If you are looking for a versatile
horse with a great personality, excellent movement, and incredible jumping ability, the Irish Sport Horse is for
you. This highly
successful breed is a product of crossing Thoroughbreds with Irish
Draught Horses; for Eventing the most usual cross is 1/4 Irish Draught
and 3/4 Thoroughbred. The Irish Sport
Horse has a tremendous gallop with plenty of speed, exceptional jumping
talent, and has been bred for centuries to run and jump and go across
the countryside. They
have the heart and keen intelligence of a Thoroughbred, coupled with a
calm and sensible temperament from their Irish Draught blood. They are
known for their great durability, soundness and stamina.
The horse of the Irish
countryside, the Irish Draught (pronounced 'Draft') lived in close quarters with the farming
family. There was less need for the type of heavy horse that
developed in other areas of Europe; instead the Irish farmer
required a versatile horse that was docile, strong, and economical to
keep. The horse had to be able to work the farm during the week, pull a
buggy in style to church on Sunday and still be fast and athletic enough
to take the farmer Foxhunting on Saturday.
While having the
strength and quiet temperament of a working horse, the Irish Draught is not a draught horse in the usual application of that
word; the name may be
misleading in that the breed is a lighter free-moving animal than the
traditional image of the heavy horse. The breed
traces its roots back to Celtic times, when these horses raced at
ancient festivals or pulled chariots in battles. As
they started being used more for agriculture, the Irish
Draughts evolved into a versatile breed that could meet the
needs of the farmer and his whole family. 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.
The
Irish Draught is sought after for its breeding qualities, being used to get extra bone and substance in the progeny of
lighter type mares. It is the foundation in the breeding of the great 'Irish Hunter'.
When crossed with the Thoroughbred, the Irish
Draught is the basic ingredient of the Irish Sport Horse (ISH).
In modern times, the Irish Sport Horses have excelled at International level competition in
Eventing, Show Jumping and Dressage. The even
temperament, durability and athleticism of the Irish Draught, when
crossed with the Thoroughbred, has created a fabulous type of horse that
has the qualities to excel in many different disciplines. The
Irish Sport Horse tends to have the loose free movement often associated
with warmbloods, combined with the intelligence, speed and heart of a
Thoroughbred. They are a versatile, athletic, and remarkably sound
breed of horse with a wonderful
temperament. Whether you are
interested in Eventing, Show Jumping, Foxhunting, Dressage, Driving or
just want a pleasant horse to ride and enjoy, the marvelous thing about
the Irish Draught Sport Horse is that it can do any of the above - or
even ALL of the them.
Irish Horses are well known for competing at the
top international level of several sports. Star Appeal, Cruising,
McKinley, Custom Made, Shear L 'Eau,
Mill Pearl, and Giltedge are just a few prime examples, and the list goes on
and on. The Irish Sport Horse is sought after by those competitors
looking for a horse to take them to the pinnacles of their sport, but
they also make fabulous mounts for riders of every ability level. This is the horse the
Irish have relied on for generations to take them out in the morning,
secure in the knowledge it will do whatever is asked of it, and bring
them home safe at the end of the day. What more could you ask for?
In the past, it has
been necessary to travel to Ireland to search for quality Irish Sport
Horses, and import them at considerable trouble and expense. Now,
however, it is possible to buy top class young Irish
horses with impeccable bloodlines here in the United States.
Windchase has produced a number of outstanding young
prospects by the outstanding Irish stallion Brandenburg's Windstar
(now deceased). We also offer for sale a selection
of Windstar's offspring, ranging from foals so horses in
competition. Look for the younger ones on the Windstar's
Babies page, and the older ones in training may be
found on the Horses for Sale
page. For more examples of the Irish Horse, follow
this link for photos of some of Windstar's
older offspring.
Whether you are looking for a
horse for Olympic competition, or one to entrust with your
own and your children's fun and safety, choose an Irish
Sport Horse for the job - you won't regret it. Once
you have ridden a good Irish horse, you won't want to ride
anything else!
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