HORSE BREED
The Hanoverian Horse The Hanoverian has proved itself as the ultimate performance horse for well over a century, writes DANNII CUNNANE.
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he Hanoverian is an incredibly popular warmblood breed throughout the world, well known for its athletic and sporting prowess in the main Olympic disciplines. Whether it’s their expressive paces in dressage or their immense power in showjumping, the Hanoverian has also influenced many other horse breeds throughout the centuries to pass on its wonderful qualities. Hanoverian horses can be traced back into the 16th century and hold the longest traceable genetic lineage in the equine world. This beed of horse was purposely bred and raised for agricultural and military purposes because of their great strength and endurance.
Breed origins The Hanoverian lines stemmed from three influential stallions - The Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian and the GoDolphin Barb. These stallions were of high quality and were put over the heavier German mares to produce horses suitable for agriculture, harness and cavalry. In 1735, George II, King of England and Elector of Hanover, founded the State Stud at Celle in Germany with the purpose of making high-
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quality stallions available to local breeders. This stud was also important as it launched the central registration of breeding and foals. At the beginning of the 19th century thoroughbred and English halfbred stallions were increasingly used to refine the breed, and in 1844, a German law was passed that allowed only stallions that were passed by the inspection commission to be used for breeding purposes. This prompted the formation of a specific Hanoverian breed society in 1867 whose aim was to continue to produce exceptional coach and military horses. This society continued until 1922, when the Society of Hanoverian Warmblood Breeders was founded, which privatised ownership of the studbook.
A change in breeding direction After World War I, the breed began to decline. Armies were no longer looking for calvary horses, they were forging ahead with motorised vehicles. Modern machines also started making their way onto farms, so agricultural work with horses was beginning to become redundant. These reasons caused the focus of the breeding of these beautiful horses
HORSEVIBES MAGAZINE - JUNE 2019
