What are your impressions of the horse scene in Ireland?

Cortez said:
Don't think that we are more horsey than you lot - maybe more interested in racing, but there are fewer people who ride.

Roads safer to ride on? Ha ha ha! They're LETHAL, and we don't have bridleways or dedicated crossings, or commons, or anything geared specifically towards horses like you do over there.

Yes, there are plenty of nice horses here, and yes you'll probably have to pay for them. Produced more slowly? Don't know about that, there are plenty of 3 year olds out hunting, not that it does them harm. Horses are possibly produced more simply than on the continent; not on the bit, no fancy stuff, just LOADS of jumping, jumping, jumping.....

And probably no more cruelty or neglect than anywhere else, possibly less deliberate cruelty: we like horses.
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Theres one thing you can give an irish horse, it's brave! Some of the ditches and hedges they jump are unreal.
 
Mickyjoe said:
Agreee Terri and the funny thing is that it's often said by first horse owners or very amateurish people. At the other end of the scale there is good reason why the likes of Bruce Davidson, Katie Jerram, Robert Walker etc like to buy so many young but already established horses.. not just the unbroken ones.
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But first horse owners and very amateurish people slag off almost everyone they have ever bought a horse from and have suffered the consequences of their own inexperience or ineptness...

So I guess if they two people that have bought a horse from Ireland that had trouble with that horse, that means the whole of Ireland and its horses are bad...
 
Mickyjoe said:
I also have a very high standard of care, as do any of my friends and professional contacts. Therefore I have to say I take it personally when someone on an internet forum makes such a sweeping statement that they have a low opinion of irish horse people. What on earth makes you think you are the only person in ireland who knows how to care for horses correctly?
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When you have seen the low standard of supposed equestrian lovers you can feel the need to make statements as such. Im talking about the dealers who take all the free horses and send them to meat or sell to a family who know nothing and the ones who put them in a field and check on them the next year to see if they have had a foal or not. Professionally, the standard of care is high as per the need for professional care to be! There are people in every country who care and dont care, not just ireland. So don't try to assume i am having a go at ireland.
 
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My impression is lovely people blessed with accents far better than English ones. Strong emphasis on SJ. Like others have said, for a country with so much gorgeous countryside, I've heard comments from Irish riders that hacking isn't safe and bridleways aren't up to scratch, which is a great shame.

Like anywhere there'll be huge variety - gap between the rich and the poor, trends/opportunities in different counties, and urban/rural differences.
 
To be honest and I mean seriously honest in my experience the standard of care the horses get is better than the humans that own them.
The horses want or wait for nothing. They will see a vet before their owner will pay for their own doctor (Yes it is crap we have to pay €50/55 quid every time you go to the GP).
Pysio session, osteo sessions, Chiropractor sessions, accupuncture sessions, theromographers, horse whisperers we have them all here regularly.
Supplement for every ailment or possibly ailment.
Wardrobes of rugs for every eventuality.
Magnetic boots, cold boots, vibe boots, Back on track boots, wrap and rugs.....
Saddle fittings
Worm counted every 4-5 months
Bloods checked regularly.
Investing in the very best trainers
I honestly could go on.

These are all single horse owners who love the sport and love their horses
 
shadeofshyness said:
My impression is lovely people blessed with accents far better than English ones. Strong emphasis on SJ. Like others have said, for a country with so much gorgeous countryside, I've heard comments from Irish riders that hacking isn't safe and bridleways aren't up to scratch, which is a great shame.

.
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We have none!! it really is very sad.
Canal ways built for horses are in most instances closed to horses.
We are near The Curragh. One of the biggest commonages in Ireland and yet you cannot ride across it. I don't mean the gallops which I understand but the surrounding countryside. (Note to self to stop procrastination and start doing something about it ;))
We have some access to offroad around us but it wouldn't come close to what you guys have and what is available on the continent.
 
equi said:
When you have seen the low standard of supposed equestrian lovers you can feel the need to make statements as such. Im talking about the dealers who take all the free horses and send them to meat or sell to a family who know nothing and the ones who put them in a field and check on them the next year to see if they have had a foal or not. Professionally, the standard of care is high as per the need for professional care to be!
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So, obviously you are not speaking for or about all irish horse people. Ive been competitively involved in horses my whole life, producing and competing horses for owners as well as my own. For someone like yourself to denigrate all irish horse people based on the neglect and cruelty you see performed by an element of society so far removed from mine is hugely frustrating.


You must understand how maddening it is that you are trying to give the impression that the cowboys you have described are representative of irish horse people as a whole. Especially on a non irish forum where some people may decide to take that post at face value and as a result NOT visit Ireland and meet the proper producers who take great care of their horses.
 
Lark said:
To be honest and I mean seriously honest in my experience the standard of care the horses get is better than the humans that own them.
The horses want or wait for nothing. They will see a vet before their owner will pay for their own doctor (Yes it is crap we have to pay €50/55 quid every time you go to the GP).
Pysio session, osteo sessions, Chiropractor sessions, accupuncture sessions, theromographers, horse whisperers we have them all here regularly.
Supplement for every ailment or possibly ailment.
Wardrobes of rugs for every eventuality.
Magnetic boots, cold boots, vibe boots, Back on track boots, wrap and rugs.....
Saddle fittings
Worm counted every 4-5 months
Bloods checked regularly.
Investing in the very best trainers
I honestly could go on.

