Kegan Sport Horses

Why Irish?

Both the Irish Draught Horse and Connemara Pony are well known for being reliable, level headed, athletic equines who are eager partners for their riders.  Both have been bred for centuries to be hardy, easy going, versatile horses and ponies who can do a little bit of everything...from trail rides to fox hunting, from safely packing children around to jumping international Grand Prix courses.  We chose to focus on these Irish breeds after falling in love with them while honeymooning in Ireland in 2002.  We rode the Connemara trail with Willie Leahy (https://www.connemara-trails.com/connemara-on-horseback.html) and saw first hand the excellent qualities of both the Irish Draught and Connemara throughout the 5 day tour across the harsh Connemara landscapes.  Determined to own one of these excellent equines, we found and purchased our first Irish Draught cross mare not long after we returned to the States.  We built our first farm in 2003, focusing on breeding Irish Draughts and Irish Draught Sport Horses.  Those early years, we owned two purebred Irish Draughts and two Irish Draught Sport Horses, and produced a handful of foals before life took us away from breeding and on to other persuits.  In 2022, we built another farm and purchased another couple of Irish Draught Sport Horse mares for breeding.  We changed our focus to crossing our mares to Connemara stallions over the Irish Draught for a variety of reasons, the main one being to reduce the size of the horses we loved. The Connemara blood allows us to retain all of the qualities we were used to producing with the Irish Draught in a 14-16 hand package.

Our Philosophy:

Our horses spend the majority of their lives outside.  They have 24 hour access to 20+ acres of managed pasture, and are supplemented with alfalfa pellets plus a locally produced ration balance pellet (Banks Mill Feeds Zone) for optimized nutrition. Our pastures are primarily Bermuda and Bahaia grass in the summer, Brome and Rye grasses in the winter, and most importantly, are Fescue free for the safety of our pregnant mares and gestating foals.  They are accustomed to spending time in a stall during feeding time and bad weather.  They enjoy access to a shed for protection when not stalled.   They are allowed to grow thick, woolly, winter coats for protection, and run barefoot as much as possible.

Each horse born at our farm is imprinted upon foaling, and handled daily throughout their lives.  They are taught from an early age how to lead, load in the trailer, clip, bathe, wear blankets, and stand quietly for the vet and farrier.  We teach things one step at a time, and never rush or overexpose our youngsters.  From a young age, we teach our foals how to work in hand, as well as introduce them to the concept of lunging by having them walk in a circle around us.  They are introduced to a surcingle and long lines by the time they are a year old, and we ground drive them all over the farm and on trails as they grow and mature.  They learn how to carry a saddle and wear a bridle in their yearling year, as well as start taking educational trips off the farm.  

In the spring of the three year old year, we take the next step of training by backing them until they comfortably walk with a rider, and then trail ride once or twice a week through the summer.  On these low stress rides, we continue training until they are solidly going under saddle at a walk, trot, and canter.  We expect each horse to know the concept of self carriage, as well as the concepts of leg yield and suppleness.  We take each horse off the farm for lessons, sometimes to a local schooling show, until the horse is calm, willing, and able to focus on the rider in a new environment.  

The fall of the four year old year, we begin competing at local schooling shows.  From there, each horse will progress up the levels based on each individual horse's needs, and as they tell us that they are ready for more.  We believe following this philosophy produces sane, sound, and athletic individuals who continue to look forward to each step of their training.

The Breeds:

The Irish Draught

(From http://imh.org/exhibits/online/breeds-of-the-world/europe/irish-draught-horse/ )

