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Hackney pony

Driving
#21

I WISH Mine was!

[QUOTE=Renae;5113008]
At the barn I work at nearly every Hackney Pony we have had here is broke to ride and has been shown road pony or pleasure pony under saddle. Some of the pleasure ponies have been taught to wear a full bridle and have also been shown by 10 & under kids in walk & trot saddle seat equitation. They certainly are rideable, you just have to teach your kiddos to be game, good riders.[/QUOTE]

I would revel in the challenge of a hackney pony to drive however DD is just not brave enough to master that kind of pony. She’s very very cautious and very timid even after 2 years in the saddle on the steady eddies she just ain’t got the fortitude to master one. I only wish I was short enough and light enough to handle one. Though in my current state I certainly couldn’t even handle a full sized on in the traces. One day though oh one day I will have a matched pair and we shall fly around the ring in full colors! :wink:

#22

It’s hardly surprising that the Hackney horse and pony makes a good riding horse.

Consider it’s origins:

The word ‘Hackney’ comes from a language commonly spoken in England in Medieval times. It means and describes a riding horse with a particularly comfortable trot or amble and over the years the term became synonymous with a general purpose ridden and driven animal whose stamina and soundness were greatly admired and whose favoured pace was the trot. These horses were just at home taking the farmer to market, working on the farm or enjoying a days hunting.

#23

Sadly, I didn’t get my first hackney until I was in my mid-twenties, because roadster pony under saddle would have been right up my alley… and he had never been broke to saddle, but they are highly adaptable little guys…

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q113/smartalex_photos/Misc%20Horse/Shortcut.jpg

I don’t know what posessed me to try this, but luckily there was a camera handy.

#24

[QUOTE=Renae;5113008]
At the barn I work at nearly every Hackney Pony we have had here is broke to ride and has been shown road pony or pleasure pony under saddle. Some of the pleasure ponies have been taught to wear a full bridle and have also been shown by 10 & under kids in walk & trot saddle seat equitation. They certainly are rideable, you just have to teach your kiddos to be game, good riders.[/QUOTE]

Yep! In fact, back when I was a kid in like the 1970s, it was very fashionable to have the kids do equitation on 'em. I’d forgotten about this until you mentioned it!

#25

Oh and I forgot the Saddlebred trainer I used to help at shows. She had a client, a funeral director, who’s wife showed her Hackney driving full mane and tail at the ASB shows.

The Hackney’s name was Napoleon because, well, you can imagine he thought himself pretty high and mighty for his size. And she was a wee bit of a white haired thing. But she loved that Nappy pony.

We would get him all tarted up for his class while she tarted herself up. Once the bridle went on, the pony did this strange thing where he beared his teeth like a dog growling at you. Once in the heat of competition, the little old lady would grimace the same way in concentration. It was pretty darn cute and we would tease her about it after the class. He was a pretty snappy little pony and was just perfect for little old ladies to drive on Sundays!

#26

I got a friends old retired from the show ring roadster pony for my then 3 year old daughter to be led around on. She was a beautiful pony, jet black with a stripe and low whites. She would patiently carry my daughter around quietly and stand like a statue while she brushed her. One day my friend brought a 2 wheeled cart out for us to drive Mary around. She turned from quiet and calm to a raging fireball when she was hitched to this cart. It was a total transformation. She was a blast to drive. It was definitely like driving a sports car. She was a wonderful pony and I still miss her.

#27

Interesting…
Like RMJacobs I have come into owning a Hackney pony by chance.
In fact, I was just about to post about him when I saw this thread.

He does this same “Growl” face, but never follows it up with any mean/unpleasant/undesirable action - just a quick nod of his head then back to Business As Usual. I just took it as part of his personality.
Which, BTW, he has in SPADES!

So what is this Hackney Growl? What, if anything, does it mean?

My guy was given to me by my shoer who had trained him to drive then had a wreck. At age 65 shoer thought the better part of valor was rehoming this pony (he still has several ponies he shows to cart) & I needed a companion for my horse.