These are all single horse owners who love the sport and love their horses
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Hear hear. This describes me to a T ;)
 
Mickyjoe said:
So, obviously you are not speaking for or about all irish horse people. Ive been competitively involved in horses my whole life, producing and competing horses for owners as well as my own. For someone like yourself to denigrate all irish horse people based on the neglect and cruelty you see performed by an element of society so far removed from mine is hugely frustrating.


You must understand how maddening it is that you are trying to give the impression that the cowboys you have described are representative of irish horse people as a whole. Especially on a non irish forum where some people may decide to take that post at face value and as a result NOT visit Ireland and meet the proper producers who take great care of their horses.
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^^^^ Yep what she said. Thanks MK :)
 
Mithras said:
But first horse owners and very amateurish people slag off almost everyone they have ever bought a horse from and have suffered the consequences of their own inexperience or ineptness...

So I guess if they two people that have bought a horse from Ireland that had trouble with that horse, that means the whole of Ireland and its horses are bad...
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Lol, yes!!! I see a lot of posts on here like that and it's so easy to read between the lines and guess what the real issue is.
 
equi said:
There are people in every country who care and dont care, not just ireland. So don't try to assume i am having a go at ireland.
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I'm sorry but this thread is specifically about Ireland and your first post said "I'm from Ireland and I have a low opinion of us"..
 
our Connemara has originally come from Ireland. He has a real nervous streak especially scared of men, whips etc, but this could just be him. Has the best manners I have ever seen and is well schooled and willing to please, not sure what all this means, but there is good and bad in most countries.
 
Mickyjoe said:
So, obviously you are not speaking for or about all irish horse people. Ive been competitively involved in horses my whole life, producing and competing horses for owners as well as my own. For someone like yourself to denigrate all irish horse people based on the neglect and cruelty you see performed by an element of society so far removed from mine is hugely frustrating.


You must understand how maddening it is that you are trying to give the impression that the cowboys you have described are representative of irish horse people as a whole. Especially on a non irish forum where some people may decide to take that post at face value and as a result NOT visit Ireland and meet the proper producers who take great care of their horses.
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Sorry for my opinion offending you. It is a thread which asked for an opinion, and I gave it.
 
It's not unheard of for people to have a low opinion of their country. I know various show people and various dealers through my own horsey contacts and there's some overlap I find where the dealers buy a horse and show it just to take pics and hike up the price. Maybe that's just my area. I also know of some very well cared for show horses and yards.
 
Lark said:
We have none!! it really is very sad.
Canal ways built for horses are in most instances closed to horses.
We are near The Curragh. One of the biggest commonages in Ireland and yet you cannot ride across it. I don't mean the gallops which I understand but the surrounding countryside. (Note to self to stop procrastination and start doing something about it ;))
We have some access to offroad around us but it wouldn't come close to what you guys have and what is available on the continent.
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Have driven past all that lovely green space next to the Curragh... what I wouldn't have given to have been able to get my thoroughbred into top gear along there!

But overall, maybe there is a bit of a difference. I like Ireland, I prefer it to UK. From what I have seen, country people are country people, not townies that have moved into villages forcing the real locals out. Lots of very small farms. People are more closely related to agriculture than in the UK, even if it was their Grandad was a farmer - I think it gives a more country/agricultural perspective.

Therefore horses aren't mollycoddled with every single new rug going, or must be brought in at the first sight of rain. (Having said that neither are my horses, as I would say I am of a more "agricultural" type mind. You can go out hunting in your jeans and mac, and no-one really pays much attention. Theres a bonus, the hunting is real! Stick an Irish man on a horse that hasn't ridden in years, and he's still better than me. (Although I suppose having two brothers as jockeys he has plenty of natural talent.)

You can go to the sales in Ireland and spot the English/British person a mile off. Apart from me, I go incognito. Most of the English people that are there are all the gear and no idea types. Some dam good stuff goes through Goresbridge though!
 
I've lived in rural Ireland for about 13 years now. From my perspective the Irish have a real affinity for horses without the fluffy bunnyness, very practical and knowledgeable. The competitive/showing scene is taken very seriously indeed. I'd not been in Ireland long before I put the word out I was looking for a Connemara colt. Some chap turned up on my doorstep one day (never seen him before) and before I knew it was being whisked off to view a selection. Honestly, I thought I was being kidnapped, we nearly ended up in Connemara and I'm in Mayo :) In any case I bought a colt from one of the top breeders and he absolutely cherished every one of his ponies. Have I seen neglect - yes, just as I've seen it in other parts of the world. Although I'm rural and surrounded by fields there is no off-road riding/bridleways and trying to find a barefoot trimmer is proving challenging!
 
hey thanks all for your opinions!
really great to see some have had positive impressions
it's always sad when a country gets tarred and feathered just because of one person or one news story

would love to hear more impressions if anyone else has any, having visited or not
 
I lived in Ireland from '93 to '98 and still visit regularly. When I lived there my horses were on full livery at a competition centre which held weekly SJAI shows and regular DI competitions. The RC scene is very active and quite different from the UK with all riders being graded for a season and competing in that grade, worked well I think.

As many have said, I think horses are generally well started without fuss and bother, they have good mouths and a no nonsense attitude. I talking about he sport horse market, the "scrap" end of the market I think is the same as in the uk as its in the domain of the same people.

We bought our mare 2 years ago and she wasn't in the best condition but had been hunting and was just just running up a bit light. She had show jumped previously and developed a few naughty habits with a nervous rider but that was reflected in the price. She piled on the pounds and went in two short seasons from not having evented to clear XC BE novice. She has the best traditional Irish bloodlines and a nature to go with it.
 
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