Hanoverian

About the breed

The Hanoverian is a German warmblood from Lower Saxony, bred by the Hannoveraner Verband in Verden as a breed particularly suited to equestrian sport. The breeding programme aims for a final height of around 168 cm at the withers, accepts every coat colour and directs breeding towards dressage, show jumping and eventing. According to the Verband, the Hanoverian ranks among the world's most successful horse breeds in the Olympic disciplines.

From the Celle state stud to the modern sport horse

Hanoverian breeding dates back to 1735, when King George II founded the Celle state stud (Landgestüt Celle) in what was then the Kingdom of Hanover. The history of the breed describes the period up to 1888 as the era in which breeding lay in the hands of the Celle stud; the Hanoverian studbook was founded that year. The breeders' association that became today's Hannoveraner Verband was established in 1922 and moved its headquarters from Hanover to Verden in 1986.

Today's type is the result of a transformation that the Verband's history places from the early 1960s onwards, when the Hanoverian became a modern riding horse. Thoroughbreds played a large part in it. A pedigree analysis of data on 310,109 Hanoverians found that, in horses born between 1980 and 2000, Thoroughbreds contributed nearly 35 % of the genes, Trakehners about 8 % and Arabians about 2.7 %. The Trakehner society names the stallion Abglanz among the Trakehner sires that shaped Hanoverian breeding after the war.

An open studbook

The Hanoverian is bred on the principle of pure breeding, yet its studbook is open. The Verband's breeding programme states that pure breeding does not exclude bringing in stallions and mares from other riding-horse populations to improve the breed, while the aim remains a pedigree dominated by Hanoverian blood. The programme lists two groups of approved breeds: the first contains warmblood studbooks such as the Holsteiner, Oldenburg, Westphalian and Trakehner, the second the Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the Anglo-Arab and the Shagya-Arabian.

Special breeds such as the Lipizzaner, Lusitano, PRE, Appaloosa and Pinto are not eligible for registration, as the Verband confirmed in 2023. At the end of 2022 the population comprised 14,043 mares and 482 stallions, and besides Germany the programme covers most EU member states, including Slovenia and Croatia.

Height at the withers, weight and conformation

The Hanoverian is a large sport horse: the breeding programme targets a final height around an average of 168 cm at the withers. It sets no minimum or maximum. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover analysed data on 29,053 mares measured at studbook inspection between 1995 and 2008: the mean height was 165.5 cm, with individual mares ranging from 143 to 185 cm. The breeding programme does not state a weight, and no reliable weight data measured specifically in Hanoverians are available. As a general guide only, a Danish field study weighed 38 adult warmbloods (breeds not specified) on a scale and recorded 478 to 718 kg, with a mean of 640 kg. These figures describe warmbloods in general, not the Hanoverian.

The breeding programme asks for a noble, willing sport horse of varying calibre, with long lines, clear contours and well-defined muscling. The body should be rectangular, long-legged and large-framed with a harmonious topline. The head should be noble and dry, with a large, attentive eye and a calm expression.

Colours: all are accepted

A Hanoverian can be any colour: under colours, the breeding programme simply says "all colours". When the rules changed in 2023, the Verband explained that all colours found in warmblood populations are accepted, including pinto, palomino, cremello, smoky black and buckskin, but only if the horse meets the pedigree requirements, which horses of special colours often do not. PetMD lists chestnut, grey, black and bay as the most common colours.

Temperament: cooperative but sensitive

The breeding programme describes the desired character as intelligent, easy to deal with yet sensitive and uncomplicated, with a temperament that is balanced, strong-nerved and alert. The horse should be willing to work, able to learn, brave and keen. For rideability, the programme wants a horse that accepts the aids willingly and works calmly with its rider. Bad character and stable vices are listed as undesirable.

That description is a breeding goal, not a guarantee for every horse. A high level of athletic talent also means plenty of energy and sensitivity to rider errors, so how an individual Hanoverian behaves depends on its age, schooling and past experience.

Dressage, show jumping and eventing

The Hanoverian is bred for the Olympic disciplines: the breeding programme aims for horses with a particular aptitude for dressage, show jumping or eventing and, with the same qualities, for horses suited to driving. The Verband runs a separate breeding programme for each discipline. A well-known example from the top level is the 16-year-old Hanoverian gelding Chipmunk FRH, on whom Michael Jung won individual eventing gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, his third individual Olympic title. The breeding goal also explicitly mentions the leisure horse.

