Hackney (horse)

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The Hackney Horse is a recognized breed that was developed in Great Britain. A studbook has been maintained for this breed since 1833 by the Hackney Horse Society, which has its headquarters in Norwich. The breed takes its name from the Hackney area of London, England (the uncapitalized term, "hackney" is a more general designation for horses used for ordinary driving or riding). The Hackney Horse derives from two earlier breeds that have now disappeared, the Norfolk Roadster and the Yorkshire Roadster. Like those two breeds, the breeding of the Hackney has been directed toward producing horses that are ideal for drawing carriages. They are known for their great stamina, trotting at high speed for extended periods of time.

[edit] Breed History

The breed was developed during the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, from the well-known trotting breeds: the Norfolk Roadster and the Yorkshire Roadster. The Norfolk has actually been very influential in the development of other breeds, including the Gelderland, the Furioso, the French Trotter, the Welsh Cob, the Maremanna, the Orlov Trotter, the American Saddlebred, and the Standardbred.

Both trotting breeds were exceptionally fast, with great speed and endurance. Both trace back to the stallion Original Shales, born in East Anglica in 1755. He was by the stallion Blaze, the son of the well-known racehorse Flying Childers who was a grandson of the great Darley Arabian (one of the four foundation stallions of the Thoroughbred breed). Original Shales sired two stallions--Scot Shales and Driver--both of which had a great influence on the Norfolk Trotter.

Robert and Philip Ramsdale, father and son, took the Norfolk horses Wroot's Pretender and Phenomenon to Yorkshire, where they bred them with Yorkshire trotting mares. The offspring were the basis for the Hackney, and by 1833, the Hackney Horse Society was formed in Norwich and had opened its studbook.

In 1832, one of Phenomenon's daughters, the 14 hh Phenomena, trotted 17 miles in only 53 minutes.

When the railways were developed, the Norfolk and Yorkshire Trotter numbers declined, eventually dying out. The showiness of the Hackney, however, saved it from extinction, and began its use in the show ring. They are still extremely successful in harness, and have also been crossed with Thoroughbreds to produce very nice riding horses.

Hackneys come in all sizes today. From pony to horse size. One breed registry for one breed, all sizes included. This is one of the few breeds that recognizes both pony and horse sizes.

[edit] Breed Characteristics

The Hackneys stand anywhere from 14 to 15.3 hands tall (4' 8" - 5' 3"). They may be any solid color, with black, bay, chestnut the most common, and may have some white markings.

In motion, they are recognizable by their extraordinary showiness and style, with flashy knee and hock action. They have a distinct moment of suspension, and throw their front legs from their shoulder with each stride. The spectacular movement makes the horse seem to float over the ground. The movement is very appealing, as it seems so effortless.

The horse has a small, fine head with small, alert ears, convex profile, and large eyes. The neck is carried arched and upright, and is usually thick and crested and set high. The chest is broad, although not deep, the shoulder is powerful. The horses have compact backs, level croups, and powerful hindquarters. Their ribs are well sprung. The tail is set high and carried high naturally, and this quality is further emphasized by a crupper. The legs are strong with broad joints, hocks low, and are attached to hard, tough hooves. The breed is known for its soundness.

Alexander Cassatt was responsible for the introduction of the Hackney pony to the United States. In 1878 he acquired 239 Stella in Britain and brought her to Philadelphia. In 1891, Cassatt and other Hackney enthusiasts founded the American Hackney Horse Society. The organization and registry continues to this day with its headquarters now in Lexington, Kentucky. [1]