HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) issued 440 foal passports in the week to Friday, December 20th, bringing the total number completed in 2024 to 3,317. This represents 51% of the 6,440 applications made this year via the new Horse Source system, which launched in July.

The number processed in that week is an increase on the number the week prior, which was 366. That 51% figure is well up from the figure posted at the start of November, which was 16%.

At that time, HSI cited “rapid adoption rates by users” and “breeders returning marking charts and DNA samples four times faster this year” as reasons for the backlog, which has been a major source of frustration for breeders all year.

Of the 6,440 foal passport applications received through Horse Source, 6,039 are pedigree applications, which require the return of a foal kit. To date, 4,475 foal kits have been returned from breeders to HSI, with the number of pedigree foal passports issued now 3,031, representing 68%.

23% of DNA kits sent out have not been returned to HSI from breeders. Once these are received, they will be sent to the laboratory.

HSI has processed 83% of applications that have DNA results back from the laboratory. As of December 20th, 844 samples were with the laboratory with 600 back with HSI awaiting quality checking.

With regard to ‘other services’ (change of ownership, endorsements and importations), of the 2,286 passports returned to HSI, 2,069 amended passports have been returned to owners.

With the HSI offices being closed over the Christmas period (from 20/12/24 to 02/01/25), the next update of figures will be provided on Friday, January 10th, 2025.

10-fold increase

The two other main sport horse studbooks in Ireland, Leisure Horse Ireland (LHI) and the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland (WSI), have both reported significant increases in activity and registrations in 2024.

WSI, the studbook for warmblood horses, told The Irish Field it has experienced “an approximate 10-fold increase in registrations of foals and older horses this year compared to our average number of registrations”.

The WSI spokesperson said there is a number of reasons for the growth in the studbook, including breeders having a clearer understanding of “WSI’s superior breeding strategy and commitment to working with breeders”, as well the customer service and value for money. Foal registrations with WSI will cost breeders €125 (where the foal is sired by a WSI approved stallion) or €140 (sired by other approved stallion).

“We consistently produce passports in four to six weeks, all with names, parentage verification, and for fillies, a free WFFS1 test.”

A spokesperson for LHI said: “We can confirm that we have observed a significant increase in activity across our studbooks and our Pedigree Identification Register.

“To clarify, the Pedigree Identification Register corresponds to our purple passport. This passport allows breeders to register their animals with their pedigree officially recorded. The breed is initially listed as ‘unknown’, providing the breeder or owner the flexibility to upgrade the animal to a studbook passport at a later stage, should the animal meet the necessary qualifications.”

They added the animal’s pedigree is verified through DNA testing and documented. The fee, including the DNA testing, is €140 with a turnaround time of approximately six weeks.

HSI passport update via Horse Source

Total applications 6440

Of which pedigree 6039

Pedigree foal kits returned 4475

Samples with the lab 844

Samples returned and with HSI 600

Applications completed 3317

Of which pedigree 3031

Of which non-pedigree 286