HSI Publishes 2015 IHR Foal Statistics

Horse Sport Ireland can confirm that a total of 4,435 foals were registered in the Irish Horse Register in 2015.  Irish Sport Horse foals account for 3,893, Irish Draught foals for 509 and Irish Sport Ponies for 33.

Comparing the registration figures to last year there was a slight drop in overall registrations by approximately 100 foals, however this drop affects the ISH foal crop only with the number of Irish Draught registered foals increasing by 100 registrations between 2014 and 2015.

Commenting on the foal registration statistics Alison Corbally, HSI Director of Breeding and Programmes, stressed that looking at just the foal registration figures does not give us the full picture of what is happening on the ground “Unfortunately not all breeders are registering their stock as foals.  Looking at trends from previous years we can see that 23% of Irish Sport Horse foals and 14% of Irish Draught foals are not registered in the year of their birth.  We can forecast from this that the actual number of Irish Sport Horse foals born in 2015 was closer to 5,000 and the number of Irish Draught foals is approximately 600”.

Horse Sport Ireland also issued 876 identification documents (‘white books’) for foals in 2015.  These foals were not included in a studbook as they were registered with no pedigree or with partial pedigree recorded.  Alison Corbally stated “The level of foals being registered without recorded pedigree is a real source of concern.  Breeders should be aware of the sire and dam of their foal and opting for a white book devalues their foal and results in a substantial loss in information to the studbook and to breeding industry in general”.

For a breakdown on the breeds of the sires and dams of the 2015 foal crop please click HERE

ENDS.