IN comparison to debates about what exactly an Irish Sport Horse is or the role of the Irish Draught, the definition of a Traditional Irish Horse (TIH), with its clear-cut formula of thoroughbred, TIH, Irish Draught and Connemara crosses, is widely acknowledged.

The issue for such non-warmblood horses within the Irish Sport Horse studbook is more about falling numbers, evident in Horse Sport Ireland’s Traditional Irish Horse Report 2025.

Prepared by geneticist Dr J L Doyle, it contains population trends, genetic diversity statistics and breeder profiles of Bridget McGing and Samantha Fitzsimons.

There’s both good news and areas for concern in the 30-page report. For example, genetic health, low levels of in-breeding and more complete pedigree details, going back to the fourth generation, are noted within the TIH herd.

Over-dependence on certain bloodlines, be it within commercial show jumping or native breeds, is a hot topic. Instead, for the TIH, one of its greatest areas for concern is falling numbers.

Just 684 TIH foals were registered to date for 2024 (with the caveat that this number may ‘rise’ with late registrations). Given that half of the annual foal numbers are fillies, at current registration levels this means that c.350 potential future broodmares were added to the TIH population.

Lower numbers also place less TIH prospects on the competition front, particularly in eventing where they have excelled. There also appears to be a lack of wide choices amongst TIH sires, as alluded to by McGing and Fitzsimons and fewer proven choices.

For example, the number of stallions that produced a TIH foal in 2017 was 354; the percentage average number of TIH foals per their 2017 foal crop was 3.41% and the maximum number of TIH foals, also in that same year, was 40.

According to 2024 statistics, TIH-eligible stallion numbers had dropped to 293, their TIH foal crop percentage was now 2.33% and the highest number of TIH progeny per stallion (21) had also dropped to almost half of the 2017 figure.

Household name stallions in a list of 126 TIH stallions include the late group of Puissance (the oldest, foaled in 1988), Loughehoe Guy (highest TIH foal crop number at 120), Kings Master, Flexible (Flex A Bill) and Carrick Diamond Lad.

CC Captain Cruise (63 foals) records the highest number of TIH foals amongst younger stallions and another red flag is seeing the high numbers of ENT (Entry, non-inspected) stallions amongst younger stallions.

That owners of stallions of any denomination are not bringing their horses out for inspection and vetting is another area of concern, as is seeing how the TIH is slipping into the ‘endangered’ zone.

That is no reflection on the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA), a completely voluntary group run on a shoestring budget.

Some of the most famous Irish-breds of the past were TIHs. The HSI report lists 204 TIHs registered with the FEI this year, including the late Chance Encounter.

That era of TIH dominance at Olympic and championship level, like Draughts working the land, is gone, partly due to the numbers game and is another example of how it’s now turning into an uphill climb to preserve a strand of Ireland’s equine heritage.

Horse Sport Ireland’s Traditional Irish Horse Report 2025 can be found at www.horsesportireland.ie.

Timeline

1974 - Irish Horse Register was founded by Bord na gCapall.

1982 - The first progeny of continental stallions crossed with Irish mares were registered in the Irish Sport Horse (ISH) studbook.

2011 - Traditional Irish Horse Association was formed, a successor to the Hunter Improvement Society in Ireland.

2017 - The TIH category was officially added to the ISH studbook, to make a distinction between traditionally-bred and Irish Sport Horses with continental bloodlines. In the same year, the number of TIH foals peaked at 1,204.

2024 - 93% of the 293 stallions that produced a TIH foal had five or less TIH progeny.

Traditional Irish Horse eligibility

  • Registered in the ISH studbook’s Main Section
  • Have only the following breeds recorded in their pedigree: Irish Sport Horse, Irish Draught, Thoroughbred, Connemara Pony “with no foreign ancestors recorded in their back pedigree”
  • Have no unknown ancestors in the first two generations
  • Irish Sport Horse ancestors from the second generation with unknown/partial pedigree must have been born before 1982.

    • By the numbers

    1,070 - the average number of TIH foals per annum (2018-2024)

    846 - stallions have produced at least one TIH foal since 2017

    684 - number of traditional-bred foals in 2024 (to date).

    204 - TIHs registered with FEI in 2025.

    25 - euros, TIHA annual membership fee.

    What they said:

    Dr Sonja Egan, HSI Head of Breeding Innovation & Development: “HSI continues to strengthen recognition of the TIH. These include the novel use of the shamrock symbol on ISH-TIH passports, ongoing engagement with the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA), recognition of TIH breeders at the Dublin Horse Show, and the updating of TIH classifications within the FEI database where possible.

    “Furthermore, genomic research into TIH breed composition, led by Dr Jennifer Doyle, and the publication of this report demonstrate HSI’s commitment to data-led monitoring of the TIH population.

    “The insights captured in this report reaffirm the importance of the TIH within Ireland’s breeding landscape and highlight the continued dedication of Irish breeders to maintaining and promoting traditional Irish bloodlines.”

    Kevin Noone, TIHA Chairman: “It’s a very interesting document as every time you open it, you seem to see something new.

    “The first thing I must do is compliment Horse Sport Ireland on the publication. There is nothing like seeing the facts and figures to bring clarity and to thank them for their commitment to support the Traditional Irish Horse with the aid of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as well, for their commitment to continue detailed monitoring of the TIH herd.

    “One of the items that absolutely jumps out of the report and that must be a concern for the Irish Sport Horse industry is the decline in the registration numbers of TIHs, with only 684 registered to date in 2024, compared to 1,165 in 2022 - this fact alone must put alarm bells ringing for anyone with an interest in Traditional Irish breeding.

    “It was interesting to note that the predominant sires of TIH foal were Irish Draught and that the dams were made up of 63.7% TIH, which, to me, indicates that there will be a reduced amount of Thoroughbred blood in the TIH herd going forward. This is a backward step considering the role of producing blood horses for eventing.

    “One must be concerned for the TIH stallion owners, considering that 93% of sires had fewer than five foals, however the large range of sires (293) is good for genetic diversity. An average of 2.26 TIH foals per stallion in 2024 is very low, even compared to 3.42 in 2017.

    “It is great to see the growing levels of pedigree completeness growing year on year. It was very disappointing some time ago to see horses competing at the top level that everyone knew were TIH, but due to lack of pedigree recorded, could not be claimed as TIH.

    “It was also heartening to note that 204 TIHs were registered with the FEI in 2024. Yes, it is a drop from the previous glory years, but it corresponds too with the drop of TIHs foaled in pre-millennium and pre-2010 years.

    “It would be great to see the figures from previous years to see where this number lies in comparison to previous figures, although of course we appreciate that information is not as readily available in accurate numbers.”