 Large numbers were sent to the slaughterhouse and abroad for use in breeding.In 1976, the Irish Draught Horse Society was founded to preserve the breed, with an external branch in Great Britain emerging in 1979.A horse board, "Bord na gCapall", was also founded in 1976 (later resurrected as the "Irish Horse Board" in 1993), in order to promote the breeding and use of horses other than Thoroughbreds in the country.