As a pal, Pony is superb. He figured out the routine here in about 2 days.
My horses are out 24/7/365 with free access to stalls. They come in to be fed & are only stalled for shoer or vet visits. Pony is not only a great pal to my 17h+ WB, he has lovely manners now that he has gotten over his initial RUNAWAAAAAY!!! reaction. I can now groom & tack (surcingle) him in his stall with the Dutch door in back open to Freedom.

Although due to injury (mine) & weather (HOT!) I have only longed him about 6 or 8 times since he came to me in May, already he will slow his (Roadster) trot & walk on the longe on voice command. We are working on “Halt” - which is what I wanted to ask about on this Forum.
As soon as I can find a suitable bridle I will start longlining him.

I met his breeder - a local guy - at the County Fair this Summer and he was pleased to find out where the pony had ended up (he uses the same shoer, who he sold pony to & had heard about the accident). Pony is from his first crop of foals from a stallion he bought about 12 years ago (Pony is 10).

I have lots of experience with horses & some with ponies, but never a Hackney. They are truly something else!

Re: the cross for a Children’s Hunter.
May years ago I showed with a little girl who had a mutt pony who looked like a mini TB - he was very fine.
He could jump the moon and now I’m thinking he must have had some Hackney in him.

I hope your sale pony ends up with someone who will love & understand him.

#28

[QUOTE=War Admiral;5112252]
WORD!!! I used to watch my aged little’un and think DANG, why is nobody crossing these with something a little more solid?

Philosophical question though (probably needs to be a spinoff thread) - what to cross them with?? I’m so not a breeder and honestly so not a pony person either, except for Hackneys. :slight_smile:

And RMJacobs, I think we’re both essentially saying the same thing! :)[/QUOTE]

Not many kiddos can handle a Hackney Pony much less a younger one. They are a trial by fire as I found out when I was training one. He was a stunning example of his breed and very well bred. He was also one of the smartest, quickest, most stubborn ponies I ever had my hands on. He was originally trained to drive but they wanted to use him as a pony for the grand child. Yeah no, that didn’t go well at all. He cleaned up as a leadline pony but once off the line he was far too much pony for the kid to handle. I wouldn’t want to cross them with anything, honestly they are perfect the way they are. Either you can handle them or you can’t and I really like them that way.

#29

Hi, Im new here, but could not help chiming in on this one LOL
I own and drive american Shetlands, some of which are an mix of Shetland and hackney.

For an childs hunter cross, look at the Shawackneys (Shetland, hackney, welsh cross, often an cross of an modern Shetland on an welsh mare) Ive seen an few of them, nice ponies usually with more substance, and slightly more “dulled” reactions than the hackney, but more refined with more endurance and scope than the welsh.

Amie

#30

I take it you liked my post?

[QUOTE=doramide7;5125683]
Not many kiddos can handle a Hackney Pony much less a younger one. They are a trial by fire as I found out when I was training one. He was a stunning example of his breed and very well bred. He was also one of the smartest, quickest, most stubborn ponies I ever had my hands on. He was originally trained to drive but they wanted to use him as a pony for the grand child. Yeah no, that didn’t go well at all. He cleaned up as a leadline pony but once off the line he was far too much pony for the kid to handle. I wouldn’t want to cross them with anything, honestly they are perfect the way they are. Either you can handle them or you can’t and I really like them that way.[/QUOTE]

me thinks a troll likes me!

#31

[QUOTE=War Admiral;5112436]
I hear ya on all counts! :yes:

Trying to come up with a viable Hackney cross for sport pony purposes would be a much more appealing proposition if we had honest-to-God 4Realz Pony Jumper divisions in this country. I could see a typy sporty Hackney cross being quite successful in that. But since we don’t, it’s sort of just a theoretical question on my part! :)[/QUOTE]

I’ve had several Hackney Pony mares. In general, I’ve found the ones that are dumped because they aren’t going to be super show ponies quite sensible and easy to work with once they are turned out to pasture and allowed to act like any other pony.

