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The Irish Draft, or Irish Draught, was developed for both ploughing and riding purposes. They are especially popular for crossing with Thoroughbreds, producing the popular Irish Sport Horses (or Irish Horses) that excel at the highest levels of eventing and show jumping. The Irish Draught does not have the typical draft-horse body suggested by its name. They are lighter, with a build similar to a Warmblood, and move much more freely than the heavy draft horses. They have very powerful hindquarters, strong legs with good bone and short cannons, muscular gaskins and forearms, and large feet. Their neck is short, thick, and crested. The Irish Draught has a straight or slightly convex profile and intelligent head. The horses have good temperaments, being gentle and kind, yet bold, sensitive, and alert. They are very versatile horses, and naturally athletic. The Irish Draught stands between 15 and 17 hh. They are usually bay, brown, gray, or chestnut. The breed ancestors were the war horses of the 12th century, taken to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans during the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1172, and bred with the local stock. Spanish blood was added to the mix in the 16th century, Connemara blood was also added. The true Irish Draught type really started, however, in the 18th century, when Thoroughbreds were bred with local mares to produce a light work horse that could not only be used to plough, but also for riding. The original type was around 15 to 15.3 hh and had a more draft-like conformation than the present-day type. |
