About National Breeding Services
Horse Sport Ireland delivers National Breeding Services schemes, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. These schemes contribute to the Young Horse Pathway delivered by Horse Sport Ireland. It is open and available to all studbook breeders, producers, and owners, and provides breeders with support for the breeding and production of sport horses.
These schemes provide support for all aspects of the sport horse sector with something for all breeders and all studbooks at each stage or age of the horse’s life; from conception to 7/8 years. They provide opportunities for horse and pony breeders nationwide to add value to their herd, in terms of both breeding, performance, and market value.
Not only do these schemes play an important role in supporting breeding and production, but also the health and welfare of the national herd, research, education, and knowledge transfer.
Not all horses are bred or produced for a career in top sport; and the vital role that these horses play in our industry. These differences in breeding goals are encapsulated in the schemes and initiatives offered, where many of the schemes do not require participating animals to have a performance record to participate. Schemes are developed through the Horse Sport Ireland Breeding and Production Forum, through liaison with DAFM approved studbooks, and engagement with breeders, producers, applicants and owners at events and indeed through the feedback supplied on the completed schemes.
There has been an increase in the number of breeders engaging with these schemes over the previous years and continually encourage all breeders to look at the below table or indeed talk to the HSI Breeding department if they are interested in applying for a scheme and want to understand what the best fit for their breeding programme might be.
Under the National Breeding Services tab on our website we have organised Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded activities into the following pages:
- Breeding Initiatives – these are the ‘apply for’ schemes
- Breeding and Production Events and Grants – these are the production activities such as the Breeding Grant, Studbook Series and Development Series.
- DNA Parentage Testing – detail on the MS – SNP transition
- World Breeding Championships – detail on the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Championships for Show Jumping and Eventing
- Horses/ponies must be studbook registered (main or supplementary section) with a breed recorded to avail of any scheme funding.
- Own performance or dam line performance criteria apply to certain schemes.
- All equines must be registered in the correct ownership for scheme funding.
- Some schemes require that the animal has completed a studbook inspection.
- Breeders and producers can also use the production schemes offered to add to dam line performance, adding value to the individual mare and her future progeny.
- Breeders must upload proof of their equine census in order to avail of schemes (ROI)
- The detail above and table provided highlights where performance is and is not a requirement of participation, please note that this is not a full list of eligibility terms.
- Please see list below of schemes and initiatives offered in 2025:
| Age group | Scheme | Value | Performance? |
| Conception | Embryo Transfer | €1,500 | Yes |
| Foal | Foal Championship | Prize Fund | No, for foals intended for jumping/eventing. |
| 2 | Colt Retention | €2,000 | No, but requires dam/ sire line performance |
| 2-5 | Mare x-ray | €450 | Yes, for performance breeds (1*), classification for rare breeds. |
| 3-4 | Loose Jumping | Prize fund | No, for fillies intended for jumping/eventing. |
| 3-4 | Starting Scheme | €1,000 | No |
| 4-6 | Schooling I | €1,500 | No |
| 4-6 | Schooling II | €3,000 | Yes, 2* (1.20m equivalent), classification/studbook equivalent |
| 5+ | Stallion x-ray | €450 | Yes for performance breeds (CSI2*/1.45m); classification for rare breeds. |
| 5-7 | DAFM Studbook Series | Prize fund | No but requires performance in jumping/eventing |
| 5-7 | DAFM Development Series | Prize fund | No but requires performance in jumping/eventing/dressage/CT and other potential disciplines |
| 5-7 | Premium Retention Scheme | €6,000 | Yes, own or dam line – age appropriate. classification/studbook equivalent |
| 5-7 | Lanaken | TBC | WBFSH Studbooks (ISH & WSI) requires performance in jumping |
| 5-7 | Le Lion | TBC | WBFSH Studbooks (ISH & WSI) requires performance in eventing |
| 5-8 | Valkenswaard (Studbooks Nations Cups) | TBC | WBFSH Studbooks (ISH & WSI) requires performance in jumping |
| Lifespan | Breeding Grant | Prize fund | Requires participation/performance at funded event. Breeders prize at each. |
| Health & welfare | MS-SNP transition (adults) | €36 | Open to breeding studbook registered horses |
| Health & Welfare | Mare Breeding Package | €300 | Open to all breeding studbook registered mares |
| Health & Welfare | Stallion Health Screening | €80 | Open to all breeding studbook registered stallions |
| Health & Welfare | Environmental/Hygiene Sampling | >€440 | Open to all studbook registered breeding horses less than 20 years old |
In 2025, HSI launched the Mare Breeding Package. DAFM has notified the industry of an EVA vaccine shortage hence the focus must include screening to preserve herd health. Venereal screening should be commonplace in horse breeding; however, the sport horse sector has a notoriously lower uptake versus thoroughbred counterparts. Use of a certified veterinary practitioner ensures the procedure is safe, accurate, and in the best interest of the animal’s welfare. In addition, it also gives the breeder the opportunity to avail of a subsidised reproductive health screening and scanning scheme for their active breeding sport horse mares during the 2025 covering season. This scheme is open to all active breeding studbook registered mares carrying their own pregnancy in the sport horse sector (performance, rare and leisure studbook breeds) during the 2025 covering season. This scheme is open to all studbook registered mares (horses or ponies) and subsidises the cost of the pre-breeding scanning and health screening along with the post cover scans up to the 28-day scan.
Initiated in 2023, Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Equine Centre collaborated on the delivery of the sport horse environmental/hygiene testing scheme. This scheme was designed to support the prevention of enteric and respiratory disease in young foals. The scheme involves a farm visit by a microbiologist and/or environmental scientist to sample various aspects of the applicants breeding premises (foaling stables, foal paddocks, water, and fodder). These samples are analysed and reported back to breeders with regards to the hygiene status of the communal areas and the presence of any pathogens in the environment and the quality of forage. This preventative approach is more cost effective than being reactive and can greatly reduce treatment, loss of time in development of the animals, labour costs and loss of breeding outcomes for stallions and mares. In the thoroughbred industry, this scheme has been shown to reduce the incidence of disease in young foals by identifying any disease-causing microbes in communal areas, water, and forage, and rectifying any issues which may have arisen.
In terms of schemes that don’t provide financial support to breeders or incur a small fee by the applicant; one of the consistently arising industry discussions is the concern regarding young people and their involvement, or lack of involvement in the industry. The young breeders programme delivered in collaboration with Teagasc was described by most regional groups as a vital initiative during recent roadshows, owing to the quality and accessibility of the programme. The programme is recommended young people who are interested in horse management, breeding and assessment. The programme focuses on young horse conformation and performance assessment, horsemanship theory, horse handling and tours of yards that would ordinarily be closed to the public. It is a joint initiative offered between Horse Sport Ireland and Teagasc, where Wendy Conlon in Teagasc has carefully curated the programme over several years to provide a balance of equine education, camaraderie, and fun for the participants.
HSI look forward to supporting breeders and producers through the young horse pathway in 2025 and wish to acknowledge this funding of these scheme under National Breeding Services from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
