CHAPTER XI 

 THE HACKNEY COACH HORSE 



Among stylish horses, the Hackney coach horse holds 

 first place. The symmetrical form, as well as the very 

 high and free action, are distinguishing features of the 

 breed. 



The native home of the Hackney horse. — This breed of 

 horses was developed in eastern and northeastern Eng- 

 land, particularly in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and 

 York. For many centuries the people of this region have 

 encouraged the production of light active horses suited 

 to saddle work, and succeeded in developing a strong, 

 small trotter. 



The origin of the Hackney horse. — In the eleventh cen- 

 tury, when the Normans invaded Great Britain, they 

 brought from" France the term Haquenee or Hacquenee, 

 which is derived from the Latin Equus, horse, and cor- 

 responds to the Danish word nag. The common people 

 applied the word nag to any and every small horse, while 

 the pacing and trotting horse of sufficient quality and 

 substance to be owned by a Norman was spoken of as a 

 Hackney. As early as 1303 this term is said to have 

 come into common use. 



There can be no doubt that the native horses of eastern 

 England were much influenced by importations from the 

 Continent, particularly by the Romans, Scandinavians 

 and Norwegians. This mixture gave to the early British 

 horse stock both speed and endurance. There seems to 

 have been much interest taken in breeding trotting horses 

 in Norfolk, as early as 1470, for in that year one of the 

 family of Berney placed on one of his horses an estimated 

 equivalent of $350. , The fact that so much money was 

 asked of a neighbor suggests that there was much interest 



135 



