A historic breakthrough for equine farmers in both the thoroughbred and sport horse sectors has finally arrived, as Minister Charlie McConalogue announced the opening of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS III) on Monday.

“For the first time under TAMS, equine breeders will have the opportunity to invest in important infrastructure for their farms including housing, training facilities, and fencing.

"This will help make the breeding and handling of horses safer for farmers and the animals. It will be a real game-changer for small breeders who are at the heart of the sector.” Minister Haydon commented.

IFA Horse Project Team Chair Richard Kennedy also welcomed the inclusion of equine facilities, commenting: “Following a campaign by the IFA Horse Project Team to include equine facilities, it is important to see confirmation of the equine measures included that will help thousands of small horse breeders.

“While horses had been excluded from TAMS grant support in the past, it was heartening to finally see measures grant aided which will be of real assistance to the thousands of farmers that are involved keeping and breeding horses, both thoroughbred and sports horses,” he added.

Collaboration

The Equine Farming Taskforce’s Patrick Hester, who was one of a number of grassroots and equine organisations who lobbied for the inclusion, told Irish Country Living: “If anything can be learned from the TAMS equine inclusion it is that industry collaboration works, and we should all try to help each other.

“All the argument that goes on in the sector, complaining about this or that. We (and our equivalents in the racing sector) worked for this. We worked with upper-level management. We worked with Horse Sport Ireland, with DAFM, we created awareness, we created good communications – that’s how it happened.”

Equine investments will be available under the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme at a grant rate of 40% (60% for those qualifying as young farmers or female farmers). It is planned to open this heading for applications in mid-March, at which point the full T&Cs will be available.

Equine farmers who qualify will be able to apply for:

Equine Housing

  • American barns
  • Loose houses
  • In-line stables
  • Common wall
  • Ancillary concrete
  • Tack room
  • Feed store
  • Forage room
  • Equine Training Facilities

  • Gallops
  • Lunge rings
  • Outdoor exercise surfaces (all weather)
  • Horse walkers with or without roof
  • Equine Fencing

  • Post and rail
  • Horse tape/rope
  • Specialised horse mesh
  • Gateways
  • The full range of investments and the Reference Cost Documents can be found here.

    TAMS III will run for five years and will include 10 schemes; it is will open for receipt of applications on a phased basis by scheme. Solar will open before next Wednesday 22 February.

    Next to follow will be Animal Welfare, Nutrient Storage Scheme (AWNSS) by mid-March and the remaining schemes will be open for applications on a phased basis by the end of May.

    It is anticipated that the first tranche for all schemes will close on 16 June, 2023.

    Queries of a technical nature relating to the specifications should be submitted by email to the following email address: tams@agriculture.gov.ie.

    A technical helpline number (0539114181) is available from 10.00am to 12.30pm and 2.00pm to 4.30pm Monday to Friday excluding public holidays.

    For all other TAMS queries contact TAMS III Admin on 053 9163425.