HackneyPeeps, I may be Hooked 😍

[2DogsFarm]

Got a chance to drive Faux Grandson’s Pleasure/Roadster pony last night.
First thrill was discovering This OldBroad was indeed able to get in & out of his work cart. Those Gyny-style stirrups had me worried.
I discovered it was not as bad as feared.
Then the Fun began
I got a taste of his trot
Not his Road gait, but a nice clip.
And discovered what a great job FG has done to finish this pony.
He got him as a just-started 2yo, resold him at 4, bought him back at 5.
Now at 9, he has a lovely-mannered pony with a great mind.
Pony obviously knew it was a different hand on the lines, but behaved perfectly for me
I tease him that pony is ruining the Hackney Rep - he stands, untied, to be hitched/unhitched. Seen this done facing an open doorway leading to unfenced fields
Pictorial evidence:

I will drive pony again
And may start campaigning to be at the lines for County Fair Ladies to Drive class

Finally, now I “get” the lure of the breed.
Drivers, Drive On!

[DiamondJubilee]

Oh yay! I’m glad you had fun and can show!!! Now thats exciting for sure

[luvmyhackney]

Welcome to the hackney pony club! They are so much fun. I’m saving for my next road pony!! My kids have ruined my pony on speed.

[ASB_Stars]

A nice pony is worth their weight in gold. As a kid, in particular, I saw some of the best- Top Hat, Last Edition, and Terry’s Jean’s Souvenir. They were amazing ponies. And the red pony- Heartland’s Equality- was unreal. And road ponies are the bomb- zzzooooooommmmmm!

[RMJacobs]

I still mourn my beloved Hackney pony, Crackers. I dream about him a lot, even though he died in 2010. He had excellent ground manners and would stand for me to do whatever with him out in the pasture. He was definitely a wild man going down the road, in case anyone forgot his breed.

He was also the cuddliest equine I’ve ever known. If I hugged him, he hugged back.

Rebecca

[Zu_Zu]

@ASB_Stars

A nice pony is worth their weight in gold. As a kid, in particular, I saw some of the best- Top Hat, Last Edition, and Terry’s Jean’s Souvenir. They were amazing ponies. And the red pony- Heartland’s Equality- was unreal. And road ponies are the bomb- zzzooooooommmmmm!

^ this ~ My mother had hackneys with Mark Peak Winchester, Illinois in AHHS Hall of Fame ~ later I enjoyed mine at Gib Marcucci’s ~ two WCs on the green shavings
few things more enjoyable than showing a nice hackney pony !

[2DogsFarm]

Thanks, All.
Showing may not happen, but I will drive this pony again
I have an aged (21) Hackney myself.
Given to me 10yrs ago as a companion by my shoer, who drives - had a 6 of ponies as a teen.
He had a couple dozen drives on this pony, then a crash, then pony told him he was having no part of the cart.
He cautioned me to not hitch this pony, but - before my knees said “No more!” - I was ground-driving him.
Now he has earned the right to not be reintroduced to harness.
But he will always have a home & right now enjoys being 2nd In Command of my Herd of 3:
Boss TWH
Pony
Mini

[ASB_Stars]

I am from Iowa. As a kid, I spent time at Gibbs farm in Monmouth Iowa. I got to ride his daughters pony and was around to get to watch ponies work and gain a real respect for them. Gib would take me for rides in the jog cart when he did road work with the ponies. I remember visiting the farm at Christmas, and back then when they cobbed the pony tails they cut them off. I walked into the tack room and saw a stack of cut off tails and just about died. I’ve never forgotten it. Thank God they apparently do not do that anymore

[2DogsFarm]

Sadly, some still do dock tails.
But I believe most Cobtails are now braided or just trimmed to appear docked

[Zu_Zu]

@ASB_Stars

I am from Iowa. As a kid, I spent time at Gibbs farm in Monmouth Iowa. I got to ride his daughters pony and was around to get to watch ponies work and gain a real respect for them. Gib would take me for rides in the jog cart when he did road work with the ponies. I remember visiting the farm at Christmas, and back then when they cobbed the pony tails they cut them off. I walked into the tack room and saw a stack of cut off tails and just about died. I’ve never forgotten it. Thank God they apparently do not do that anymore

Yes, Gib would put a stocking on each tail before cutting off the tails - collected them & box them up … sent to Tom Moore for making switches.
Tom’s secretary was thrilled ?! when those boxes arrived !

