Hanoverian chestnut stallion. Abramova Kseniya/Shutterstock
The American Hanoverian Society
4067 Iron Works Parkway, Suite 1
Lexington, Kentucky 40511
www.hanoverian.org
For generations the Hanoverian Horse has been recognized as one of the most prominent and successful breeds of riding horse in the world. It retains the substantial bone, sturdiness, and stamina of its heritage.
Breeding stock is very carefully inspected and selected for correct conformation, athletic ability, and inner qualities, such as disposition and trainability. The Hanoverian has natural impulsion and light, elastic gaits characterized by a ground-covering walk, a floating trot, and a soft, round, rhythmic canter. Selective breeding for jumping ability enables the Hanoverian to excel in both the hunter and jumper rings, as well as eventing. It also has a long history of excellence in the dressage arena under professionals and amateurs alike.
The breeding aim is to produce a noble, correctly built warmblood horse capable of superior performance in dressage, eventing, hunting, jumping, and driving. It must have natural impulsion and space-gaining, elastic movements. It is a horse suited as an all-around riding horse because of its temperament, character, and willingness.
History
The Hanoverian originated in northern Germany in the state of Lower Saxony, the former kingdom of Hanover, where a flourishing horse breeding industry existed for four hundred years. Nearly three hundred years ago the Hanoverian was bred to serve as a sturdy carriage and military horse. The State Stud was established at Celle in 1735, and the Hanoverian stud book officially began in 1888.
Since the end of World War II, the breeding goal has been to produce exclusively a more versatile performance horse. After discovering the breed’s athletic talent and rideability, American competitors began importing Hanoverians, creating a need to continue the German standard of selectivity for the breed in the United States. In 1978 the American Hanoverian Society (AHS) was incorporated for that purpose.
Over the years, the society has worked closely with the Hannoveraner Verband (or HV, the German Hanoverian breeding association, also known as Verband hannoverscher Warmblutzüchter), inspecting breeding stock, registering horses, and licensing and performance testing stallions. In 1995 the AHS assumed full responsibility for breeding Hanoverians in the United States and is now an internationally recognized organization. To maintain continuity, the AHS invites representatives of the HV to judge breeding stock. It adheres to the highly selective breeding standards as practiced since 1735 in Hanover, Germany, with its goal being to develop a horse on the North American continent with the same or better characteristics.
Registry Requirements
Quality performance horses are the result of the Hanoverian selection process. Each year, the AHS organizes a national inspection tour to register foals, inspect and performance test mares, and license stallions.
Foals: Only foals from AHS inspected and approved parents may be registered with the society. The parentage of foals must be verified by blood or DNA typing. The DNA types of the dam, sire, and foal must be on file before registration can be completed.
Foals have their movement and conformation evaluated by both American and German inspectors during the Annual Inspection Tour. This enables the inspection commission to evaluate the offspring of AHS stallions. Foals are registered at the inspection site, and traditionally they are branded as Hanoverian breeding stock, but this is optional. Foal names must begin with the first letter of their sire’s registered name.
Mares: Mare inspections take place at the age of three or older. German and American inspectors evaluate mares for type, conformation, and gaits. The Mare Performance Test (MPT) scores a mare’s rideability, gaits, and jumping talent. Eligible high-scoring Main Studbook mares that pass this performance test and produce an AHS registered foal are awarded the prestigious title of Elite Mare.
A Hanoverian mare’s papers, her overall score, and her dam’s stud book placement determine the stud book level in which she is entered. Registered mares three years of age or older must be inspected and entered into a section of the stud book before their foals can be registered.
Non-Hanoverian mares eligible for inspection are Jockey Club–registered Thoroughbreds, registered Arabians, registered Anglo-Arabians, and German-foaled warmblood mares.
Stallions: All stallion candidates must be presented for physical inspection. If scores on conformation, movement, and jumping ability are sufficient, a temporary breeding license is granted. Stallions must then either complete the Stallion Performance Test (SPT), which evaluates their gaits, trainability, and athletic ability in dressage, show jumping, and cross-country, or they must meet specified performance requirements.
Breeding eligibility is verified annually. Within two years of licensing, the stallion must successfully complete an AHS SPT. On the final weekend of the performance test, special guest riders also evaluate the stallions. Until the SPT is completed, the temporary breeding approval is limited to two years, during which the stallion is restricted to the registration of a maximum of twenty AHS foals per year.
Lovely Hanoverian bay mare. Abramova Kseniya/Shutterstock
Non-Hanoverian: Certain non-Hanoverian mares and stallions are eligible for inspection and entry into the stud book if they meet strict breed and pedigree requirements and attain sufficient scores upon presentation. Non-Hanoverian mares and stallions may also be approved for breeding if they receive a sufficient score at inspection to be admitted to the Hanoverian breeding program.
