The Horse Industry of Ireland and Northern Ireland : A Study Abroad with Michigan State University

Hi Everyone!
I apologize for it taking me so long to get this post up. This semester/ year has been so busy for me! I'm sure many of you can relate.
Well in May 2009 I partook in a study abroad program through my university, Michigan State University, that took me all the way to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The program was 3 weeks long and took me all over both of these wonderful countries. It was great enough to be in Ireland, but it was even better that the program focused on the horse industry of Ireland. Three weeks doesn't really seem like a very long time, but in this short period of time I learned so much about this wonderful country and the importance of the horse industry to their culture and economy. The content to follow will be a run down of my experiences while in Ireland and even a little bit on my travel experience. :-)
The Airport: Chicago-

Okay so I never really fly, just to clarify things. The last time I flew was when I was 8 years old and that was just from Alaska to Michigan and vice versa (I was born in Alaska and my Dad lived up there). Oh, and I had never been out of the country, ever. It was really amazing that an international plane ticket was actually cheaper than a flight within the United States. So I arrived at the Chicago airport about an hour and a half before my flight took off. I was so nervous and the airport was a tad bit confusing. I was, however, very excited to start my journey to Ireland. I would fly from Chicago to Philadelphia to London and then finally arrive in Dublin. My plane from Chicago took off on time and went well, except for the fact that my ears had to adjust to the change in pressure.
The Airport: Philadelphia-
I arrived in Philadelphia on time and once I was in the airport I looked for my terminal. It took a little bit of time because they decided to switch the terminal that the plane was taking off from last minute, so I had to kind of run around the Philadelphia airport looking for it! Once I got on the plane it was good-bye to the United States. I used my passport for the first time and had to fill out an entry form to get into London airport. The flight was long, but I was able to talk with a really nice British lady who was flying back to England to see family. I must note that my plane was late at taking off from Philadelphia.
The Airport: London-
So I arrived late at the London airport and had to get through customs. To make a long story short, I missed my plane from London to Dublin. This occured due to a mixture of my late plane and the fact that I thought I had to transfer my luggage to the plane from London to Dublin when I really didn't have to. I was able to get a replacement ticket without any additional charge that flew out just a few hours later. I became acquanted with London's phone system VERY quickly as I placed phone call after phone call to get a hold of the office of study abroad to let them know that I missed my flight.
The Airport: Dublin-
I arrived in Dublin fairly uneventfully and was very happy to see that my study abroad group had waited for me. When I was in London I had been told that I would have to find my own way to the place I was staying at!
Cookstown-Loughery College-
We took a bus from Dublin to Cookstown in Northern Ireland and arrived at Loughery College where we would stay for a week. While at this college we each would travel to different destinations around Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from day to day. Loughery College is an agricultural college that offers many degree programs. While at Loughery we made friends with a lot of the students.
Day 1-Balmoral Show- 
Our first day took us to the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland. This is the largest fair/ show in Northern Ireland and is a great point of interest for many people in Northern Ireland. Not only are there horse shows, but people bring their livestock for exhibit. The sheep really look like little pigs because they have so much muscle on them! I watched a jumper event and also some showmanship classes. It was really neat because in Ireland, the judge of a show actually gets on and "test" rides all of the horses in a class, because of this the class takes longer to judge but the judge gets a better idea of the horses in the class. Balmoral show was very much like a county fair, expcept all the horses were riden english instead of western! Oh and Irish people LOVE country music!

Day 2- Race Horse Trainer & Castle Leslie-

Our first stop of the day was to a trainer's facility run by trainer Andy Oliver. He trains flat racing thoroughbreds that run on the turf. All flat racing is done on the turf in Ireland. While at the training facility/ farm we had the chance to observe the morning gallop of a group of young thouroughbreds. It was really neat to see how Andy has taken advantage of the Irish terrain to better train his horses. There was a series of flat regions and then up hill regions that help train the horses for endurance. Ireland has also banned the use of steroids in race horses, so none of these horses can have anything in their system, not even lasix! Oh, and also, Ireland is a very rainy place and does not do very well with harvesting their own hay due to the rain. Andy Oliver actually imports all of his hay from Canada! On day two we also visited Castle Leslie. This is a marvelous estate complete with a castle and stables! We toured the stables and got to see the training facilities and horses that are offered to people who are staying at Castle Leslie. They have an entire cross country course that is available for use! The castle was absolutely wonderful and is still occupied by an elderly Mr. Leslie. The castle is rich in history and I guess comes complete with ghosts. It overlooked a beautiful lake and when we got back on the bus we heard that we had just missed an encounter with Bono! Too bad for us.

