The pony was actively imported by United States as the horse was. The show harness reached it's heydey in the early part of this century, reaching 626 entries at the London Hackney Show in 1911. Interest in driving began to decrease between the 2 World Wars due to the increased use of the automobile and during World War II it was felt that the breed was heading toward extinction since the Hackney was viewed as a specialist show animal. Land on Hackney farms was even taken by the British Government for crops as it was felt that these horses contributed nothing to the war effort. Fortunately, by 1948 the demand for Hackneys began to recover.
Few breeds are static and stop developing.
With any breed, including human beings, there is rarely a point where they can be said to have reached their full potential. Breeding of successful show horses has established a link between conformation and the predisposition to step high. This natural action does not preclude it from being used as a riding horse. And, the ability of the Hackney as a jumper has been known for many years. There are not many present day jumpers capable of clearing that height.