A few gems of wisdom we think bear repeating...
"As to the notion sometimes encountered that preservation breeding is not compatible with selection for improvement or with breeding "quality horses," I think there are two separate ideas here: we want to improve our individual animals, in the sense of breeding to combine more of the best features of our kind of horse in each individual. What we do not subscribe to is the conventional notion that one can "improve the breed," which seems to mean, in practice, "make it look more like some other breed." "We also have serious concerns as to the Irish Draught type that has evolved in recent times. The original reason that the Irish Draught Horse Society was set up was to preserve the Irish Draught horse as it was at that point in time. We now seem to have moved on to light boned, long legged, mares of 16.2 to 17 hh that lacks type and temperament. Some people refer to these horses as the new Irish Draught (such nonsense).
-Michael Bowling, in: Arabian Visions, September/October 1997, "Preservation and Improvement: Breeders can have both in their programs"
Our aim is to return to a traditional looking mare that is no more than 16.2 hh with over 9" of bone, short shinned with a deep girth and a classic Irish Draught temperament. These horses should be easily recognizable as true Irish Draughts...As the old adage says, if it is not broken, do not fix it."
-J.P. Finnegan in: The Blarney, Spring Issue 2006, "The Rare Bloodline Issue"
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