Galloping up hill at Andy Oliver's

A look out onto the grounds of Leslie Castle (I think the people out there are Bono and his wife!)

Day 3- Ulster American Folk Park & Enniskillen-

The first part of our day was spent exploring the history of Ireland. Ulster American Folk Park was very comparable to any of the United States historical parks. It had a lot of information about the Irish people, including the great emigration in the 1800's due to the potatoe famine. It also had a little bit of history about the United States because that is where most of the emigrants went. It was neat to see our history through another countries eyes! Later that day we went to Enniskillen agricultural college. They have an extensive horse program where students can explore and learn about many of the different facets of the horse industry and actually be involved in them. Enniskillen has its own racing stables that compete in point to point races (lower division of steeple chase racing). Students at Michigan State University are actually able to partake in a semester long study abroad program at Enniskillen! We also went to a point to point race at Necarne castle. It is truly a community activity. People of all ages come to the races and enjoy a good day of friends and racing. I bet on a couple of races and made a bit of money, it was more fun than anything. One of Enniskillen's horses raced for the first time and won! It was exciting because I actually got to see the horse get prepared for the race back in the trailer and then see him race to a win! There were a lot of accidents during the point to point races, mainly horses tripping up over the jumps. People didn't get upset by these though, they seemed to simply view it as a fact of life. It was surprising though, because many of these horses that tripped up tended to be the ones that rushed to the front of the pack as they cleared the jump. It truly showed that the rider is the one that gets in the way of the horse's racing capability!

The indoor arena at Necarne/ Enniskillen

The winning Enniskillen horse before the race (students are all around helping them get ready)

Number 17 horse (the lead horse) is the Enniskillen horse just before the finish

Day 4- Ballinteggart Stud & Cavan Equestrian Centre-

This day was initially spent at Ballinteggart Stud farm in Nortern Ireland. This farm breeds premiere show horses that compete competitively in jumping, eventing and dressage. They currently stand Connemara stallions, a few Thoroughbreds, Irish sport horses and a few other breeds. This farm has really focused on breeding soundness and sport ability into their horse. We got to see an AI collection on one of the stallions. It was actually being filmed for a documentary and an individual with the BBC was doing a program about the farm! Although this is an active breeding farm, many of these horses are just like family to the owners. They described how when a stallion passes away they have a special place to bury them on the property, even though it is technically not allowed in Northern Ireland. We also visited the Cavan Equestrian Centre which hosts show events. This was a HUGE place and was fairly new. There were 3 full sized indoor arenas. Two were used for warm up and then one was used for a jumper/hunter show that was occurring at the time. It was really neat to see that many of the people that show simply prepare their horses out at the trailer and then bring them in, there weren't any stalls at the centre.

Stallion at Ballinteggart

Day 5- Lougherne Stud-

On this day we went to another family owned farm in Hillsborough. The name of this farm is Lougherne Stud farm and they breed show horses that compete competitively in jumping, eventing and dressage. The family was so welcoming and allowed us to go right into their barns. They paraded each of the stallions out in the yard for us and also turned a few loose, one at a time, out into an arena and had them free jumping. It was neat because even as foals there are jumps out in the pastures so that the mare teaches the foals how to jump before they are ever in training. They even had a foal jump, with its mother, over a little jump. They really prided themselves in the natural ability of their horses to jump. They even let us right in the stalls with the stallions. All of the stallions were very nice and had been taught to respect people. A huge difference when compared to American stallions!
Day 6- Stewarts Farm & Forage Production-

