New Training Opportunities for Sport Horse Breeders 

The Irish Horse Board is delighted to announce that a grant of approximately €420,000 has been secured to develop a training network for breeders. The network will be funded from the Training Networks Programme (TNP), subject to contract, from Skillnets, the enterprise-led support body, whose mission is to enhance the skills of people in employment in Irish industry to support competitiveness and employability.

The IHB submitted an application for funding to Skillnets in September 2007 with a view to developing a comprehensive, structured training programme for sport horse breeders. This application has now been approved and the IHB hope to include the following in their training programme - market knowledge and promotion, veterinary care, nutrition, mare management, care, handling and production of young stock and mare and stallion assessment/genetics. In addition it is hoped to develop a structured system for the training of inspectors and judges through the Sport Horse Breeders Training Network.

Commenting on these developments, Nicholas Finnerty, Director General of the Irish Horse Board stated, “The Irish Horse Board has identified a need for increased emphasis on the training and education of breeders. This funding will facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive training programme for sport horse breeders and will be invaluable in the future development of the industry'”.

The Irish Horse Board would like to thank all of the breeders that contributed to the Skillnets application. The IHB are also indebted to the Sport Horse Breeders Steering Committee for their valuable input into the successful application.

Skillnets is funded through the National Training Fund and its stakeholders include leading employer and employee representative bodies such as Chambers Ireland, Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC), the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the Small Firms Association (SFA) and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU).

Further details on the Sport Horse Breeders Training Network will be announced over the coming months.