Irish Sports Horses

[sallym]

Can anyone tell me exactly what these are? It's a term I've heard only fairly recently and I'm curious. Is it a breed, a type or just a description of origin?

We have two at our yard who came from different dealers and both described as Irish sports horses. They're as different as chalk and cheese! One is about 15hh and quite finely built and the other is about 16hh and quite heavily built but without feathers.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Thanks

Sally

[rache]

Irish TB and Irish Draught crosses = irish sport horse

They can vary in there breeding and if there more of one breed than the other

[sallym]

Ah ha! Thanks Rache. So it's what I'd always seen described before as Irish draft X TB. This explains the difference between the two I know.

[katieB]

Ive got an Irish Sport Horse, she has more TB in her. The finer horse at your yard has probably got more TB in her/him, and other way round for the other horse :)

[Casey76]

According the the Americal Irish Sport Horse Association the horse has to be at least 1/8 Registered Irish Draught to qualify as an Irish Sport Horse.

Hope this helps!;)

[katieB]

Yeah I was going to say, not all IDxTBs are classed as Irish Sport Horses, I knew there was some kind of exception but I didnt know what! :rolleyes:

[horsemad]

My Cindy is an Irish Sports Horse - ID mother and TB father.

There does seem to be a difference in the build of Irish Sports horses - some finer than others. My horse has got a fine, pretty head (although there is nothing 'fine' about her body - she is a good strong hefty lass, with a neck crest like a stallion :D )

I've often wondered - does the build/appearance of an ISH depend on whether the sire or dam is an Irish Draught?

[katieB]

Hmm, not sure horsemad. Ive got a record of Ellies sire and dam but it doesnt say whether theyre ID or TB. I wonder if the Irish Horse Society would be able to tell me?
Would you say Cindy is more ID than TB?

[sallym]

I just found this on the Irish Draft Sport Horse web site:

The Irish Draught Sport Horse is recognized by North America (IDHS-NA and IDHS-Can) as a crossbred animal with a portion** of RID (Registered Irish Draught) blood.

The Irish Sport Horse is recognized by the Irish Horse Board, as an animal of ANY breeding, which MAY OR MAY NOT have Irish Draught blood in its pedigree.

For example, an ArabxTB, TBxConnemara, Pure TB or RIDxTB may all be classified as an Irish Sport Horse. But in North America, only the cross with RID blood is classified as an Irish Draught Sport Horse.

It should be understood that the IDSH is not a special breed or a product of an “American” breeding program. It is just a new moniker aimed at educating the public about the Irish Draught blood that is so prevalent in many of the top performance animals.

This explains why one looks more like ID and the other more like a Connemara X TB I used to ride.

Thanks for all the info everyone.

Sally

[nat17]

I had a papered Irish sports horse yearling filly called Calma last year. I will have a look at the papers when I get home to see wha info they have on.:)

Sally is the Irish draught sports horse the same as a ISH? :confused:

[sallym]

Nat17

I think if I understand the bit I copied from the web above, in North America the IDSH has to contain a minimum of registered ID blood, but in Europe other crosses that don't contain ID in the breeding are recognised as Irish sport horses - hence the TB X Connemara possibilty. So they can be the same breeding but not necessarily. Confusing isn't it?

I have to say, whatever their exact breeding, they're lovely horses!

Best wishes

Sally

[tasha]

There is a difference - ISH are Irish TB x ID, not just TB x ID.

[horsemad]

Originally posted by katieB
Hmm, not sure horsemad. Ive got a record of Ellies sire and dam but it doesnt say whether theyre ID or TB. I wonder if the Irish Horse Society would be able to tell me?
Would you say Cindy is more ID than TB?

Hi Katie

I know Cindy's breeding because it is in her passport. You could try the Irish Horse Society if she is registered....not sure....

I think Cindy's body shape definitely shows her ID breeding - she is quite 'chunky' , although as I said earlier, she does have a finer head than many other IDxTBs I've seen.

As for her temperament, I think she is ID 95% of the time - sensible, laid back, doesn't over-exert herself. But just occasionally the TB genes come out - and my placid old mare turns into a prancing, cantering on the spot racehorse:D

What is Ellie's temperament like?

[sallym]

Thanks Tasha

It's all becoming clear now. I thought this was a simple question when I asked it!

Sally

[katieB]

Ellie can be a bit of both I think. She is lovely to be around, very affectionate and has a huge personality. Some days she will be really gentle and just stand there wanting cuddles and other days (like today) she will leap around like an idiot! To ride, friends say she feeds off me, she knows I quite like a furious gallop and dont mind the odd buck but I think if she had someone on her back that needed looking after she would be as good as gold. My little sister has been on her with no problems :)

[ggabby]

katie, whos ellies sire. dam, cant remember, on you redg it will tell you if they are tb/id/ or ish , after the name .

[katieB]

Ellies sire is Holycross who was an Irish Draught and her Dam was Kildinian Lass who was an Irish Sport Horse. I think she takes after her mum :)

[horsemad]

Originally posted by katieB
To ride, friends say she feeds off me, she knows I quite like a furious gallop and dont mind the odd buck but I think if she had someone on her back that needed looking after she would be as good as gold. My little sister has been on her with no problems :)

:D :D That sounds familiar! I've given up trying to canter Cindy in a field because she gets too excited, tosses her head, bounds forward and takes off with me.:eek: The same horse will plod around the indoor school like a seaside donkey - I had my friend's 5 year old daughter on her recently, and Cindy was as quiet and docile as anything.

I think its called 'character':D :D

[Lucy J]

ciara is irish sports horse. everything in her bloodlines is irish tb (all Grade 1 race winners!) except on her dams side her dam is tb but her mum was tbxid.

if you looked at ciara you would say she was tb, you can't see any ID in her at all.

[Lucy J]

ihb@ihb.ie

is the email address of the irish horse board who maintain the ISH stud book. if you email them the will be able to explain the breeding requirements and proof of breeding necessary to have a horse registered in the ISH stud book....