汉诺威是起源于德国的一种温血马,经常可以在奥林匹克运动会和其他英式骑乘的比赛中见到它的身影,并且在全部三项奥运会马术比赛项目中汉诺威马都曾拿到
过金牌。汉诺威是最古老、数量最多、并且最成功的温血马之一。汉诺威起初是一种马车马,注入了纯种血统减轻他,使它更为敏捷灵活,在比赛中更实用。汉诺威
是出了名的好性情,运动能力强,美丽和优雅。
A Hanoverian is a warmblood horse originating in Germany, which is often seen in the Olympic Games and other competitive English ridingstyles,
and have won gold medals in all three equestrian Olympic competitions.
It is one of the oldest, most numerous, and most successful of the
warmbloods. Originally a carriage horse, infusions of Thoroughbred
blood lightened it to make it more agile and useful for competition.
The Hanoverian is known for a good temperament, athleticism, beauty, and
grace.
Breed history
In 1735, George II, the King of England and Elector of Hanover, founded the State Stud at Celle.
He purchased stallions suitable for all-purpose work in agriculture and
in harness, as well as for breeding cavalry mounts. The local mares were refined with Holsteiner, Thoroughbred andCleveland Bay, Neapolitan, Andalusian, Prussian, and Mecklenburg stock. By the end of the 18th century, the Hanoverian had become a high-class coach horse.
In
1844, a law was passed that only allowed stallions that were passed by a
commission to be used for breeding purposes. In 1867, breeders started a
society aimed at producing a coach and military horse, with the first
stud book being published in 1888. The Hanoverian became one of the most
popular breeds in Europe for coach and army work.
This print from 1898 depicts a sturdy, versatile Hanoverian.
When the demand for Hanoverians declined following World War I,
the aim for breeding became a horse that could be used for farm work,
but still had the blood and gaits to be used as a riding and carriage
horse. After World War II,
there was a growing demand for sport horses, as well as general riding
horses, and the breeding yet again was adapted. Thoroughbreds were used
to refine the breed; occasionally an Anglo-Arabian orTrakehner
stallion was used. The key to the success of the Hanoverian has been
the rigorous selection of breeding stock, a large breed population, and
the breeders' willingness to adapt to changes in demand.
Today, the Hanoverian breeders' association offers many incentives to breed the best, including the famous auctions at Verden,
and extensive grading opportunities for stallions, mares and young
horses. In addition, few breeds have such well-kept records, allowing
the breeders to trace bloodlines over many generations, improving their
chances to find the best stallion-mare match. The current aim of the
breeders today is to create a noble, versatile warmblood with light,
elastic, and ground-covering gaits. Whenever necessary, outside blood is
brought in to improve the horse. The strict selection ensures that
Hanoverians are athletic and good jumpers, for show jumping and eventing, and have the gaits fordressage.
The
Hanoverian brand is applied to the left hindquarter on foals accepted
into the foal register. The last 2 digits of the horse's life number
usually appear under the brand.
Breed Characteristics
The horses are elegant, strong, and robust. They are bred to be willing and trainable, and have a strong back, powerful body, athletic movement, and strong limbs. Chestnut, bay, brown, black, and gray are found the most often. Regulations prohibit horses with too much white, andbuckskin, palomino and cremello horses from being registered. The horses can be 15.3-17.2 hands high, but most are in the range of 16-16.2 hands.
Hanoverians in sport
The World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) uses results from International Federation for Equestrian Sports-recognized (FEI) competitions to rank individual horses and breed registries within each Olympic discipline: dressage, show jumping, and eventing. The WBFSH publishes these rankings each year. The FEI is also the International Olympic Committee-recognized international governing body for equestrian sport.
In North America, the hunt seat style of riding features the show hunter,
a highly competitive discipline. While infrastructure does not allow
the accuracy and completeness of WBFSH/FEI standings, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) also publishes yearly rankings of the top hunter horses, and the top sires of hunter horses.
Hanoverians in dressage
The Hanoverian Society has been the most successful studbook in international dressage
competition as ranked by the WBFSH and FEI since these standings began
to be published in 2001. The top Hanoverian-branded international
dressage horses include Salinero, Satchmo 78, Sunrise, Bonaparte 67, Brentina, and Wansuela Suerte. Since the 1956 Olympic Games, Hanoverians have earned 3 individual gold medals (Salinero twice, and Gigolo),
4 individual silver medals (Satchmo, Gigolo twice, and Woycek), and 4
individual bronze medals (Bonaparte, Weyden, Mehmed, and Dux).
