Description of the Hannover breed horses

The horse has long taken pride of place next to a man. In the last century, with the help of this animal, fields were plowed and moved on the ground. Nowadays, the traction force of these animals is used less and less, changing horses to equipment. Now horses in various sports can be found more often than in ordinary life. The Hanoverian breed of horses is considered one of the most striking sports species.

Hanoverian breed of horses

This species was artificially bred, thanks to which the Hannover horse, which is sought after but didn’t possess any outstanding qualities, it became the standard of Olympic breeds, and it was the stallions of this species that distinguished themselves in the history of horses. Hanoverian horses date back to 1735. A breeding factory was created in Germany under the protectorate of King George II, who ruled at that time England and Ireland. Hanoverian horses at that time were used by knights and noble people. In the process of breeding this species took part such breeds of horses, such as:

• Arabian;
• Danish;
• Trakenen;
• Andalusian .

By the 19th century, the Hanoverian horse breed had undergone a change, and horses were increasingly used in agriculture as a pulling force or in light teams. They also continued to be used for riding. In almost all the first photos with horses, it was Hanover. Many rifle cavalry preferred these horses because of their tolerance for loud gunfire and the smell of gunpowder. During the Napoleonic wars, the breed was on the verge of extinction.

To restore the Hanover, English thoroughbreds were used, however, crossing them led to a strong relief of the body structure. As a result, the horse lost its working qualities, but acquired increased maneuverability. It was only possible to balance the breed again at the end of the 19th century. To do this, Hanover was reduced to those rejected thoroughbreds that had too large dimensions. The quarter of the Hanover breed gene pool consists of English horses.

Interesting facts about the Hanover breed

During World War II, animals again began to play the role of traction and labor. This allowed the use of artiodactyls for military purposes and as movement. However, in the postwar period, breeders began work to facilitate the mass of Hanover. Such a decision was justified by the fact that in the second half of the twentieth century horses were replaced with might and main by technology.Consequently, the working qualities of artiodactyls were already unnecessary, so the main goal of breeders was sport. To our time, horse breeders have achieved excellent results. The Hanoverian breed of horses is considered one of the best types of riding horses. They are ideal for horse racing and show jumping due to their physical parameters and disciplined nature. The horse breeders paid special attention to the latter: a horse of this species is resistant to stress and lends itself perfectly to training. The Hanoverian breed of horses served as the basis for the creation of such German species of horses:

• Rhine half-blooded;
• Mecklenburg;
• Branderburg;
• Westphalian .

The Hanoverian breed of horses is considered one of the most prestigious species in the world and occupies a leading position among German horses. Foals of this breed have a high cost, sometimes for one young horse they give 3-5 stallions of other breeds.

Appearance and characteristics of the horse

The exterior of the Hannover horses has a massive appearance, however, the structure of the body is harmonious. These are horses of a pronounced sporting appearance. The height of the Hanover at the withers is more than 1.5 m. The neck of the animals is long, with a well-defined withers.

The hull of the horse has developed muscles and passes into a strong croup. The tail of the horse is high set. Another feature of the breed is the prominent joints on long muscular legs.The horse’s hooves are high enough with a firmly horny plate. With a properly selected diet and a large number of movements, the horse’s body becomes embossed, the animal quickly pumps muscles. Hanoverian stallions are very plastic, their movements are smooth and harmonious. The breed shows itself perfectly in dressage.

The horse’s head is embossed with a straight, slightly sloping nose. The eyes are set wide, their color is mostly brown. The nostrils of the animal are wide.

The color of the horses may vary, but the characteristic color of the coat is black and bay. Reddish individuals are extremely rare. White spots on the nose are allowed, but purebred breeds are usually monophonic.

The Hanoverian breed of horses is distinguished by its endurance and flexibility. Due to its physical qualities, this type of horse is very often used in sporting events. On the account of this breed a lot of merit and medals.

Before breeding horses are carefully selected. Only those animals whose exterior passes all the rules are allowed to mating. In addition to appearance, the strength, endurance and character of the animal is also tested. Not the last place is occupied by such a characteristic as stress resistance. This quality is one of the pre-determining this breed. A shy horse is not allowed to mate.

