Is the horse world different in Ireland?

JDChaser

JDChaser

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I only ask because i've been browsing through www.donedeal.ie and a lot of the ads seem different to what you'd get over here. The horses are often unbroken, or the broken ones all seem to have hunted, and the people riding are often just in trackies or the pictures aren't particularly smart and the wording not really thought out. I'm not judging, it just seems like compared to the ads we get over here they're more relaxed. Horses are much cheaper too! Is this true of Ireland? Are people just more relaxed about buying and selling horses and not bothered about how fancy they look etc?
 
lol, sorry i'm not trying to say that. My parents are Irish so i'm not having a go
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But we are.
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I'm not sure... can't say I've noticed a marked difference but there are certain ads on horsemart etc that make me think "I bet they're Irish".
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We do have a fair few trackie/baseball cap wearing horsey folk round us though, but then the odd one who hacks out in a tweed jacket, carrying a hunting whip (?!)

Depends who is the most vocal/selling the most horses, I guess.
 
I have no statistical knowledge
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but where I'm from it does seem like everyone hunts.

Here I know horsey people who don't/wouldn't hunt, back home all my friends have horses, to hunt.
 
ok thank you. I'm thinking of buying a horse from Ireland to hunt, because it seems more younger horses have experience over there. So i can buy a 6 year old and know its had a few years experience and just enjoy it! thanks again.
 
If you're thinking of buiying a hunter in Ireland - check which hunt they've been out with as the packs vary hugely. Some are wall jumpers, few jump hedges, most climb banks and drains - making very careful and surefooted horses, but they haven't always jumped out of a canter.

A days' hunting in Ireland tends to be shorter and faster than England, so it's possible to hunt horses at a younger age without too much harm coming to them - less wear and tear, less time spent on their backs.

You might find that they have a less schooled upbringing - particularly in the more rural areas - but are level headed and tend to be pretty sensible.
 
thank you spacefaer, i'll be careful. I'm willing to buy something that needs more schooling, would just like it to have hunted and be a sound jumper/runner whilst still being younger
 
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why do you think that Kitsune, if you don't mind me asking?

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Because I own this guy, bred and produced, hunted and SJ'ed in Ireland before he came here. Most well mannered ridden horse I have ever encountered, good to clip, box, shoe, bath etc..
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The horse world in ireland seems to be very different than in england from what i read on here.

For one we seem more likely to treat horses as livestock with a job not as pets...and a lot of irish country people have horses for breeding etc as they are taxfree to breed...so there is a hugh variety of owners out there and a lot of horses with varying degrees of quality.

Although in some cases they are pets,that are with familys for life,the majority iv come across more that are treated as work animals.As in they have a job and a purpose that their expected to fill and if they arent fit for purpose then they wont be kept it also means that vices arent usually tolerated either.they will either be sold on to let someone else have a go at working with them or they will be PTS.Being sold on is more common though.

Most good irish horses will have hunted particularly if they are been considered as SJ prospects,they usually are brought from their 3rd winter(as in rising 4 not 3)however not all hunting is with hounds there are plenty of areas with drag hunting instead of dogs...unless there particularly dangerous to jump they will be hunted to teach them to pick up their legs and move forward so being able to hunt doesnt nesecarily mean a great hunter!I've yet to meet a horse-riding person(as opposed to horse selling person
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) who hasnt hunted...bar novices!my friends were planning to bring me hunting the summer after i learned to jump...(didnt work out as they hadent a relaible enough horse to put me on but that should give you an idea of the mentaliy)

As for donedeal being the main selling website....iv never heard of a horse sold through it but that might just be the part of the country im in.Its always been word of mouth or a sales if its a decent horse or a dealer or a fair(particularly if they have vices)

If your buying a horse to hunt you could always try contacting some of the hunts?
They might be able to tell you the local dealers,yard etc that sell hunters....(i dont no if they will in case there acused of favoritism but theres no harm asking)
Otherwise id consider a trip to cavan or goresbridge as there both fairly reliable decent quality sales from what iv heard of them.
 
