Irish Sports Horse: Origins, Care & Key Facts

The Irish Sports Horse (ISH) is an athletic breed that’s highly regarded as an eventer due to their incredible jump, speed and strength. Energetic and eager to learn, this is a horse breed that can excel in just about any sphere and really thrives when it has a job to do.

Vital Stats

Weight: 544 – 680kg

Height: 15 – 17hh

Life Expectancy: 30 years

Best For: Eventing, show jumping, dressage and leisure riding

Origin: Ireland

Irish Sports Horse History

The Irish Sports Horse is the result of combining the spirited Thoroughbred with the powerful and amiable Irish Draught. The aim was to create a horse that had the strength and speed of a Thoroughbred, yet the intelligence, stamina and friendly personality of the Irish Draught. Originally bred as hunters and farm horses, the breed has since seen refinements with the addition of Warmblood types to create a more powerful and agile sports horse, capable of excelling in top-class competitions.

Despite being a very popular eventing horse, purebred Irish Sports Horses are quite rare with only 2,000 registered purebreds in existence.

Size

Irish Sports Horses range in height between 15 – 17hh, with the average standing around 16hh. Their weight varies between 544 – 680kg, depending on their height and build.

Appearance

The Irish Sports Horse should possess a strong bone structure with plenty of defined muscle and clean, well-formed legs. The head should be well set and alert, often with a convex face, large eyes and long ears. The neck is slightly arched and muscular which leads into long sloping shoulders with a deep chest. A short compact back with a muscular croup which may be long and sloping and strong hindquarters is also desirable. The withers may be high which is inherited from their Thoroughbred lineage.

A variety of solid coat colours are seen in the Irish Sports Horse with the most common being grey, black, bay and chestnut, but buckskin, dun, cremello, palomino and roan colours are also possible. Piebald and skewbald colours typically aren’t seen. This great range of colours can be attributed to the genetic diversity of the Thoroughbred and Irish Draught breeds.

Diet & Nutrition

Like all horses, the Irish Sports Horse need a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fresh water. They should be provided with a good mix of forage such as fresh grass, quality hay and grains if required. It’s recommended to speak to your vet or a qualified equine nutritionist with breed experience to provide diet recommendations.

Unique Characteristics

Irish Sports Horses are eager to please their riders, kind, smart and very brave and when you match those traits with their powerful hindquarters, speed and strength, it’s easy to see why they’re such a well-loved allrounder!

Temperament & Behaviour

This breed is known for their well-mannered personality, intelligence, energy and eagerness to learn which makes them popular with both leisure and competition riders. With that being said, they are quite high energy which means they’ll need to be exercised regularly and are best suited to confident riders who can handle their spirit and have the time for frequent riding.

Health Issues

At present, there are no breed-specific health issues reported and the Irish Sports Horse is generally thought of as a healthy breed. Owners are recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle and schedule regular vet check-ups and farrier visits to ensure their horse stays in optimum health.

Grooming

Irish Sports Horses benefit from regular grooming to keep their skin and coat healthy. Before riding, dirt and debris should be removed from areas where tack will sit at the very least and all over grooming should be carried out regularly to distribute oils across the body. Hooves should be picked out daily and a once-over should be carried out once per day to check for injuries.

Lifespan

The average lifespan for an Irish Sports Horse is around 30 years, but this will depend on several factors including overall health, management and environment.

Why Choose an Irish Sports Horse?

Whether you’re a leisure rider looking for an all-rounder to go from country hacks to the cross-country course or a competitive eventer after a horse that can tackle big fences and strut their stuff in the dressage arena, the Irish Sports Horse is the one for you. These are incredibly versatile horses with wonderful temperaments that can excel in just about any job you put them to.

The Irish Sports Horse is no stranger to trophies and ribbons and there have been numerous top-class ISH eventers including Classic Moet, who won Badminton in 2018 with rider Jonelle Price and Oliver Townend’s Ballaghmor Class, who won Burghley in 2017. At present, Irish Sports Horses have won over 15 Olympic medals since 1996.

Now you know all there is to know about the Irish Sports Horse! Want to find out more about the different horse breeds? Find out about the Arabian, next.