What is a breed?

What is a breed?

A consistent type

A breed is a specific type (such as the Irish Cob) which was created from different selected breeds, and that has proven over some generations of breeding that specific type to that specific type, to consistently produce progeny true to that specific type, and that can therefore have a pedigree displaying ancestors of that breed only.

A breed (such as the true Gypsy Cob) can also be developed from another breed (such as the Irish Cob) to maximise and/or reduce particular characteristics of that other breed.

Has a country of origin

Every breed has a country of origin—Ireland being the country of origin of the Irish Cob and Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) being the country of origin of the true Gypsy Cob—and this fact is recognised in European Union (EU) law and United Kingdom (UK) law.

Is the Drum Horse a breed?

No, because ‘drum horse’ (like ‘racehorse’) is a job description for any suitable breed (purebred) or type (partbred).

According to all ‘Drum Horse’ registries, a Drum Horse is a partbred (Gypsy x Clydesdale or Shire) and therefore cannot be assured to consistently breed true to a specific ‘drum horse’ type, and therefore cannot have a recorded pedigree displaying Drum Horse ascendants only.

The only purebreds (breeds) that are used (or have been used) as Ceremonial Drum Horses are the Shire Horse (country of origin England), the Clydesdale Horse (country of origin Scotland) and the Irish Cob (country of origin Ireland). A Drum Horse registry for Ceremonial Drum Horses that is not the breed registry for one of those three breeds, but which claims to be a registry for one of those breeds using the name Drum Horse instead of the true name for the breed, therefore, makes no sense and serves to confuse and endanger that breed. To resolve this situation and protect the Irish Cob breed, TCR (which is in Ireland), will therefore (where requested), also register the Irish Cob (Maxi) as an Irish Drum Horse and the Irish Cob (Large) as a Classic Irish Drum Horse. 

TCR Irish Cob / Irish Drum Horse Height Divisions