Today we visited the Stewarts Farm. This was a very small family farm, but that didn't mean that it had a lack of good blood lines or sucess. They bred Irish Sport Horses and some of the ones they bred were then shipped over to United States to be sold. Horses such as these could be sold for a lot more than they would ever get if they were sold in Ireland. The calm, willing disposition of the Irish Sport Horse makes them an ideal mount for many people. They are also very sound of bone, which allows them to remain sound during rigorous competition. One of the horses owned by this farm that they call LuLu is being ridden competitively at has the potential to be in the next upcoming olympics. The next place we visited was another farm that raises Irish Sport Horses. They talked about the popular form of forage production in Ireland. This happens to be haylage. It is practically the same as silage. Haylage is fermented hay that has been sealed up properly to allow for proper fermentation and to make it so that molding doesn't occur. The owners of the farm also told us about the breed criteria for the Irish Sport Horse. They discussed conformation and the guidlines to qualify as a registered Irish Sport Horse. The guidelines for registry are much more rigorous and demanding than the ones that are put forth by breed registries in the United States. Such rigorous criteria has really kept the bloodlines strong. Stallions must go through several examinations at points in their early life to become registered. They must demonstrate sound conformation and also athleticism. Only a select few make it past the selection criteria.
Day 7-Leaving Loughery College, visit Dean's Equestrian Centre & hotel in Bundoran

Today we left Loughery College and Northern Ireland. We headed to Dean's Equestrian Centre which is a small lesson facility like many places in the United States. I got to see a couple of little girls receiving lessons and it was neat to think that one day they will probably be jumping 4 ft fences. We took a walk on the property and the landscape was breath taking, the rolling hills and the greenery compare to nothing I have ever seen before. You have to be there to actually understand the majesty of the scenery and the wonder of a beautiful Irish day with the sun just glinting over the mountains. After visiting Dean's we then went on to our hotel in Bundoran. The hotel was like nothing I had ever been in before. It was a classy four star hotel located off the coast of the pacific ocean. There were huge cliffs and long beaches and little raised islands that you could climb onto and watch the sunset and sunrise. One night a few of us watched the sunset on the beach and you could barely make out a set of horse hooves running down the beach. It really reminded how much the horse is a part of Ireland.

Day 8- Trekking in Sligo-

On this day we went horse back riding in a town called Sligo. We all rode english and in order to go out on the trails you had to be able to post a trot. We trekked through the hills and cantered through the woods. From our view up in the hills we overlooked the water and you could see the waves lapping the shoreline. My pony was called Tubers, he was white. It was really great to see the countryside from the back of a horse. After we went riding we then went into Sligo for shopping. It was amazing to see the different types of clothing styles and fashions.

Day 9- Traveling & visiting WB Yates grave
Today we left the beautiful four star hotel in Bundoran and traveled for the day. We visited a cemetary at an old church that was home to the grave site of WB Yates, he was a famous Irish poet. The church was beautiful and had a lot of old style religious art work and celtic art. This location was a popular tourist stop as many other people like us were at the cemetary. For me the church was awe inspiring. I am a religious individual and the place kind of gave me the chills. It was chills that were rooted in a lack of understanding of something so great a holy. We ended the day by arriving at a bed and breakfast in the countryside, our bus barely fit down the side road! Also there was a donkey that brayed early each morning, it was like having a personal alarm clock, oh and the geese are NOT friendly!

Day 10- Croagh Patrick, Mayo Abbey, BBQ w/ other MSU group

Today we traveled the Republic of Ireland and just explored some of the history of the area, much of it was religious based since a lot of Ireland's history is rooted in religion. Our first stop was Croagh Patrick, this was a pathway up the side of a Mount Croagh Patrick located in County Mayo. It is a very important pilgrimage site for celtic christianity and was supposedly a site of many pilgramages of St. Patrick. Many pilgrims partake in the walk while barefoot. The view was breathtaking like many other views in Ireland. We also vistied Mayo Abbey, a church located in County Mayo. While here our tour guide told us that all old graves face towards the east and this is because Jesus will one day come again from the east. In this cemetary a man was buried that killed priests, his grave was faced away from the east. After traveling we settled down for dinner at a host families home. We ate dinner with another Study Abroad group who stays for the whole summer to help with community services. There was plenty of food, enough to feed an entire army! Irish people LOVE good food and they love to give plenty of it to guests!

