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Type & Character The Irish Draught Horse is an active, shortlegged, powerful horse with substance and quality. It is proud 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.
Height Stallions - 15.3hh to 16.3hh approx. Mares - 15.1hh to 16.1hh approx. 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 course or hatchet-headed, though a slight Roman nose is permissable. The jaw bones should have enough room to take the gullet and allow ease of breathing.	Fargo is linebred to Errigal (above) Errigal is the sire of the great King of Diamonds
Shoulders, Neck & 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 elbows, the knee large and generous, set near the ground; the cannon bone straight and short, with plenty of flat, clean bone, never back at the knee (calf-kneed), i.e. not sloping forward from knee to fetlock. The bone must not be round and course. The legs should be clean and hard, with a little hair permissible at the back of the fetlock, as necessary protection; the pasterns strong and in proportion, not short and upright, nor too long and weak. The hoof should be generous and sound, not boxy or contratced 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 a foal. The croup to buttocks are to be long and sloping, not short and rounded and not 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 hocks 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 of the quarters to the heel to the ground, they should not be overbent or in any way weak. The cannon bone, etc., as for the foreleg, short and strong.
Action Smooth and free without exaggeration and not heavy or ponderous. Walk and trot to be straight and true with good flexion of the hocks and freedom of the shoulders. Colour Any strong whole color, including greys. White legs, above the knees or hocks, not desirable.
History Ireland's soil, climate and culture makes 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 the centuries has evolved into Ireland's unique contribution to the equine world. Tracing its roots back to Celtic times on its island home when the first imported horses raced at ancient festivals or pulled chariots in epic battles, it has gradually evolved into an animal with versatility far beyond what its name implies. At the Battle of Waterloo the victorious Duke of Wellington was mounted on an Irish black called Copenhagen that was bought at the fair of Cahirmee in County Cork, while Napolean's horse Marengo was bred in Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford. Down the centuries international writers on equine matters have had words of praise for the horse of the Irish countryside. In 1850 Thomas Blundeville wrote in his book Riding and Breeding of Great Horses - " They be tender mouthed, nimble, light pleasant and apt to be taught." In Wares Antiquities of the 16th Century the Italian Raphael Coalaternus is quoted as declaring that Ireland possessed "worthy corn and excellent horses". In 1520 John Mayor said Ireland of the time produced horses "whose pace was of the gentlest". In one of Irelands ancient legends "The wooing of Emer" the two steeds drawing warrior Cuchulainn's chariot were described as "alike in size, beauty and speed". Under Irish Brehon Law, said to date from the early centuries A.D. the criteria for equine quality in Celtic times were thus enumerated - " A big horse, sound, young, noble, high headed, load carrying, lively hearted broad breasted, haughty, easy bearing, slender legged, well descended."
Versatility While having the strength and placid temperament of the working horse, the Irish Draught is not simply a draught in the usual application of that word to the equine. Rather as it evolved on both the small and large farms of the Irish Countryside it has been imbued with the qualities of a riding and sporting horse as well. Greater size of horse was imported into Ireland by the Normans. There was a further upgrading through an infusion of Spanish Andalusian blood. In more recent centuries when crossed with the thoroughbred the Irish Draught has been the basic ingredient of the famous Irish Charger of warfare, of the Irish hunter and eventually of the ideal showjumping and competition Irish Sport Horse.
Competing on the World Stage Ever since showjumping had its birth in Ireland and went on to become an international sport at the end of the 19th Century, the Irish Draught Horse has played a major role. The even temperament, durability and athleticism of the Irish Draught, upgraded in crosses with the thoroughbred, has created a potent mix which is well up to the demands of modern day showjumping. Some examples of Irish Sport Horses sired by Registered Irish Draught Stallions include Mill Pearl (ISH) for the United States Equestrian team, Special Envoy (ISH) for Brazil, the stallion Cruising (ISH) on Ireland's resurgent side that recently won three major Nations Cup events in 1995 - Aachen, Kerrygold Dublin and Calgary. Cruising was also in the team that won the Nations Cup in Dublin in 1997. Also in 1995 there was the unique double at the Royal International at Hickstead when Marion Hughes won the Queens Cup on Flo Jo (ISH) by Clover Hill (RID) and Robert Splaine took the Kings Cup on Heather Blaze (ISH) by Diamond Lad (RID). More recent examples of Irish Sport Horses, internationally recognized and sired by Registered Irish Draught Stallions include, Hilton Flight (ISH) and Ado Annie (ISH) Royal Charmer Marcus Fuchs (ISH) Richmont Park -  (ISH) Rodrigo Pessoa are ISH.
Braveheart

 

Irish Studbook Background
The Irish studbook is maintained on behalf of the society by the Irish Horse Board and the Northern Ireland Horse Board. All animals are inspected for entry into the studbook, mares at two years of age and stallions at a minimum of three years. A performance testing program for stallions as part of the approval procedure is in place. In 1917 the then Department of Agriculture decided to establish a book for horses of the Irish Draught type. A total of 1450 animals were presented for inspection- 375 mares and 44 stallions were selected. The studbook was maintained by the Department of Agriculture.

In order to halt the decline in numbers that had set in during the post-war years, the Irish Draught Horse Society was formed by a group of far sighted enthusiasts in 1975. Its basic purpose - "to preserve and promote the Irish Draught Horse". The Irish Draught Horse Society currently has 22 branches all over Ireland, and is now international with affiliated groups in Great Britain New Zealand, the United States of America Canada and Australia.