HSI Breeding Sub Board announces details of Inspection review

AT its meeting on November 3rd the Horse Sport Ireland Breeding Sub Board announced a full review of the stallion and mare inspection system for the Irish Sport Horse and Irish Draught Horse Studbook.

Details of the consultation phase of the review were announced following a meeting of the sub board yesterday.

Advertisements will be placed next week seeeking submissions with a closing date of January 11th, 2016. Those who have already communicated with HSI will be welcomed to submit additional evidence in response to the questions posed in the advertisement.

Speaking after the meeting the Chairman of the Breeding Sub Board Jim Beecher said: “We will take in submissions and then make proposals about what assessment process to evaluate the breeding potential of stallions and mares we put in place going forward. Whatever proposals are devised will be discussed fully with all interested parties before they are implemented.

“It is clear that there are strong views on this issue, which is welcome. One of the key recommendations in Reaching New Heights is that we should have a radical rebuilding of our breeding infrastructure. We are about to embark on a ten year strategy for the industry and we need to be sure that what we are doing is adding real value,” he said.

As part of the decision to review inspections the Breeding Sub Board has also announced the suspension of the full round of spring inspections. However, Chairman Jim Beecher confirmed, following yesterday’s board meeting that the following arrangements for spring 2016 have now been confirmed:

1. Irish Sport Horse Stallions who met the requirements for Stage 1 of the Irish Sport Horse inspections will be facilitated with a Stage 2 inspection.

2. New applicants will be provided with an opportunity to have their stallion undergo the Studbook veterinary examination. Should they meet the requirements of this veterinary examination, they will be classified as Class 2 in the case of Irish Draught Horse Studbook and Not Approved 1 in the case of the Irish Sport Horse Studbook.

“As I outlined in my previous statement, it is clear that many breeders place a lot of store on the objective veterinary examination which is part of our stallion classification process. These arrangements mean that stallion owners can bring their animals out to meet the studbook veterinary requirements before the upcoming breeding season,” Jim Beecher concluded.

Jim Beecher, chairman of Horse Sport Ireland’s Breeding Sub-Board.