Hanoverians have been members of no fewer than 7 gold medal dressage
teams (2008, 2004, 2000, 1996, 1992, 1976, 1968, and 1964). The World Equestrian Games,
which are held every four years to split the non-Olympic years evenly,
have also been won by many Hanoverians. Dressage champions at the World
Equestrian Games that bore the Hanoverian brand include Mehmed (1974),
Gigolo (1994, 1998), Satchmo (2006), and Salinero (2006, freestyle).
Hanoverians have been members of 8 gold-medal winning WEG teams since
1966 (1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2006). At the age of
25, the Hanoverian stallion Weltmeyer is the world's #3 sire of
international-caliber dressage horses, behind #2 Donnerhall, who was sired by the Hanoverian Donnerwetter.
Hanoverians in show jumping
The Hanoverian Society has been consistently ranked in the top five most successful studbooks in international show jumping competition as ranked by the WBFSH and FEI since 2001. The best Hanoverian jumpers of the new millennium are Shutterfly, by Silvio, and For Pleasure, byFurioso II. Shutterfly won the Show Jumping World Cup
in 2005, 2008, and 2009. For Pleasure was second place at the 1995
World Cup, and was a member of two gold medal-winning Olympic show
jumping teams. Warwick Rex won the individual gold medal in show jumping
at the 1976 Montreal Olympics,
and Fidelitas took silver at the 1964 Tokyo Games. Hanoverians have
been members of 6 Olympic gold medal teams in show jumping (2000, 1996,
1992, 1988, 1964, 1960). Other top-notch Hanoverian show jumpers include
winner of the 1995 World Cup Dollar Girl, two-time World Cup champion
E.T. FRH, and Esprit FRH, vice-champion of the World Cup in 1998 and
member of the gold medal-winning show jumping team at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome.
Hanoverian show hunters
Show hunters
are subjectively judged over at least two separate patterns of rustic
obstacles, and are also judged on the efficiency and correctness of
their gaits. Conformation hunters are also judged on their conformation, or the suitability and correctness of their physique. Over fences, hunters must jump
safely and predictably, pulling their legs away from the obstacle and
using their hindquarters for propulsion. The best hunters are pleasant
and uncomplicated to ride. Competitions for show hunters are uncommon
outside the United States and Canada.
These competitions are broken down based on the age and presumed
ability level of the rider: "juniors" are riders under the age of 18,
and they are divided into those riders 15 years old and younger, and
those that are 16 or 17. The divisions for junior riders also feature
either large (at least 16hands tall) or small horses. Amateur
adult riders compete in divisions for those 18 to 35 years, and those
over 35. Champion hunters with the Hanoverian brand from recent years
include Renaissance, Regular Working Hunter Horse of the Year in 2008,
Katcha' Lookin', who was nationally ranked in top ten Regular Working
Hunters in 2007, 2006, and 2005, and Sequel, Regular Working Hunter
Horse of the Year in 2006 and 2005. Horse of the Year titles have also
gone to Hanoverians in the restricted divisions, such as Large Junior
Hunter 16-17 in 2008, Amateur Owner Hunter 18-35 and Amateur Owner
Hunter 35+ in 2006, and Green Conformation Hunter in 2006. While poor
record-keeping on the part of sellers and buyers limits their potential
accuracy, the United States Equestrian Federation
also publishes annual rankings of sires of hunter horses. In 2008, four
Hanoverian sires were ranked in the top 10: All the Gold (2), Rio
Grande (4), Escudo I (5) and Espri (8).
Hanoverians in eventing
The sport of eventing is descended from comprehensive tests of cavalry
horses, which had to be able to cover uncertain terrain and obstacles
at speed, while still highly trained and obedient. The latter aspect is
tested with a dressage test, while a grueling day of cross country jumping and galloping, followed by a simple show jumping course the next day, test the former quality. As civilians took up the sport following World War I,
the sport began to demand faster horses. Over time, Hanoverians have
become more successful in eventing. The development of the "short
format" event, which does not require as much galloping, as well as the
efforts of a handful of Hanoverian breeders, have seen the breed advance
in the sport. An especially influential breeder of Hanoverian eventers
is Friedrich Butt, whose crossing of Hanoverian half-Thoroughbred
mares back to Thoroughbred stallions has produced the likes of Butts
Abraxxas and the full sublings Butts Leon and Butts Leoness. Both
Abraxxas and Leon were members of the gold medal-winning eventing team
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2008, the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) ranked the Hanoverian studbook third for eventing horses, behind the Irish Sport Horse and Selle Francais.[4]Thoroughbreds
actually dominate the sport, and unregistered part-Thoroughbreds are
also common, but as the breed registries for the Thoroughbred do not
declare sport horses
as their breeding aim, they are not members of the WBFSH and thus are
not part of these rankings. Top sires of international-caliber
Hanoverian eventers include Heraldik xx, Thoroughbred sire of Butts Leon
and Butts Abraxxas; Amerigo Vespucci xx, Thoroughbred sire of Air
Jordan and Nebelwerfer; Lemon xx, Thoroughbred sire of Lady Lemon FRH
and FRH Little Lemon; and Sherlock Holmes xx, Thoroughbred sire of
Schorsch and FRH Serve Well.