Jackdaws, you're just going to have to come over here and come out with a hunt for the day
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just to make sure, you know,

Pretty much everyone else has given knowledgeable answers so I have nothing much further to add.

My old RI hunts all her youngsters before she sells them to make sure they are capable - and they all are. She has started doing a hunt weekend for visitors.
The hunts DO vary here and they can be a bit less formal. All good fun!

Yes, and people here are less likely to treat their horses like china dolls
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You should try buying a horse in Argentina. I saw one jumped in someone's drive because they couldn't get a decent canter up in his paddock and if they went into the field next door, the neighbour would shoot them (I'm hoping they were exaggerating)

I found a photo
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IMO Ireland breed and produce the most fantastic horses, don't care how they do it or in what clothes
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my old boy was bredin Naas, broken, trained and raced in Ireland and was 110% to box/shoe/clip/bath/hack
He was clipped/bathed/injected/wormed all without a headcollar on. And there's not many ex racers I would plonk a 5 year old child on, but I did with him
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Thanks Aru, that was really helpful, I have often wondered about horses coming from Ireland.

I brought a ISH from a dealer over here, he had supposedly been hunted (as all Irish horses have!!!!) but he is rubbish! wouldn't go near water or a ditch and tanks off with his head on the ground and hurdles jumps!

He was a bad buy but I would buy again from Ireland (they are lovely horses IMO) but I would be VERY careful.

I was out with a hunt the other day, the fieldmaster was riding a hireling that he had ridden in Ireland and brought back with him because he went so well - that is the way to do it! I just wish I had thought of that a year ago
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All my uncles horses (very big showjumping dealer in the north) hunt when they are 3 rising 4. They always do about half a season with the local hunt before they are sold the following spring
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He breaks them all in the spring, rides them for couple of months, turns them away and then brings back in for hunting season and local baby jumping.

Most horses here have hunted, apart from the ponies though i think
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Agree with someone else though, check what hunt they have been with as the northerin irish hunts tend to be drag and ditch, northern southern are wall and the further south the more ditchy and hedgey you get generally
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Irish people educate horses for life, English people educate horses in life
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Stunnng.
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And I totally agree. I got my mare from Ireland and she is amazing. She's not brilliantly mannered on the ground if her pal is being taken away BUT you could put any small child on her and know they would be totally safe. She great to shoe, teeth, clip etc.

Oh. And she's really lovely to look at - IMHO
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thanks everyone for replies. My granddad in Limerick is on the lookout for me and is asking at the Limerick Harriers next meet. Hopefully we can find a horse around there and i can try it out with the harriers over christmas. Thanks again.
 
The horse world is more of a business in Ireland - for example, unaffilitated competitions are pretty rare because it's much more serious. In the UK, more people are leisure riders who buy the one horse and keep it for years/life. In Ireland that is very unusual - young stock is bought, broke and sold.
Done deal is a free sheet - at the end of the day it probably reflects the less professional end of the seller market so buyer beware.
If you really want choice; in a professional environment; and actually see a horse perform over fences, I'd really recommend you visit a sales like Cavan or Goresbridge where you'll literally see 100s of animals with the backing of a vets cert. Shipping back to eng only costs about £200.
 
yes that's what we're thinking if we don't find one through the hunt - buy one at the sales! There's a sports horse sale on at Goresbridge December the 4th, so we'll probably go there. Thanks for you reply. x
 
The monthly sales at this point in the year will be smaller than average. Prices have been so bad this year that if you haven't sold yet; and you've made it this far; you'll probably keep what you have until next Feb/March when sales season starts off properly again. You should go for look if you can in Dec; but if you don't find what you want, hang on until next Feb/Mar when there will be LOADS of choice again. There is no way the Irish economy is going to recover any time soon so prices will still be flat then.
 
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