THE old fishing rod parable springs to mind as the Irish Sport Horse industry struggles to plot its way forward under the burden of the current Level 5 restrictions and the dismal prospect of successive rolling lockdowns stretching into 2021.

Horse trade and horse sport is absolutely unique. Embedded into our national psyche, it combines breeding and equine farming with riding and production skills.

For it to survive and thrive, our vibrant industry essentially needs access to market. The market is always there for a good well-bred horse, expertly showcased and produced by skilled hard-working people, dedicated 24/7.

Horses are a way of life. You put your heart and soul into it. Horse sport is not like other sports – it cannot be compared to tennis or golf for example where you can put your racket or clubs away without hardly a second thought. Inanimate objects won’t have lost value, sustained an injury, or died before they see the light of day again.

Equine welfare is paramount for us all in this industry because without it, we don’t have one. Horses and ponies have to be maintained, cared for, produced and given their due chance.

Back to that old parable. It went like this: ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Give a man a fishing rod and you feed him for life.’ Level 5 lockdown has now whipped that fishing rod right out of the hands of Irish horsemen and women. The Irish Sport Horse industry has never asked for much – and it has never got much either – from all it has pumped into the country’s economy over generations.

The very least it deserves now from the political powers that be is a proper, fair, and clear forward pathway – give us that much and we’ll get ourselves back on track.