Crossbreds: A horse with only one AHS approved parent can receive a Certificate of Pedigree (CP), which is equivalent to a birth certificate for a horse considered to be a crossbred. A horse can be issued a CP at any age, provided it has not been issued papers by any other breed society or registry.
CP horses are allowed participation in the performance divisions of the AHS Awards Program, but cannot participate in the breeding program. They are ineligible to participate in AHS-sponsored breed show High Placing Awards, Hanoverian Individual Breed Classes, or year-end awards in Sport Horse breed show divisions. For U.S. Dressage Federation (USDF) and other awards (eventing, hunters, and jumpers), the AHS requires that the CP horse be properly transferred into the ownership of a current-year AHS member. CP horses can be advertised in AHS publications, however, they may not be inspected and entered into the AHS breeding program or branded.
Breed Criteria
The principal criteria for evaluating breeding stock include the following:
1. Masculinity/femininity and typiness
2. Conformation
3. Correctness of gaits
4. Impulsion and elasticity of gaits
5. Walk
6. Overall impression and development as related to age
Stallions must have a distinctly masculine bearing and mares a distinctly feminine expression. A horse’s type must correspond to the society’s breeding goal.
Conformation
Head: The horse should have a noble head with expressive eyes sitting on a well proportioned and well put on neck.
Withers: The withers should be pronounced and extend far back.
Body: The main part of the body from the chest to the buttocks should fit into a rectangular (not square) frame, with all parts harmoniously integrated.
Shoulders: Shoulders should be sloping, with the angle between scapula and humerus being large and open.
Back: Preferably the back is strong, but not tight, and is well padded in the area of the kidney with a long, well sprung hind rib, and a broad, slightly sloping croup.
Hindquarters: Careful attention is paid to the hindquarters, particularly to their angulation, proportion, and joint formation.
Legs: Long, broad forearms are on correspondingly short cannon bones and straight legs. The hocks must be broad, clear, and well defined. The pasterns of all four legs must be of proper slope and length. The hooves should be well shaped, strong, and sound.
Gaits: Movement as seen from the front and the rear must be straight with no paddling, winging, or crossing over.
Impulsion and elasticity: Impulsion must clearly emanate from the hindquarters, traveling through a relaxed back swinging in rhythm with the gait. Movements should be big, yet light and springy.
Typy Hanoverian mare with long, flowing strides. Pat Mitchell/Courtesy Wendy Webster
Walk: The walk must be ground covering, relaxed, and regular. Strides must be even, and footfalls must be correct in their sequence—not lateral or pacing. Freedom of shoulders and haunches and a supple back must be evident.
Overall impression and development: As to size, sound judgment should prevail. Horses should be neither excessively large nor too small. In all cases, height should be in proportion to the overall build. Harmony is more important than size. A horse’s development must commensurate with its age. Horses are scored on a scale of one 1 to 10, with 1 being very bad, and 10 being excellent.
Famous Performers
Hanoverian Horses excel in a variety of disciplines. The AHS rewards performance success with year-end awards in dressage, show jumping, show hunters, eventing, and sport horse breeding.
The Hanoverian gelding of Canada, A Criminal Mind, successfully completed the prestigious 2001 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington, Kentucky. Other than the Olympics, Rolex Kentucky is the only Concours Complet International (CCI) four-star event—a rating for eventing given by the international governing body, Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI)—held in the United States. It is also one of only four such regularly scheduled events anywhere in the world. Competing at this level of eventing is indeed testimony to the versatility of the Hanoverian horse.
The Hanoverian’s sought-after movement and trainability result in success at all levels of dressage. With stellar performances in both the 2003 Dressage World Cup and the 2002 World Equestrian Games, the chestnut mare named Brentina—honored as the AHS/USDF Grand Prix Horse of the Year—captured the attention of the international dressage community. In 2006, she won the team bronze at the World Equestrian Games and, in 2005, won third at the FEI World Cup in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) Horse of the Year. Another very successful mare, Delicata, was the winner of five USDF dressage awards in one year.
This Hanoverian mare has a noble head with expressive eyes and gentle demeanor. Janne Bugtrup/Courtesy Wendy Webster
Hanoverians also possess the versatility to serve as pleasure mounts when not showing. An example of this is the gelding, Ferguson, which won the High Point Hanoverian award at the Central States Dressage and Combined Training fall festival. Ferguson and his owner also enjoy quite a bit of trail riding. His owner remarked, “He is delightful; level headed at shows, trails, and around home.”
Credit: The American Hanoverian Society