Day 11- Connemara Pony Farm & overnight in Limerick

On this day we visited a Connemara pony farm in Connemara. The Connemara pony originated from this town, as is obvious by the name. This breed of pony is a very sturdy, sound boned pony that is a very good draft animal and also are great show ponies. Irish breeds in general are prized for their ability to be put to many uses. The breeds were created to be used as a draft animals in the fields and also as the animal that pulled the buggy to church on Sundays and were used as riding mounts. Many Irish Sport Horses originate from a cross between a draft horse and a thoroughbred. The Connemara pony farm was located in the mountains and many of the ponies scaled the mountain side with no problem! We passed many sheep fields along the way and many of these areas had very narrow roads going through the countryside and there weren't any fences to keep the sheep in, they just roamed the area. The area around Connemara is also harvested for its peat, which is actually old decayed forest areas. Peat is an excellent form of fuel. For the night we stayed in Limerick at the Clarion hotel, its the tallest hotel in Ireland! It overlooked a river and we ate a 3 course meal (3 course meals were by now a regular occurance!).

A Connemara mare

Day 12- The Cliffs of Moher-

Today we visited another historic location in the Republic of Ireland. This location was the Cliffs of Moher and it is a giat series of cliffs that overlook the Atlantic Ocean. These cliffs tower over the ocean and are home to puffins and there is also a small castle located on the cliff side. At one point in time this castle was the focal point of a ruling area. A lord ruled over the whole town and some stories talk about how if a couple wanted to get married in the town that the wife had to spend her wedding night with the lord. Not such a lovely ruler! The Cliffs of Moher have become a very popular tourist location complete with a gift store and museum. One story in the museum told of a legend of the switch of religion to christianity in the days of St. Patrick, some of the old religious order turned themselves into horses and hid in the caves in the Cliff of Moher. One day 7 foals emerged and they were scared of the light. They all jumped to there death, now known as the Leap of the Foals. This story really showed me how much impact the horse had on Ireland's history and it has really made Ireland what it is today. After the Cliffs of Moher, we traveled the countryside and visited a portal tomb. The dead were buried in these tombs thousands of years ago and I believe it was during the Neolithic age of Ireland. At the solactice the sun aligns with something in the tomb and light the entire cavern. After thousands of years they still remain standing!

                                  Me at the Cliffs of Moher

Portal Tomb

Day 13- Visit Limerick University, visit Cahir Castle, Overnight in Waterford

Okay so today was spent at the University of Limerick. This university offers a great horse program, but they do not have any horses on their immediate campus. All of the people in their programs commute to a riding stable down the road for much of their instruction. The university was established in 1972 with only 100 students. The university now has 12,000 students. In 1989 the first equestrian certification program was created. It started out very weak in the sciences, business management, and training in educational opportunities. The current programs that they now offer offer a bachelors in equine sciences and a few other programs that empasize education along with horsemanship. We also visited Cahir Castle which is located in County Tipperary. It was built in 1142 by Connor O'Brian. It was built in many different sections and it is fairly large. It stayed in the same family for several hundred years. The castle was very rich in history. We then went to Waterford where we spent the night at a Days Inn. Waterford is a beautiful town on the river, but the rain sure never lets up in Ireland!