I promised one of my two year mares that if she got me home safely (back to the farm driveway) she had a home for life ! Driving a recently first hitched two year old up that highway / UNDIVIDED with those 18 wheelers coming over that hill barreling down towards you !! Well it was hard to keep ones eyes open !
She got me home - won a WC for us that August and I just lost her last June 18th, 2020 ~ beautiful old hackney mare. She retired many years ago coming home to live with us and concentrate on peppermints. I miss her every day ~

[Zu_Zu]

@2DogsFarm

Sadly, some still do dock tails.
But I believe most Cobtails are now braided or just trimmed to appear docked

depends on each pony’s tail structure whether or not they can or can not hide the tail with a cap properly for the show ring.

[2DogsFarm]

Inability to hide a tail “properly” to my mind is no reason to amputate.
I feel the same about the Drafts that have hardly any tailbone left.

And do not get me started on stacked or Scotched shoes!

FEI finally banned trimming whiskers.
Perhaps AHHS & Draft Assns need to reconsider what is correct for the showring.

I had a running battle with my H/J Trainer to NOT clip all the way inside my horse’s ears or his muzzle.
Also carried a lipstick in my huntcoat pocket, so when she stopped me at the ingate to grill me on that I had the tube to show her. Never actually wore the lipstick.

Opinionated? Why yes, I am

[BUSY]

@2DogsFarm

Inability to hide a tail “properly” to my mind is no reason to amputate.
I feel the same about the Drafts that have hardly any tailbone left.

And do not get me started on stacked or Scotched shoes!

FEI finally banned trimming whiskers.
Perhaps AHHS & Draft Assns need to reconsider what is correct for the showring.

I had a running battle with my H/J Trainer to NOT clip all the way inside my horse’s ears or his muzzle.
Also carried a lipstick in my huntcoat pocket, so when she stopped me at the ingate to grill me on that I had the tube to show her. Never actually wore the lipstick.

Opinionated? Why yes, I am

It’s all about the AHHS rules for different divisions … classes … the heights of the ponies.
Hackney ponies are shown in classes determined by height. Height determines long or short tails.

[2DogsFarm]

I get that.
Having been educated by above-mentioned FGS, who is 3rd generation, breeding, training, showing Hackney Ponies.
Still does not forgive amputation for a Cobtail, no matter if tailbone exceeds “permissible” length.
Comparable to docking tails & ears for certain dog breeds

[BUSY]

@2DogsFarm

I get that.
Having been educated by above-mentioned FGS, who is 3rd generation, breeding, training, showing Hackney Ponies.
Still does not forgive amputation for a Cobtail, no matter if tailbone exceeds “permissible” length.
Comparable to docking tails & ears for certain dog breeds

ok

[SLW]

Yeah for you!! A Hackney is sight to see in the driving ring. A local show circuit has driving classes that half dozen Hackneys are competing at any one show. I enjoy watching them.

[2DogsFarm]

Sadly our Hackney classes at Fair have dwindled to the same 2 or 3 competitors every year.
Same for the Society All Breed that has those classes.
May as well be renamed the All Quarter Horse show.
The half dozen Driving classes over the weekend are the only ones with a variety of breeds.
We mini Drivers have been asking for our own classes. & finally got a single Mini Pleasure class.
Otherwise we get lumped in with some suspect “ponies”.
One gal has a very stout Halflinger that I’d bet money is over 14’2.
I could drive my mini under him!
But, it’s Fair, I just steer (pun!) clear of her in the Pony classes, get my corn dog & go home happy.

Apologies for the hijack

[SLW]

@2DogsFarm

Sadly our Hackney classes at Fair have dwindled to the same 2 or 3 competitors every year.
Same for the Society All Breed that has those classes.
May as well be renamed the All Quarter Horse show.
The half dozen Driving classes over the weekend are the only ones with a variety of breeds.
We mini Drivers have been asking for our own classes. & finally got a single Mini Pleasure class.
Otherwise we get lumped in with some suspect “ponies”.
One gal has a very stout Halflinger that I’d bet money is over 14’2.
I could drive my mini under him!
But, it’s Fair, I just steer (pun!) clear of her in the Pony classes, get my corn dog & go home happy.

Apologies for the hijack

Yeah, outside of ADS shows ya take whatever driving classes you can get at a show and trot with it.

I did a driving clinic last weekend and after my lesson we gave my donkey (standard size) an hour break then I loaned her to a youth to use in a lesson. The 15 year old rides dressage at a local stable and she did a lovely job transitioning from a V-10 engine (the horse) to a 4 speed (my donkey). We all have to do our part to encourage young drivers!

[2DogsFarm]

Agreed, he may be wider than he is tall.
But…
3yrs ago she crashed in the arena, during the Pony to Cart class.
Luckily I was not in the class, no one injured except her brand new cart, but it made me leery of sharing the space with them.

[ASB_Stars]

There have been some serious wrecks over the years with road ponies and road horses at horse shows. You really need to know what you’re doing. Believe it or not, Bill Shatner was good with a road horse. He had an espeygood one named All Glory.