Traditional breeding schemes rolled out

THE Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA) has announced a number of incentives as part of its breeding plan, including a High Performance Mare premium scheme. Other initiatives, part of the association’s five-year strategic plan, include mare selections (planned for autumn 2021) and thoroughbred mare and embryo transfer schemes.

A fifth project is a TIH colt identification scheme, aimed at offsetting the dwindling number of approved traditional-bred stallions. There was no new addition to either the thoroughbred or Traditional Irish Sport Horse ranks at last week’s Horse Sport Ireland stallion inspections at Cavan (See pages 98-99).

Set up in 2012, one of the aims of the association under its chairman Hugh Leonard is to improve the standard of breeding and producing traditional Irish-breds. With the ongoing backing of Devenish Nutrition, the first incentive available to breeders this year is the High Performance mare scheme.

Applications for the Devenish Mare Scheme, aimed at traditionally bred performance mares and mares from performance families (two-star level and above in eventing and/or show jumping) close on April 12th. Such mares will qualify for a €300 premium when a TIH foal, with a minimum 40% thoroughbred blood, is registered with Horse Sport Ireland the following year.

It is hoped to dovetail the second mare selection scheme (for traditional-bred mares), with HSI mare inspections in the autumn. However, High Performance mares, targeted in the first of the TIHA schemes, will not have to attend selection venues.

Speaking to The Irish Field this week, Kevin Noone, the TIHA council member with responsibility for implementing its breeding programme said: “The TIHA has always been aware of the importance of the traditional Irish mare within the Irish sport horse industry. In the breeding section of our five-year strategic plan, the focus has been placed on improving the quality and quantity of the mare herd – ‘the seed corn’ of our breeding programme.

“These mares will play a vital role in the successful implementation of the first stage of our breeding programme. The continuation of our programme will offer high-performance mares and mares of high-performance families the opportunity to join our scheme and we are confident they will make a valuable contribution to the improvement of the overall TIH herd.

“We are delighted and grateful to have the continued support of Devenish Nutrition to assist us with the launch of the first stage, the TIHA High Performance mare scheme.”

See www.traditionalirishhorse.com or contact Kevin at knuain@eircom.netor 087 616 7655.