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Hanoverian
The Hanoverian is one of the world's most successful sport horses. This well-built athlete has strong limbs and a powerful back.
At the Olympic Games, Hanoverians have won gold medals in all three equestrian events: dressage, show-jumping, and 3-day eventing.
Height: 15-17 hh (horse hands)
Color: All Solid Colors
Body Type: Light
This breed comes from...
Lower Saxony, Germany
Explore the traits of this breed!
SIDE VIEW
The Hanoverian has muscular, sloping shoulders. This trait produces an extended, springy stride!
Look at its flexible, tapering neck. This trait allows the horse to easily shift its weight by moving its head. The horse can move quickly and easily when jumping, pivoting, and pirouetting!
At the withers, this horse is 16 hands (5 ft 4 in, 163 cm) high. That's big for a horse, but about average for the Hanoverian breed.
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FRONT and BACK VIEW
Look at its long and strong forearm muscles. This trait helps the Hanoverian execute the precise gaits required in the dressage competition.
See its muscular, square hindquarters? This trait gives it the power to leap over obstacles in show-jumping!
Trainers usually wrap the cannons with white exercise bandages. This protects the flexor tendons and ligaments during workouts.
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The Hanoverian Story
In the early 1700s, the Hanoverian horse was developed in Lower Saxon. Breeders crossbred hardy German Holsteiners with speedy English Thoroughbreds. Hanoverians were all-around horses. They were used on farms, as carriage horses, and as cavalry mounts. But as the need for working horses declined, Hanoverians were further modified. More Thoroughbreds were crossbred with Hanoverians to make the breed lighter and more agile. Thus, the modern version of the Hanoverian—a successful sport horse—was created.
To this day, this horse is constantly being "updated. "Hanoverians may be crossbred with approved breeds including Arabians, Trakehners, and Holsteiners.
Appaloosa | Arabian | Belgian Draft | Connemara | Dutch Warmblood | Friesian | Haflinger | Hanoverian | Icelandic Horse | Lusitano | Miniature Horse | Morgan | Oldenburg | Paint | Percheron | Quarter Horse | Selle Français | Thoroughbred
Credits:
All images, © AMNH