Hackney Horses

Thousands of Pet Pictures, Classifieds, Ecards.
Pets for Sale, Pet of the Month, Pet Products.

www.GotPetsOnline.comAdvertise here

Hackney Horses - History

Source:
Eros Arabian and Hackney Horses

Hackney Horses originated in England. Their ancestors were highly valuable for the particularly comfortable trot or amble. As riding animals they were especially ridden by noblemen; they were also used as driving and even as light cavalry horses. In the beginning of the 18th century this native horse was crossed with the imported Arabian stallion, which added some refinement to the breed and took nothing away. Breeders concentrated their efforts on producing strong harness animals, possessing stamina and soundness.

When horse drawn vehicles became popular, the demand came for showier horses with high head carriage and lofty knee action. The smart and flashy Hackney Horse became the status symbol. Many horse breeds include large amounts of Hackney blood (Holsteins, Gelderlanders, Dutch Warm Bloods, Saddle Breds, Morgans, and etc.), which appears to influence rather then be influenced

In the beginning of the 20th century large amounts of Hackney Horses were exported all over the world. They took part in the World War I as cavalry mounts and artillery horses. Between the war years there was a large growth in the professionally trained show Hackney Horses. With the growing popularity of the motorcars Hackney breeding was deemed non-essential. Today Hackney Horses are valued as perfect show jumpers and are bred primarily for the show ring.