Hanoverian vs Trakehner: what is the difference?

The main difference is how open the studbook is. According to its own society, the Trakehner is the only riding-horse breed bred to the principles of pure breeding with high genetic shares of the Thoroughbred, Arabian, Shagya and Anglo-Arab, whereas the Hanoverian studbook explicitly admits stallions and mares of other warmblood breeds, the Trakehner among them. The Trakehner traces back to the Trakehnen main stud in East Prussia, founded in 1732, the Hanoverian to Celle. The Trakehner society aims for 160 to 170 cm at the withers, and both breeds accept every colour. According to the pedigree analysis, about 8 % of the Hanoverian gene pool is Trakehner blood.

WFFS: a genetic test for stallions

Warmblood fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) is a recessive inherited connective-tissue disorder that Hanoverian breeding screens for with a genetic test. Only a foal that inherits the PLOD1 variant from both parents is affected, and researchers in Hanover describe the condition as lethal. In an international survey of 4,081 horses from 38 breeds from Europe and the US, 49 of the 283 Hanoverians tested were carriers (17 %); the horses were selected to cover a broad range of breeds, so this is not a census of the breed. In a study of 849 Hanoverians the allele frequency was 0.14, which the authors of the first survey estimate corresponds to about 24 % carriers; that study traced the carriers to a stallion of the Hanoverian F/W sire line as their most common recent ancestor. The breeding programme requires stallions to be tested for WFFS before entry into Stallion Book I (Hengstbuch I). The American Hanoverian Society orders the test through the UC Davis laboratory.

Joints, radiographs and health checks

Osteochondral changes in the joints are well researched in the Hanoverian. In a study of radiographs of 9,478 Hanoverians taken between 2005 and 2011, 31.9 % had at least one osteochondral fragment in at least one joint, most often in the fetlocks (19.7 %), and 14.3 % had osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). The authors regard these findings as important for animal welfare. They are radiographic findings, not a count of lame horses.

Stallions must pass a veterinary examination that includes radiographs before entry into Stallion Book I, and mares can earn the Vet+ health award after a clinical and radiographic examination. The Verband also offers genetic analyses, including one for MIM (muscle integrity myopathy).

How long do Hanoverians live?

There are no reliable lifespan figures for the Hanoverian as a breed. The Merck Veterinary Manual gives an average of 25 to 30 years for horses in general and stresses that lifespan depends on the horse's health, care and size.

Keeping, feeding and exercise

A Hanoverian needs the company of other horses, daily exercise and a forage-based diet. The UK welfare code for horses (DEFRA) stresses that horses are herd animals and that isolating a horse from other horses can harm it psychologically. Horses should have almost constant access to forage and continuous access to fresh water; in a natural state they would graze for 16 to 20 hours a day. Under the code, all stabled horses except those on box rest for veterinary reasons benefit from daily turnout where they can graze and socialise with other horses, which may also reduce the risk of abnormal behaviours such as weaving and crib-biting. If turnout is not feasible, they should be exercised appropriately every day. Concentrates should only top up the ration as far as work and condition require, and it makes sense to plan feeding with a specialist.

Care: hooves, teeth, vaccination and worming

Beyond regular grooming and skin checks, the key points of Hanoverian care are the hooves, the teeth and preventive health. The DEFRA code says hooves should be trimmed or re-shod as advised by the farrier, usually every 4 to 8 weeks, and that a vet or qualified equine dental technician should inspect the teeth at least once a year. Vaccination and parasite control should follow a programme agreed with a vet, including faecal worm egg counts.

Who the Hanoverian suits

The Hanoverian suits sport riders and experienced leisure riders who want to train in dressage, show jumping or eventing, and owners who can provide regular training, turnout with other horses and professional support from a trainer, farrier and vet. For beginners and children it is suitable only with conditions: an older, well-schooled, calm horse, ridden under a trainer's supervision. It is less suitable for someone without time for regular work or who wants to bring on a young, unschooled horse alone. Keeping a running record of vaccinations and of visits by the farrier and the vet or dental technician is worthwhile.

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