Breed of the Week

This week, I'm going to write about the Hackney! Here's the American Hackney Horse Society: http://hackneysociety.com/. This breed, as with all of my previous ones thus far, is on the critically endangered list. The first Hackney was bred in 1760 in Norfolk, England.

 It was selectively bred for its "elegant style and speed," which was improved upon over the next 50 years. Hackneys come in black, brown, bay, and occasionally chestnut with little to no facial or leg markings. These horses must be extremely flexible to achieve their famous high stepping, forward stride. They get shown in four "divisions": Hackney Pony (cob tail), single or paired class pulling a carriage; Harness pony (long tail), same as the Hackney Pony, except with a long tail; Roadster Pony, fast paced two-wheel cart pulling; and Pleasure Pony, the goal is to show how much a pleasure it is to drive this horse. They are generally shown single, double, four in hand, obstacle, or even under saddle.