Hanoverian

Overview

The Hanoverian is a warmblood sport horse from the German state of Lower Saxony. The British Hanoverian Horse Society describes it as one of the leading sport horse breeds in the world and one of the foundation breeds of the modern sport horse, with about 19,000 registered broodmares and 450 stallions. Its influence on other warmblood breeds is considerable, and Hanoverians are now bred on every continent.

The breed's two centres are Verden, home of the Hannoveraner Verband (the breed society) with its training and auction centre, and Celle, home of the state stud. The two are separate organisations that work closely together: the Verband is a private, members' society, and the state stud is owned by the state of Lower Saxony.

History

Most breeds began when breeders formed a society and started a stud book. The Hanoverian began instead with the founding of the state stud (Landgestüt) at Celle in 1735, which offered good stallions at low fees to local farmers. The stud kept careful records of its stallions and the mares bred to them. So when the Royal Agricultural Society created the Hanoverian Warmblood Stud Book in 1888, there was already a strong foundation. The Chamber of Agriculture took over the stud book in 1899. In 1922, 54 local breeding clubs united to form the Hanoverian Society (Verband hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter), which has kept it ever since.

The breeding aim has changed with the times:

• From the founding of Celle until about 1870, the aim was a large, robust carriage horse that was also suitable for military service. From 1815 more privately owned Thoroughbred and English half-bred stallions were used.
• Around 1900 the aim was a cavalry and artillery horse with straight, ground-covering paces, strong enough to plough a deep furrow on the farm.
• By the end of the Second World War it was a strong warmblood for farm work, with enough quality and paces to be ridden and driven.
• As machines replaced horses on farms, the aim since 1945 has been to refine the type into a superior riding horse.

Breed standard

The Hanoverian Society's breeding aim today is "a horse which is particularly suitable for riding": noble, big-framed, healthy and fertile, with good conformation and powerful, ground-covering, elastic movement, and the temperament, character and rideability to suit all equestrian purposes, as a performance horse or a leisure horse.

• Disciplines: horses are bred with particular ability for dressage, show jumping or eventing, and also for driving. Separate programmes support jumper breeding (since 1993), dressage breeding and eventing breeding.
• Selection: the society places special weight on the back. It selects horses with expressive steps over a powerful, relaxed back, and gives greater importance to hoof and conformation quality.
• Colours: all colours found in the warmblood populations, including piebald, palomino, cremello, smoky black and buckskin, are accepted, provided the pedigree requirements are met.
• Stallions: stallions are licensed by the society. Since recent changes, stallions of the riding-horse type from other recognised studbooks, such as other German warmblood societies and the BWP, DWB, KWPN, SWB, SF and Zangersheide, can take part in licensing. They must score at least 7.5 overall.
• An open studbook: mares and stallions from other recognised riding-horse populations can now enter the Hanoverian studbook more easily. Horses of special breeds, such as Gelderlanders, Lipizzaners, Lusitanos and PREs, are not eligible.

Temperament and uses

The Hanoverian is bred for rideability, temperament and character as well as athletic ability. It has long been among the top performers internationally in dressage, show jumping and eventing. The Hannoveraner Verband is a member of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses. As with any breed, individual horses vary.

Health and management

Warmbloods have finer coats than native breeds. See the care guide for finer-coated horses and the Warmbloods profile for how warmbloods are bred and graded.