Irish Drum Horse

Classic Irish Drum Horse

16.3hh and over
100% Irish

A Classic Irish Drum Horse (Purebred)
is an Irish Cob (Large)

A Classic Irish Drum (Partbred)
is an Irish Cob x Irish Draught  

Irish Drum Horse

15.3hh to 16.2hh
100% Irish

An Irish Drum Horse (Purebred)
is an Irish Cob (Maxi)

An Irish Drum Horse (Partbred)
is an Irish Cob x Irish Draught

TCR Irish Cob Height Ranges

The horse that served (had a job) during the 1980s and 1990s as the Queen Elizabeth II’s Ceremonial Drum Horse used by Life Guards in England was either a purebred Irish Cob or a partbred Irish Cob (Irish Cob x Irish Draught, Shire or Clydesdale) that was born in Ireland and imported into Great Britain (England, Scotland or Wales). It is the look of the coloured 1980s and 1990s Queen Elizabeth II’s Ceremonial Drum Horse that the world fell in love with. However, purebred Irish Cobs are being registered as partbreds (Gypsy Cob x Shire or Clydesdale) by Drum Horse registries - such as the International Drum Horse Association (IDHA) and the Drum Horse Breed Registry (DHBR) in the USA and the Australian Heavy Horse Association (AHHA) in Australia.  

NOTE: Because Drum Horse registries are registering a specific type (look) of horse (the 1980s and 1990s Queen Elizabeth II’s Ceremonial Drum Horse) as a breed, the type of horse depicted by the IDHA, the DHBR and the AHHA as a Drum Horse is a purebred Irish Cob. However, because the Irish Cob Studbook was officially recognised in Ireland on 18 July 1996, Drum Horse registries are reinventing an already existing breed. In addition, it is a fact that a horse that is made up of different breeds (Gypsy Cob x Shire or Clydesdale) is a partbred, not a breed. A purebred Irish Cob is made up of one breed (Irish Cob).   

What Is A Drum Horse?

A Drum Horse is not a breed; it is a term used to describe the different purebred breeds, partbred breeds and types (unknown breeds) used to carry kettle drums in a war situation (War Drum Horse) or in a ceremonial situation (Ceremonial Drum Horse).

NOTE: Because a Drum Horse is not a breed but a job (carrying kettle drums), a Drum Horse should have its breed name recorded along with its job as a Drum Horse.

TCR Irish Cob Height Ranges