One of the most successful small ponies I bred was by my small Connemara stallion and out of a Hackney Pony mare. She went to a 7 year old rider as her first pony. She was a bold rider and had all she wanted of the school ponies. She had an astonishing length of stride, in fact her first trainer (also a child, but 12 years old and very experienced) schooled her with TBs with no problems. She did have a lot of go, she was sensitive to aids … wouldn’t have worked for a child who only understood “kick,kick,kick” to go. This child loved her and on a light rein she moved in a reasonable hunter pony frame, she loved to jump, all you needed to do was point her in the general direction and she’d get her rider there and over the jump, always clean. She didn’t do super well in model classes because she was a bit “plain”, didn’t have the cute pony head, but she always scored so well over fences and in hack classes that she came home with a very respectable number of high point wins at local shows against some fairly high quality competition.

I have a smallish (15.2) hand 3/4 warmblood mare that I’m seriously considering breeding to a Hackney Pony stallion this next year. I am no longer breeding big horses and need to go with a small stallion for her … she’s a bit on the heavy warmblood type and I suspect the cross may work quite well.

#32

"I love Hackney ponies. They are like potato chips… you can never have just one. "

I totally agree with you, having a hackney ponies for me is a fulfillment.

#33

I always say that ponies are like spots. They’ve got a habit of spreading!

#34

I’m sorry to say I had to make that most difficult decision earlier this week to put my beloved Hackney pony down. He was euthanized Monday night, and I miss him terribly. He was an energizer bunny nearly to the end; when he stopped being one, we knew it was time to do that last loving act for him.

Get Crackin’ (known as Crackers) lived a good long life, five months past his 29th birthday. He touched the lives of a lot of people and I hope he brought as much joy to others as he did to me.

Rebecca

#35

I am sorry Rebecca, he sounded like a special pony. I love hancknies but have never had one of my own.

#36

Thoughts and prayers for you ~

Thoughts and prayers for you ~ RIP Crackers ~

#37

Thanks, Amwrider and ZuZu. I have graduated to not looking for him every time I go past the corral. Just some of the time…sigh…

Rebecca

#38

[QUOTE=War Admiral;5112252]
WORD!!! I used to watch my aged little’un and think DANG, why is nobody crossing these with something a little more solid?

Philosophical question though (probably needs to be a spinoff thread) - what to cross them with?? I’m so not a breeder and honestly so not a pony person either, except for Hackneys. :slight_smile:

And RMJacobs, I think we’re both essentially saying the same thing! :)[/QUOTE]

Not many kiddos can handle a Hackney Pony much less a younger one. They are a trial by fire as I found out when I was training one. He was a stunning example of his breed and very well bred. He was also one of the smartest, quickest, most stubborn ponies I ever had my hands on. He was originally trained to drive but they wanted to use him as a pony for the grand child. Yeah no, that didn’t go well at all. He cleaned up as a leadline pony but once off the line he was far too much pony for the kid to handle. I wouldn’t want to cross them with anything, honestly they are perfect the way they are. Either you can handle them or you can’t and I really like them that way.

#39

Rebecca–I am very sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was very special. I was recently been introduced to the breed at a driving event…basically blurted out to a driver “WHAT is that glorious animal?!” She thought I was crazy!

War Admiral–some people like a hackney/Clyde cross. Supposed to make a good combined driving horse. Someone has been trying to convince me to breed my Clyde mare to a hackney because she is “old style” stout and build like a tank, not the long-legged variety. Although I already have too many horses, it is certainly tempting.

#40

Rebecca - so sorry to hear of your loss.
Crackers sounds like a truly special pony.
And you gave him a truly special life.

I know what you mean about looking.
Sometimes I still feel like I can see my 2 sadly lost boys in their stalls.
Even though both are filled with different horses.

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