Horse
Breed Description:
The Irish Sport Breed of Horse, sometimes referred to as the Irish Hunter, is becoming increasingly popular all over the world for its versatility and obedient, willing-to-work nature. A handsome breed throughout, the Irish Sport Horse possesses a convex profile with a large, regal-looking nose. The deep chest is in proportion with the compact back that ends in very powerful hindquarters. The neck is long and well-developed, with sloping shoulders and croup. The legs are straight, have excellent joints and well-formed hooves. The Irish Sport breed of horse may be any color, especially bay, chestnut, gray, and black.
Temperament:
The Irish Sport breed of horse is an exceptionally tough animal, but still manages to be docile, calm, and extraordinarily eager to please. The Irish Sport possesses keen intelligence, and thus is popular with military, police, and forestry service departments. It is an extremely athletic breed that can be easily put to any use, and as such the Irish Sport has become a favorite in eventing, jumping, dressage, and endurance, and overall the breed performs very well in all of these types of events. The Irish Sport requires firm guidance as a juvenile, but if proper training is provided from an early age, the breed makes an excellent keeper for both adults and children alike.
Height:
15 hh to 17 hh
Health Problems:
There are no known health problems specific to the Irish Sport breed of horse. However, the breeds that were utilized to develop the Irish Sport may pass certain genetic deficiencies to the breed, especially conditions that are prominent in the Thoroughbred, such as fertility problems, Pulmonary Hemorrhage, and orthopedic issues. The Irish Draught Horse, which was the primary breed used to establish the Irish Sport, is generally very healthy and has no known congenital health issues. In some cases, Connemara blood may be found in the Irish Sport horse, which is also a very hardy breed.
Origin:
The Irish Sport breed of horse was developed primarily from Irish Draught horses, and therefore shares much of its history. Irish Draught type horses were bred for at least 2,000 years in what would become Ireland, Spain, and Great Britain, and helped shape the world by being utilized almost exclusively as heavy draught and war horses. Within the last 200 years, the Irish Draught was refined to be lighter and faster- hence the addition of Thoroughbred blood. Today the Irish Sport horse is one of the fastest growing breeds in the world, according to numerous breed registries. 