I have sold some as jumper ponies, dressage ponies, and eventers. But 99% of the hackney ponies have to much knee for hunters
I own an 11.2h mostly hackney black little pony mare that packed tiny kids around local level short stirrup. She was safe, vet cute over fences, visually apeeling, and had changes. She got lots of ribbons in the local hunter ring. Never tried to show above that level though.
I used to ride a lesson pony that had Hackney in him, it was very noticeable and while he didn’t place in hacks, he was very successful in the small pony hunters O/F on the local level. He even went to The National Horse Show at MSG in the mid-60s. He was a blast to ride, despite his small size (12.2) he was not suitable for most small children, it was like riding a firecracker LOL.
I recall a hackney on our local h/j circuit in the 90s (NIHJA). He or she was a really neat pony and did both hunters and jumpers. Went over all of the jumps, regardless if the kid was ready or not.
[QUOTE=Little Secret;7840684]
Silk did he not place because he was a hackney or for other situational reasons?[/QUOTE]
becasue he was a hackney :0 He has quite a lot of action and has very typical hackney conformation…long neck, built uphill and is very upright in general. He looks like a mini saddlebred/morgan cross 
He would place in a pleasure class in an open ring but not in a hunter ring. He was not ever for sale, but when I leased him, he was advertised as an “all around pony”. His forte was pleasure against light horses such as Morgans, Arabs, etc, and,of course, the jumpers and the Games. Great pony…and won his fair share at the open shows.
[QUOTE=findeight;7841509]
If it has a good, ground covering canter, it’ll do OK. The conformation to produce that usually indicates it can get a nice jump. Unfortunately Hackneys are bred to pull a cart in high style at various trot speeds so it going to depend on that specific horse. I’d make it a driving Pony if it’s a classic Hackney type. Or a nice all around type if it’s got that good canter.[/QUOTE]
ExaCTLY!! It tokk a LOT to get a ground coveringcanter and generally mine had to add in the lines. And I have to agree with the poster who said they can be a hard ride. Mine is NOT a beginner’s pony 
They are HOT and SENSITIVE and get very nervous if they are confused or manhandled in any way.
They can be a tough ride because of the hock action. Find a brave kid and try, not every hackney fits the high trotting role. I trail ride mine.
[QUOTE=french fry;7840538]
Do what the big trainers do and scratch your head and say you think it’s a Welsh cross… 
[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=meupatdoes;7841497]
If it goes against type and looks more huntery, amnesia and a turettes-like outburst of “WELSHcross, welsh” may be advisable.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Nickelodian;7841964]coughcoughwelshcoughcough
I just love this.[/QUOTE]
It’s no wonder that my very typey Welsh has people scratching their heads & asking after his breeding
:lol:
[QUOTE=luvmyhackney;7842808]
They can be a tough ride because of the hock action. Find a brave kid and try, not every hackney fits the high trotting role. I trail ride mine.[/QUOTE]
Scratching head - I dislike riding a local QH because he has NO hock action to speak of - not much to push you out of the saddle. I’ll take a hocky horse/pony any day. Maybe it’s just how you learn though.
I’m not sure what’s ‘unfortunate’ about Hackney’s being bred to do what they do - fancy cart horse. That’s like me saying, it’s unfortunate that QH are bred to work cattle - it’s so hard to find one suitable to be a high stepping park horse. Just an odd choice of words to me.
Echoing that Hackney Ponies are not gaited (trotting with high knee action does not mean a horse/pony is gaited)!
Hackney Ponies tend to be quick in both mind and action. I have heard of them making gaming (barrel racing, pole weaving, etc.) Ponies.
A LOT of ponies turn into “Welsh crosses” when they come up for sale.
I recently sold a 14.2 (and a half) grade QH, I advertised him as QHx. The buyer, a trainer looking for resale projects, sized him up and said, “Looks like a Welsh cross to me!”
For whatever reason, “Welsh cross” sounds more marketable than QH/Paint/Hackney, etc. It’s what buyers are trained to hear; if the pony is nice its breed (and bias) shouldn’t be held against him, but the “Welsh Cross” is what it takes to make buyers even consider him.
If he jumps well, teach him really nice walk to canter, and canter to walk transitions…and don’t trot before your hunter round.
