
The Oldenburg or Oldenburger is a warmblood horse from the north-western corner of Lower Saxony, what was formerly the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. The breed was built on a mare base of all-purpose farm and carriage horses, today called the Alt-Oldenburger. The modern Oldenburg is managed by the Association of Breeders of the Oldenburger Horse, which enacts strict selection of breeding stock to ensure that each generation is better than the last. Oldenburgers are tall sport horses with excellent gaits and jumping ability. The breeding of Oldenburg horses is characterized by very liberal pedigree requirements and the exclusive use of privately owned stallions rather than restriction to a state-owned stud farm.
The Selle Français (SF) is a breed of sport horse from France. An athletic horse with good gaits, it is usually bay or chestnut in color. The Selle Français was created in 1958 when several French riding horse breeds were merged into one stud book. The new breed was meant to serve as a unified sport horse during a period when horses were being replaced by mechanization and were transforming into an animal used mainly for sport and leisure.
The Holsteiner is a horse breed originating in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany. It is thought to be the oldest of warmblood breeds, tracing back to the 13th century. Though the population is not large, Holsteiners are a dominant force of international show jumping, and are found at the top levels of dressage, combined driving, show hunters, and eventing.
A Dutch Warmblood or KWPN is a horse breed of warmblood type registered with the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands [Koninklijk Warmbloed Paardenstamboek Nederland] (KWPN), which governs the breeding of competitive dressage and show jumping horses, as well as the show harness horse and Gelderlander, and a hunter studbook in North America. Developed through a breeding program that began in the 1960s, the Dutch Warmbloods are some of the most successful competition horses developed in postwar Europe.
The Irish Draught horse is the national horse breed of Ireland which developed primarily for farm use. Today, they are especially popular for crossing with Thoroughbreds and warmbloods, producing the popular Irish Sport Horses which excel at the highest levels of eventing and show jumping.
A sport horse or sporthorse is a type of horse, rather than any particular breed. The term is usually applied to horses bred for the traditional Olympic equestrian sporting events of dressage, eventing, show jumping, and combined driving, but the precise definition varies. In the United States, horses used in hunt seat and show hunter competition are often classed as sport horses, whereas the British show hunter is classified as a "show horse."
The Swedish Warmblood is a Swedish breed of warmblood horse. It was originally bred as a cavalry horse at the Strömsholm, Ottenby and Flyinge studs. In the twentieth century it became a general-purpose riding and sport horse. It performs well in dressage, show-jumping and three-day eventing, and also as a harness horse.
The American Warmblood is a horse of warmblood type, intended primarily for the traditional sport horse disciplines of dressage, show jumping, eventing and combined driving.
The Belgian Warmblood or Belgisch Warmbloedpaard is a Belgian breed of warmblood sport horse. It is bred principally for show-jumping, but is also suitable for dressage and for three-day eventing. It is one of three Belgian warmblood breeds or stud-books, the others being the Zangersheide and the Belgian Sport Horse – to which last it is quite similar.
The Westphalian or Westfalen is a warmblood horse bred in the Westphalia region of western Germany. The Westphalian is closely affiliated with the state-owned stud farm of Warendorf, which it shares with the Rhinelander. Since World War II, the Westphalian horse has been bred to the same standard as the other German warmbloods, and they are particularly famous as Olympic-level show jumpers and dressage horses. Next to the Hanoverian, the Westphalian studbook has the largest breeding population of any warmblood in Germany.
The Bavarian Warmblood is a horse breed of southern Germany that developed from an older Bavarian heavy warmblood breed called the Rottaler. Since mechanization in the mid-20th century, the Bavarian Regional Horse Breeders' Society has concentrated on producing a riding horse for the Olympic disciplines and recreational riding based on other European warmblood bloodlines.
An Austrian Warmblood is a warmblood type of horse registered with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Warmblutzucht in Österreich. Although the studbook is made up of jumping and dressage horses from many other countries, the mare base consists of native horses with a long history. The AWÖ keeps an open studbook, in which mares and stallions must pass rigorous inspections before becoming breeding stock.
The Belgian Sport Horse, Dutch: Belgisch Sportpaard, French: Cheval de Sport Belge, is a Belgian breed of warmblood sport horse. It is one of three Belgian warmblood breeds or stud-books, the others being the Belgian Warmblood and the Zangersheide. It is bred for dressage, for show-jumping and for three-day eventing.
The Zangersheide is a Belgian breed or stud-book of warmblood sport horses. It is one of three Belgian warmblood breeds or stud-books, the others being the Belgian Sport Horse and the Belgian Warmblood.
The Polish Half-bred or Polish Noble Half-bred, Polish: Polski koń szlachetny półkrwi, is a modern Polish breed of warmblood sport horse. Breeding began in the 1960s. Mares of the traditional Polish Malopolski, Wielkopolski and Silesian Warmblood sport horse breeds were crossed with stallions of Western European breeds of established competitive ability. It was bred for competition in dressage, showjumping and eventing, but may also be used for recreational riding or amateur sports. It is one of four warmblood sport horses in Poland.
The British Warmblood is British inspection-based stud-book of sport horse. Like other warmblood stud-books it is commonly considered to be a breed. It derives from European sport horses including the Hanoverian, the Dutch Warmblood and the Danish Warmblood.