An obligatory sign of a purebred Hanoverian horse is a brand in the form of the letter “H”. The brand consists of two horse heads and is placed on the left side of the animal in the first year of life.

The exterior of the horse is considered exemplary and is often used for photos on the covers of horse breeding magazines.

Character and sporting events involving the breed

Hanover horses have their own distinctive traits. Most often these are positive qualities:

• pride;
• calm;
• poise;
• courage.

This nature of the horses of this breed is not accidental: unbalanced animals are not allowed for divorce. That is why with each successive generation of Hanover, they are increasingly subject to the rules of discipline. This breed is preferable to others in terms of sport. Riders choose these horses because they are fast and well trained. Most often they are used in races and show jumping because of their maneuverability and endurance.

Conventionally, the Hanoverian stallions can be divided into such sports groups, where they are leaders with varying success:

• Jumping – more than half of the horses in this sport are Hanover.
• Dressage – up to 30% of the total number of types of horses.
• Eventing – about 10% of the total number of types of horses.

In general, Hanover is a multiple champion of Olympic sports and simple races. This success is explained by the long and painstaking work of German scientists.The Hanoverian breed of horses is several hundred years of hard work, thanks to which this type of horses has become a leader in equestrian sports.

Hannover horse in the mounted police

Due to the calm nature and precise execution of commands, the Hanover breed is used for equestrian police different countries.These horses are preferred by cavalrymen of England, France and Canada. The Royal Equestrian Regiment of Britain consists of Hanoverian stallions.

Preparation for such a service takes some time for the riders. Usually horses from 3 to 5 years old are recruited to the regiment, after which they are prepared in the following order:

• the horse is tamed by its future cavalryman;
• the animal is checked for resistance to stress;
• the horse, along with the owner, practices at mass events.

Such a service is quite difficult for both the horse and the person. Hannover must withstand loud sounds and flashes, remain in place even in the event of direct danger, and obediently obey the rider. Hanover breed perfectly copes with all these requirements.

Also, for photos in British newspapers, owners of this type of horses are usually chosen, because Hanover is a very beautiful breed.

Features of the diet and content

The daytime food of equid animals almost entirely consists of greenery and herbs. If the stallion is kept in the stall, then fresh food can be replaced with hay. However, it is worth remembering that an adult horse can consume hay unlimitedly, so it should be harvested in large volumes.

Coarse food can consist of different herbs. But the most popular are:

• meadow;
• steppe;
• cereal;
• legumes.

The best food for a horse is considered to be cereal hay, its horses consume in pure form. The daily norm of the animal is 2 kg of herbs per 100 kg of live weight of an adult horse. The remaining types of roughage must be given in mixed form. This is especially true for bean hay. If you feed the horse clean bean shoots, you can hammer the animal’s stomach.

Also, horses need vitamin and mineral complexes. If there is a lack of calcium and phosphorus in the body, the bones of the steed simply cannot withstand the loads that the animal body gets when running.

The stable for equidae should be warm and at the same time with good air circulation. The horse stall should be cleaned at least every 3 days. It is also necessary to comply with sanitary norms for keeping horses, as their violation leads to unsanitary conditions.

It is also necessary to monitor the horseshoe of the animal. A stallion with worn horseshoes cannot participate in the race, otherwise it is likely to damage the hooves. It is customary for sports horses to cast individual horseshoes. For racing, they should be light and strong, for jumping, it is ideal to sit on a hoof.

The same goes for a harness and saddle. Sports weapons should not injure the animal. Check that the harness does not crumble its teeth and the saddle does not rub the horse’s back.If a horse participates in open-type competitions, then the animal must have a training and rest regime, otherwise you can disrupt an adult horse’s organism.

Conclusion

So, the Hannover breed of horses distinguished by its maneuverability and disciplined disposition, the characteristic of the stallions says that this is the best kind of horses. Due to these qualities, the horse is considered a reference in various sports. Caring for such a horse does not differ much from the usual conditions of keeping an equidae. It is important to remember that this breed is oriented to racing, therefore, the diet should not be too high in calories, and in the horse’s schedule at least 3 hours are allocated for active races daily. The Hanoverian stallion is highly trained and will bring more than one victory if handled correctly.