Origin
England
History
The Hackney Horse developed from the great trotting horses of the 18th and 19th centuries, which were traditional to England and left their mark upon many breeds in Europe and some notable ones in the US.
There were two regional types of trotting horses in the UK, known as Trotters or Roadsters: the Norfolk and the Yorkshire. Both types depended ultimately for their future success on a stallion born in East Anglia, the Original Shales who was born in 1755 out of a "hackney, " or riding, mare by a Thoroughbred called Blaze. Blaze was the son of Flying Childers, the first great racehorse. He, in turn, was a great grandson of the Darley Arabian, one of the three founding sires of the Thoroughbred. Blaze is also connected with the American Standardbred through his great-great-grandson Messenger. However, it was Blaze´s son Shales, and Shales two sons, Driver and Scot Shales, together with another horse, Marshland that were the prime influences on the Norfolk Trotter.
Much credit for development of the Hackney breed must go to two men who gave the area of East Riding its name as one of the homes of the Hackney breed-father and son Robert and Philip Ramsdales. They enabled Yorkshire trotting mares to be crossed with the blood of the Original Shales. When blood of the Norfolk Trotter and Yorkshire Coach horse were blended, the modern Hackney was the result.
The Hackneys and roadsters thrived from the early part of the 19th century until railways reduced the demand for horses. Hackney horses found another niche in the show ring due to their style, while the sturdier, less spectacular breeds of roadster died out.
The Hackney Horse Society was founded in Norwich, England in 1883.
The hallmark of this breed is its spectacular and highly distinctive action. The shoulder action is fluid and free with very high, ground-covering knee action. Motion of the hind legs is similar but to a lesser degree. The hocks should be brought under the body and raised high. All joints should show extreme flexion. The action must be straight and true. In part, this extravagant movement can be taught and refined by skillful training, but much of it is inherited and derives from years of careful selective breeding and the foundation of trotting blood.
The hackney is now bred worldwide. The Netherlands probably produce more Hackney than any other country in the world. The breed also enjoys great popularity in both the US and Canada.
Description
- Head:
slightly convex in profile, with small, neat ears and a fine, quality muzzle; large and bold eyes - Conformation:
-long neck
-broad chest
-powerful and sloping shoulders
-well rounded ribs
-short loin
-level croup with a high-set tail
-legs of medium length with large, strong joints
-well muscled thighs and quarters
-pasterns of good length and slope
-hooves are allowed to grow longer than usual to give emphasis to the "snap" of the action. - Average height:
14 to 15.3 h.h. - Colour:
black, brown, bay, or chestnut, with or without white markings - Temperament:
spirited and very full of itself - Today:
the modern Hackney is a harness horse. It attains its glory in the show ring, where its unique and elegant action makes it an exhibit of unsurpassed attraction.