[QUOTE=red mares;7843118]
I’m not sure what’s ‘unfortunate’ about Hackney’s being bred to do what they do - fancy cart horse. That’s like me saying, it’s unfortunate that QH are bred to work cattle - it’s so hard to find one suitable to be a high stepping park horse. Just an odd choice of words to me.[/QUOTE]
Um, it’s unfortunate if you are asking about making one a show Hunter Pony in hopes of finding it a good home. Unless it’s way off the breed standard conformation, movement and attitude wise? It’s not the best use for the skills it inherited from generations of selective breeding any more then a QH would suit a career as a high stepping firecracker that lights up a show ring.
There are individuals that are off type in any breed so you can get some crossover. IME horses will tell us what they want to do, will be naturally good at some things, others not so much. Best choice is developing what they can physically do with a good, positive attitude towards their work.
Hackney pony with lots of action = fine harness pony
Hackney pony without lots of action = roadster pony
It’s been years since I’ve seen a class, but I seem to recall that fine harness hackney ponies were shod much like 3-gaited saddlebreds and they pull a lighter, 4-wheeled, pretty fancy carriage-type cart.
The roadster ponies were much more forward, with less action and it was all about speed. They pulled a sulky or road-type cart and I remember the driver wearing racing silks.
You would see a lot of wrecks with the roadster ponies. Kinda like watching car racing.
That class is called Roadster to Bike, no idea of the origins of the name. They do it with the big horses too. Like cramming a 1 mile race into a show ring, I was in a barn once that had a very, very good Roadster to Bike horse, as in World Champion. Learned quite a bit.
That would be another place I wouldn’t be looking for a Hunter.
if it’s sane, safe and sounds and likes to jump little jumps, it could easily do a short stirrup job. Best short stirrup pony I knew was a full blooded morgan …I wouldn’t’ be calling it a hackney but it may be ok in that kind of beginners mount class at lower levels (unrated local shows)
[QUOTE=findeight;7846134]
That class is called Roadster to Bike, no idea of the origins of the name. They do it with the big horses too. Like cramming a 1 mile race into a show ring, I was in a barn once that had a very, very good Roadster to Bike horse, as in World Champion. Learned quite a bit.
That would be another place I wouldn’t be looking for a Hunter.[/QUOTE]
Roadster - short for road horse, the original sports car
little sports cars are also called roadsters
bike - from the ‘bike’ wheels on a sulky
ponies only show to a bike, horses show to a bike or wagon.
At some point I will have a road bike with flames or barbed wire down the shafts instead of pin stripes. :lol:
In my younger years I did Saddlebreds, Morgans and Hackney Ponies (there are also Hackney horses), the craziest thing is to see a Hackney pony flip itself in the traces in warm-up, get righted and go right in the ring!
Seriously never met one that wasn’t “this close” to blowing a gasket. BUT that may say a lot about the training vs. the actual horse. Often leading them was like trying to control a helium balloon on steroids with jet engines.
That being said, I imagine if you had a kid who could stay on one they’d be a BLAST at local level doing speed events.
Oh my gosh and a road trot in the ring may seriously be one of the funnest things ever!
[QUOTE=phoenixrises;7847137]
In my younger years I did Saddlebreds, Morgans and Hackney Ponies (there are also Hackney horses), the craziest thing is to see a Hackney pony flip itself in the traces in warm-up, get righted and go right in the ring!
Seriously never met one that wasn’t “this close” to blowing a gasket. BUT that may say a lot about the training vs. the actual horse. Often leading them was like trying to control a helium balloon on steroids with jet engines.
That being said, I imagine if you had a kid who could stay on one they’d be a BLAST at local level doing speed events.
Oh my gosh and a road trot in the ring may seriously be one of the funnest things ever![/QUOTE]
THIS!!!
Ok…figured I would post some picts of my little hackney pony: i hope I set the privacy so you can see them.
Just chilling http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=d8a244b3efbd6314bcfd7207a7b1fe91
Schooling at home - 3 ft vertical: http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=d8a244b3efbd6314bcfd7207a7b1fe91
Playing in the jumper ring: http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=d8a244b3efbd6314bcfd7207a7b1fe91
Playing in the hunter ring: http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=d8a244b3efbd6314bcfd7207a7b1fe91
flat http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view.sfly?fid=d8a244b3efbd6314bcfd7207a7b1fe91
