Table of Contents
Breed Description
The Hanoverian is a warmblood bred specifically for jumping, eventing, and dressage. According to the American Hanoverian Society, “The goal of the Hanoverian breeding program is to produce a noble horse with a cooperative temperament, elastic gaits, correct conformation, and outstanding ability in international equestrian disciplines.”
Average Height:
The Hanoverian has an average height somewhere between 15.3 – 16.2 hands when fully grown.
Colors
- Bay
- Black
- Chestnut
- Grey
Conformation
Hanoverians are large but refined, with long necks, sloping shoulders and pronounced withers. The Hanoverian is characterized by a strong build, muscular hidquarters, and hard hooves. The head should be medium sized, and the eyes should be large and expressive
Temperament
The Hanoverian has an honest and very willing disposition.
Members of this breed often excel in the following disciplines:
- Jumping
- Dressage
- Eventing
Breed History
The Hanoverian originated in northern Germany, in a region knows as Lower Saxony in the former kingdom of Hannover. The Hanoverian Studbook officially began in 1888, though horses of Hanoverian type have been recorded in the State Studbook since 1735. The breed’s original purpose was to serve as a carriage and military horse. At the end of World War II, the Hanoverian’s purpose became performance.
The Hanoverian breed has been greatly influenced by the Thoroughbred and Trakehner. Today, Thoroughbreds are still regularly used to improve the breed.
US Breed Association
The American Hanoverian Society
4067 Iron Works Parkway, Suite. 1
Lexington, KY 40511
hanoverian.org
Native Country Breed Association
Hannoverian Verband
Germany
hannoveraner.com