Irish Draft Horse
Irish Draft Horse | |
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![]() Irish Draft Horse stallion |
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Important data | |
Origin: | Ireland |
Main breeding area: | Ireland |
Distribution: | |
Stick measure : | 153-173 cm |
Colors : | Often brown, foxes, mold, rarely piebalds |
Main application area: | Driving and draft horse, occasionally riding horse |
The Irish Draft Horse or Irish draft horse ( Irish capall tarraingthe Éireannach ) is the classic Irish horse breed. It is a strong, rather stocky workhorse. The breed is believed to have originated from Connemara ponies , Spanish horses, and Old English warmbloods.
properties
The Irish Draft Horse reaches a height of 153 to 173 cm. It has a stable foundation, high withers , solid legs with strong tendons and joints, large hooves, a long neck and a rather large and not very noble head. In terms of colors, there are browns, foxes, molds and, rarely, piebalds. It is used as a work horse, coachman and riding horse.
origin
Very early in the history of breeding, native horses from Ireland were grafted with the widespread Spanish horse.
The size and character came from the heavy European horses, mostly French and Dutch, that had come to Ireland during the Anglo-Normans invasion in 1172. Eastern and Spanish / Andalusian blood was fed to these somewhat coarse mares. The descendants were used on the small Irish farms for all agricultural work. The calcareous pastures and the mild climate produced strong-boned, large horses with a lot of substance, and the Irish who love to hunt also valued their horses for their incredible ability to master difficult terrain and difficult hurdles. The crossing with the English thoroughbred gave the horse nobility, more framework and speed without losing the special characteristics of the original hunting horse.