The development of the Hackney breed matched, stride for stride, the improvement in both the quality of life and the use of public roadways in Britain. Prosperous farmers, not nobility, were responsible for developing this high-tech carriage and riding horse.

As noblemen were busying themselves with fox-hunters and Thoroughbred race horses, the wealthy farmers took to the roads to show off the tangible fruits of their labors.

The origins of the Hackney as we know it began in Norfolk, England where the horses called Norfolk Trotters had been collectively bred for elegant style and speed. Seeking to improve on both counts, breeders mated the Norfolk mares to grandsons of the foundation sires of the Thoroughbred.

The first Hackney as we know the breed today is said to be The Shale's Horse, foaled in 1760. During the next 50 years, the Hackney was developed as a special breed.