Day 14- Kildalton College & Ballylinch Stud Farm-
Today, I believe, was my favorite day of the entire trip. It was the day that I realized that my trip to Ireland wasn't over with after this Study Abroad trip. On this day we visited another agricultural college named Kildalton College. This college offered a horse program and other livestock management courses. The college was on the grounds of an old estate and has horses on the grounds.  They also have an indoor arena and one of the horse program professors talked about the regulation of horses in and out of the country due to the concerns of the spread of disease from horse to horse. After we visited Kildalton  College we then went on to Ballylinch Stud Farm. To narrow down my favorite places in Ireland, Ballylinch was by far my favorite. Ballylinch is a thoroughbred breeding/ racing stable located in Thomastown in County Kilkenny. They breed flat and steeplechase race horses. The general farm manager showed us around the farm. We first visited the stallions and got to see each of them paraded out in the paddock area. I believe that the one new stallion they had just got was bought for 10million dollars or so. Wow! We also got to watch a live coverage by a stallion, meaning the stallion was actually with the mare for breeding. We also toured the stables where visiting mares stayed. The stables were all coated in a special paint covering and rubber so that they could be sprayed down easy for sanitary reasons. We also toured their on farm lab that is used by the 4 or so resident veterinarians at the farm. Our group also visited the stables that housed their racing age fillies. After touring the farm itself we visited the actual estate that Ballylinch is situated on. The name of the estate is Mount Juliet. Their are a few very nice houses and stables that are used by people who pay to stay at the estate. Oh and their is a world class golf course. Okay so you may be asking why Ballylinch is so important to me? Well Ballylinch is the reason that I am going back to Ireland for the summer of 2010. While at the farm I talked with the farm's general manager and he said that they offered internships. My heart jumped, literally. I was nervous at first and deep down I really wanted this internship. I could barely talk at the time, but I regained my senses and talked to the general manager about actually doing an internship. And thus began my return journey to Ireland.

Day 15- Travel to Dublin & the Marino Institute-

Cross at Phoenix Park

Today we left Waterford and traveled to Dublin. We stopped by Phoenix Park which is just on the outskirts of Dublin. It is a public park where people take walks and spend picnics with their families. There were even some horse and carrages riding through the park. It is the largest urban park in Europe. There are many different parts to the park including the Dublin Zoo and the Zoological Gardens. We then were given the opportunity to shop in downtown Dublin. There were so many shops and so many people! After shopping we then went to the Marino Institute where we would stay for two nights. This is a college that specializes in teaching and business degrees.
Day 16- Irish National Stud & RACE-

Today was our last day of the trip. Our first stop was the Irish National Stud. This is a race stable that is actually owned by the Irish government of the Republic of Ireland. It is a very extensive piece of property with large stretches of fields with mares and foals and a gorgeous Japanese gardens. We received a full guided tour of the facility and were able to see the breeding shed, mares and foals, and the stallions. Our next stop was to a facility called RACE. This is a school for training race jockeys. Not only does it teach young individuals how to ride race horses but it also teaches them how to take care of themselves. Taking care of themselves includes cooking right to keep themselves healthy, keeping a house, business/ money management and so forth. The school was created back in 1977. They offer a 42 week program to train individuals to be successful members of the racing community. Jockeys in Europe must be certified inorder to ride. The United States has just started offering such a program to train jockeys. It was really neat because they had a racing simalator. A couple of my group members and I decided to ride them and boy is it tough! There are different speeds that they go at and by the end of a round on one of those I could feel it in my thighs! It was really neat to see all of the opportunities that Ireland has for those in the horse industry.

The Stallion Stalls

The Return Journey & the Rest of the Story-

My trip back to the United States was fairly uneventful. I didn't miss any flights this time! On my flight from Philadelphia to Chicago I sat next to a guy. He was a business man from Oklahoma. At first it seemed like just a normal conversation. But underlying all of this talk was a message to persue my dreams and to not let anyone or anything hold me back. It seemed like a fitting conversation to conclude my journey and to begin my next one.

I guess if there is anything I would like for you to get out of what I have written is that anything is possible. You should follow your dreams and let nothing hold you back. College is the time of your life where anything is possible. I would encourage you to look into Study Abroad programs offered through your school or through a school near you. You never really know what the world is like until you have been thrown into it. Believe me I was nervous about last May, but after it happened I felt like anything really was possible. There are so many opportunities out there. You just have to get out there, explore and not be afraid of failure. You never know until you try and the world is full of opportunities. The world of horses is yours to explore and many of the people out there are more than willing to help you, just ask. Please feel free to email if you have any questions! :-)

~Heather Holser

holserhe@msu.edu

*all photos were taken by me*