HANOVERIAN HORSE BREED

HANOVERIAN HORSE

  Warmblood breeds

The Hanoverian is one of the most popular of the warmblood horse breeds. The Hanoverian actually began with George II, king of England. Not only was George the ruler of England, he was also the Duke of Hanover, Germany. In 1735, he started a stallion facility in Celle, Saxony, known as the State Stud at Celle. There, he kept stallions that excelled as work horses, cavalry mounts, and coach horses. The studs were bred with local mares, which included introducing new blood into the local equine populations, from Andalusian, Cleveland Bay, Thoroughbred, and Holsteiner stock. The resulting Hanoverians became popular as coach horses with the wealthy, and as mounts for the military.

A Law was passed in 1844 that only stallions that were passed by the commission were allowed to be Aused for breeding. Breeders start to produce a coach and military horse, and a stud book was started in 1888. From then on, the Hanoverians were just about the most popular horse breed for coach and military work in all of Europe.

After the First World War, the demand for military horses fell, and the Hanoverians were bred for general agricultural work. Once World War II ended, the demand for sport horses and general riding horses required that the breed adapt to these new demands. As a result, Thoroughbreds, Arabians, and Trakehners were used to give the Hanoverian horse more refinement. If you have a good eye for horseflesh, you can see evidence of Thoroughbred breeding in the Hanoverian's body and legs, and its Arabian ancestry is obvious in the Hanoverian's head shape.

Most Hanoverians are around 16 hands tall, but slightly smaller and slightly larger individuals are also common. Hanoverians are powerfully built, with elastic gaits and excellent balance. In temperament, a Hanoverian should be calm, willing, and able to handle stressful situations with ease. Because of this, along with the breed's superior athleticism, Hanoverians can often be seen in show jumping, eventing, and dressage.

The Hanoverian's popularity and success is largely because of rigorous selections, a large breeding stock, and constant tweaking and improvements in the breed. For example, the Hanoverian horses' well kept records help breeders to follow the bloodlines over many generations, which helps to match the best stallion and mare. The strict selection makes sure the Hanoverians are athletic and good jumpers, for show jumping and eventing, with the gaits and agility necessary for dressage.