462 HORSES IRISH HORSES 



number of sires stationed in Ireland when the Board took 

 the matter in hand was 2424. Of these, 1724 were estimated 

 to be " half-bred," having been bred without system and as 

 a matter of chance. On inspection, only 12 meritorious 

 animals could be found, " the others being unsuitable for the 

 production of hunters, harness horses, or Irish farm horses," 

 largely due to the introduction of English and Scotch Cart- 

 horses, Clevelands, and Hackneys, during the previous thirty 

 years. 



In an article on " The Horse in Ireland," in the The Journal 

 of the Board of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland 

 (October 1904), it is pointed out that "some particular type 

 of horse is found in each district," and the ponies of Cushen- 

 dall and Connemara are instanced to illustrate how " horses 

 become modified through adapting themselves to their sur- 

 roundings." A typical horse descended from animals bred 

 in Ireland during a long period, and noted for their high 

 courage is of good size, his bone is specially well developed, 

 his legs are clean, flat, and hard, without spongy softness of 

 bone or ligament. The hair is fine and sparse all over the 

 trunk, although somewhat coarser on the back of the fetlocks. 



The Live Stock Journal says : " Nothing struck the early 

 invaders of Ireland more than the contrast between their 

 great heavy horses probably Flemish and the smaller and 

 more ' classy ' steeds of the natives that in all probability 

 owed their origin to the constant traffic between Galway, 

 Limerick, and other parts, with the Gironde and Spain, the 

 countries of the Barb. Giraldus Cambrensis extolled the 

 ' hobbies.' Stanyhurst said : * The nag or the hackine is very 

 good for travelling, albeit others report to the contrary, and 

 if he be broken accordinglie you shall have a little Tit that 

 will travell a whole daie with anie bait.' Theiner, reporting 

 to the Pope, said : ' The land produces absolutely nothing but 

 oats, and most excellent victorious horses, more swift than 

 the English horses.' Arabian and Turkish horses were 

 imported in the time of the Stuarts ; some of them found 

 their way into Ireland. But the half-bred or seven-eighths 

 hunter is the specialty of Ireland, and has been for many 

 years a valuable export ; and Ireland still remains the best 

 mart of the world for war horses and hunters." x 



1 The following is a quaint though instructive description of a 

 Medieval Irish Horse and his rider :" The blue-eyed hero [Murough] 

 dressed himself in his armour and arms of valour, his broad full-form mail 



