A recent Horse Sport Ireland(HSI) study shows that less than 1% of our active brood mares in the sport horse sector have show jumped or evented at the highest level.

To combat this deficiency HSI has this week launched two new upgrade schemes:

1. A breaking and schooling grant for breeders/owners of young three to six-year-old fillies.

2. A mare upgrade scheme for the purchase of performance dam line fillies or retired performance mares.

Financial grants of €1,600 and €1,800 are being made available for these two initiatives.

HSI director of breeding and production Alison Corbally said: “We are increasing the emphasis on performance testing mares and promoting the use of performance dam lines to ensure faster genetic progress and better economic return for breeders.”

These goals are certainly in line with the thinking of new Minister For Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, who recently said this in the Dáil in response to a question on sport horse sector funding put forward by Co Clare TD Joe Carey: “My department is committed to assist in the development of equine breeding and production systems that Horse Sport Ireland have proposed as part of their strategic plan.”

Breaking and schooling

Grants of up to €1,600 are being offered to breeders/owners of young fillies in the three to six-year-old bracket toward the costs associated with breaking and schooling. These will be given in two categories:

• Six week training of three and four-year-old fillies with a producer of young horses.

• Six weeks schooling for competition with a proven rider for four to six-year-old fillies and stallions registered in a Department of Agriculture studbook.

“The aim is to incentivise Irish mare owners to produce young breeding stock and so add value to them,” Corbally said.

Incentive to upgrade mares

The second of these two incentive schemes has to do with the purchase of good mares or fillies that will add greater performance potential to our breeding stock. Through grants of up to €1,800, it will facilitate breeders who wish to purchase performance dam line fillies or retired performance mares from abroad for breeding purposes. It is open to Irish breeders purchasing a filly or mare that meets specific performance requirements.

Ponies are also eligible for the scheme if they meet the performance criteria and are registered in a World Breeding Federation or Department of Agriculture Pony Studbook.

All of this is a totally new venture for the Irish sport horse and pony industry. One can only hope that breeders will study the proposals carefully and act upon them.