If you are purchasing ANY horse or pony from Ireland - CAVEAT EMPTOR

Various Genetics laboratories that routinely test for HWSD often notify the Connemara Pony Research Group of any new developments that they see as the result of their work. 

Back in 2019 the linked report was sent to DAFM in Ireland. Link is here: 2019 DAFM report.  In the conclusion the following statement was made:

The potential economic impact of HWSD on the greater Irish horse industry in general does not appear tohave been considered. The provenance of ponies/horses being exported on white passports willincreasingly be questioned as more HWSD carrier or affected animals are sold overseas. The equinecommunity at large and the authorities (DAFM, IHB) need to consider the effects of the HWSD mutationmoving into the wider genetic base of the Irish Sport Horse industry. The potential economic impact of HWSD on the greater Irish horse industry in general does not appear tohave been considered. The provenance of ponies/horses being exported on white passports willincreasingly be questioned as more HWSD carrier or affected animals are sold overseas. The equinecommunity at large and the authorities (DAFM, IHB) need to consider the effects of the HWSD mutationmoving into the wider genetic base of the Irish Sport Horse industry.
"The potential economic impact of HWSD on the greater Irish Horse Industry in general does not appear to have been considered.   The provenance of ponies/horses being exported on 'white passports' will increasingly be questioned as more HWSD carrier or affected animals are sold overseas.   The equine community at large and the authorities (DAFM, IHB) need to consider the effects of the HWSD mutation moving into the wider genetic base of the Irish Sport Horse Industry'.

What was forecast in 2019 has come to pass.  An 'Irish Cob' passported by the PIO Leisure Horse Ireland has been tested and found to be affected HWSD/HWSD.   This cob was exported from Ireland to the continent; the usual pattern of hoof disintegration occurred and on advice from a equine professional, a hair sample was sent to the laboratory for testing.

It is obvious therefore that the mutation is now circulating in the wider equine population in Ireland.   

As an example, one of the most prolific 'not-tested' but known to be N/HWSD stallions, (Ross Fear Bui) has  been extensively used and continues to be used for sport horse/pony breeding. As other 'not-tested' and known to be N/HWSD stallions are also being used outside of the Connemara breed.  This raises the concern as to how extensive the mutation in the wider population is likely to be.

It would appear that none of the concerns raised in the 2019 report were considered to be important as none of them have been addressed.

TAKE HOME NOTE:   DO NOT BUY ANY HORSE OR PONY FROM IRELAND WITHOUT FIRST KNOWING THE HWSD STATUS OF THAT HORSE/PONY

WARNING: Passport Tampering occurring with Irish Bred HWSD/HWSD affected ponies

 Sadly, it has been brought to the attention of the CPRG that a number of HWSD affected ponies have recently been exported from Ireland to the UK, various Nordic countries and several Continental countries.

Since 2015 there has been NO EXCUSE for any HWSD ponies to have even been born.  Sadly this message does not seem to have been accepted in the biggest Connemara pony breeding country in the world, Ireland.  As HWSD is entirely preventable, then the breeders of such ponies have a moral and ethical responsibility to care for these ponies themselves, not sell them off to dealers and sight unseen to unsuspecting overseas buyers.

Even worse, to just compound the issue some unscrupulous individuals are now passport tampering by removing the back page of the CPBS passport where the HWSD status of the pony is placed.

These recently reported HWSD affected pony's passports have had the back page of their passports deliberately removed.

The back page of the passport of an affected pony should look like this:

There are supposed to be 46 pages in a CPBS passport.

It is not known where this tampering is occurring, as the majority of these ponies have been sold through dealer yards, both in Ireland and in the country of their final destination.  Either way it is inexcusable and ILLEGAL behaviour.   It is bad enough as it is, that the knowledge of HWSD in the general horse owning population, vets and farriers is abysmally low. This passport tampering is a deliberate act to sucker unsuspecting buyers, nothing less, nothing more.

To add insult to injury there is also proof that HWSD affected ponies are being sold from Ireland using 'white' passports.  These are effectively generic travel documents only.  They have no requirement to list breed, breeding or breeder.

If you are looking to purchase a horse or pony listed as 'Connemara Type' make sure that the pony is scanned for more than one microchip.  As there is no central microchip database in Ireland there is no way in which to check for duplicate registrations to one microchip.  It is also really easy to have a 2nd (or even more) microchips inserted, if one is of a mind to do such a thing.

These passport breaches have been reported to the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) as this department is responsible for administering the issuing of equine passports. 

Irish Equine Law.