The Irish Draught's history lies as much in battle as it does in agriculture. Written in 1 BC, the "Cuchlain Saga" describes mighty chariot horses of Irish Draught type. In the twelfth century came the arrival, in Ireland, of the Anglo-Normans with their strong war horses. Later, in the sixteenth century, trade between southern Ireland and Spain brought a strong mix of Spanish blood to the native horses. The Irish Draught has been exported in huge numbers into the armies of Europe since the Middle Ages. As recently as the first World War the Irish Draught served on the front lines in the thousands.  The hundred years from 1850 to 1950 probably did the most to shape the Irish Draught as we know it today. Agriculture in Ireland was mixed, with less demand for the heavy draft breeds popular in the rest of Europe. Instead, the Irish farmer needed a horse that could work the land but would also pull the dog cart to church at a smart trot and take the farmer fox hunting. The hunting farmer wanted a horse that would go all day and jump anything he faced.  Over a century of selection produced a very sound, sensible animal with good bone and substance, great stamina and an uncanny jumping ability. It is these qualities that, when crossed with the Thoroughbred, produced the world renowned Irish Hunter.  Unfortunately, this success as a foundation breed nearly led to the Irish Draught’s downfall. The decrease in farm mechanization and the worldwide demand for hunters and sport horses brought the breed to the brink of extinction. It was more profitable for the Irish farmer to supplement his living by breeding his good draught mare to a thoroughbred than to breed her to a purebred stallion. Even with the concerted efforts of the Irish Draught Horse Society, founded in 1976, the breed is considered endangered with barely 2,000 purebreds worldwide.

The Irish Draught Sport Horse

(From https://www.irishdraught.org/about-the-irish-sport-horse )

A complete package in its purest form, the Irish Draught must also be acknowledged for its potent and unparalleled contribution in the creation of the magical cross; the Irish Draught Sport Horse. The even temperament, durability and power of the Irish Draught, mixed with the speed and athleticism of the Thoroughbred, create a potent mix which is well up to the demands of modern day competition. World famous for its jumping and cross-country ability, this Irish Draught/Thoroughbred cross is not only a top caliber international athlete, but can serve as a perfect novice mount, adeptly boosting the confidence of a lower level rider.  Cruising, El Campeon's Ado Annie, Eezy, Carling King, Mr. Springfield, Hilton Flight, Sails Away, Coolcorron Cool Diamond, and Flexible are some of the shining stars of the Grand Prix circuit.  Custom Made, Supreme Rock, Giltedge, McKinlaigh, Moon Man, Shear L'eau, and Sailing have thrilled us in the Eventing world.

This magical cross is referred to as the Irish Draught Sport Horse in North America and the Irish Sport Horse in Europe. While it may seem confusing, there is a reason for the difference in names.  The Irish Draught Sport Horse is recognized by North America (IDHS-NA and IDHS-Can) as a crossbred animal with a portion of RID (Registered Irish Draught) blood.  The Irish Sport Horse is recognized by the Irish Horse Board, as an animal of ANY breeding, which MAY OR MAY NOT have Irish Draught blood in its pedigree.  For example, an ArabxTB, TBxConnemara, Pure TB, warmblood, RIDxTB, or any combination of blood, may all be classified as an Irish Sport Horse. Here in North America, only the cross with RID blood is classified as an Irish Draught Sport Horse.  It should be understood that the IDSH is not a special breed or a product of an “American” breeding program. It is just a new moniker aimed at educating the public about the Irish Draught blood that is so prevalent in many of the top performance animals.

The Connemara Pony

(From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connemara_pony )

https://acps.org/about-connemara-ponies/

The Connemara region in County Galway in western Ireland, where the breed first became recognized as a distinct type, is a very harsh landscape, thus giving rise to a pony breed of hardy, strong individuals. Some believe that the Connemara developed from Scandinavian ponies that the Vikings first brought to Ireland. Another source was likely the Irish Hobby, a now-extinct breed established prior to the 13th century. Legend, however, says that galleons from the Spanish Armada ran aground in 1588, and the Andalusians on board were set loose. The Spanish horses bred with the native stock, refining the local ponies.For additional strength and stamina, Arabian blood was added in the 18th century. They were also crossed with Hackneys and Thoroughbreds. Too much crossbreeding began to dilute the pony bloodlines, so the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society, worked to preserve the breed type. The stud book was established in 1926. Today, Connemaras are bred worldwide in Ireland and Britain, as well as on the European continent, North America, Australasia, and South Africa.  The Connemara is best known today as a sports pony. Ridden by both children and adults, it is considered to be a very versatile pony breed, competitive in show jumping, dressage and eventing, but also with the stamina for endurance riding. They are also shown in harness. Connemara Pony shows are held worldwide, with particular popularity in Ireland and the United Kingdom.