Health concerns
In order to be incorporated into the studbook, stallions and mares must pass rigorous testing.
The goal of this testing is to prevent horses with heritable defects
from continuing to pass on their genes. As a result, horses with the
Hanoverian brand often have excellent health. The Hanoverian verband,
and other warmblood breeding societies, continue to promote research
into the health of their horses.
Poor
fertility in Hanoverian stallions and mares is not very common.
However, research on Hanoverian stallions has helped lead to the
identification of new genes that affect stallion fertility.
Osteochondrosis
affects many species, including pigs, shown here. The arrow indicates
where a piece of cartilage is beginning to separate from the rest of the
joint.
Osteochondrosis is a disease that affects the bone and cartilage in the joints of growing horses. The joints most commonly affected are thefetlocks in the fore- and hind leg, and the hock and stifle
of the hind leg. Osteochondrosis lesions include tiny fractures, fluid
buildup, loose flaps of cartilage, or chips of cartilage loose within
the joint. The last lesion is called osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD),
and can develop further into degenerative joint disease, such as osteoarthrosis. Osteochondrosis can also contribute to navicular syndrome and Wobbler disease. Because most horses, especially Hanoverians, which are often used for demanding equestrian sports, work for a living, joint discomfort can mean the end of a horse's career.
Between 7% and 10% of Hanoverians have OCD in the hock joint, and between 12% and 24% have OCD in a fetlock joint.
Recent research has tagged certain conformational characteristics and other heritable factors of bone growth and maintenance as the most important contributors to the development of osteochondrosis.
The Hanoverian Breeder's Society in Germany, and all its daughter
societies, mandate that stallions must be free of OCD lesions in order
to be issued a breeding license. Elite mares and Verband-sponsored auction candidates have identical requirements. Horses are examined with radiographs.
Breed societies
The first studbook
- official documentation of pedigrees, matings, and ensuing offspring -
for Hanoverians was founded in 1888 by the Royal Agricultural Society.
The "Hanoverian Warmblood studbook" was kept by the Chamber of
Agriculture from 1899 until 1922, when the Society of Hanoverian
Warmblood Breeders was founded, privatizing ownership of the studbook.This society unified over 50 local breeders' clubs with a total of over 10,000 members. Today, this society is known simply as theHannoveraner verband, or Hanoverian Society. The verband maintains the studbooks, issues passports, and collects and publishes
performance statistics, while educating members about and encouraging
research into all aspects of breeding and keeping healthy Hanoverians.
The Association for the Promotion of Hanoverian horses in Equestrian Sport (Verein zur Foerderung des Reitsports auf Hannoverschen Pferden) was founded in 1985 and operates under the verband.
Its goal is to unite sponsors, corporate or otherwise, and talented
riders with the most gifted Hanoverian horses. In this way, the FRH
removes the most common obstacle to a horse's success: expense. Horses
united with their riders in this fashion bear the initials FRH as a suffix or prefix, e.g. Gigolo FRH, FRH Butts Abraxxas, Forsyth FRH.
The popularity of the Hanoverian has brought about a number of affiliated societies as Hanoverian horses began to reach the Americas, Australia and New Zealand
in the 1970s. The American Hanoverian Society was founded in 1978. A
single society first served Australia and New Zealand in 1981; the two
nations have had separate societies since 1993.There are two Hanoverian breeding clubs in Canada, in addition to groups in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, France, and Russia.
Verband activities
The verband is responsible for many events and facilities related to the Hanoverian horse, including selection procedures for breeding stock and the famous Elite Auctions in Verden.The verband also owns the Hanoverian Riding and Driving School which trains riders, instructors, and horses.
Auctions
The auctions in Verden were first held in 1949, and have been held at the Niedersachsenhalle venue since 1972.
There are at least ten auctions per year, each featuring top-quality
riding horses, promising foals, proven broodmares, or licensed
stallions. The most famous of these sales are the Elite Riding Horse
Auctions held in April and October each year. World Cup winners such as Aramis, Mr. T and Walk on Top were Verden Elite Auction horses.Horses are delivered to the venue 4 weeks prior to the auction for training, promotion, and thorough screening for radiographic irregularities and vices. Price toppers routinely sell for well over €100,000 (Euros). The record price of €510,000 - approximately equal to $640,000 at the time - was set in 2006 for the purchase of Londontime.
Mare and foal shows
The many steps and careful evaluations of Hanoverian breeding stock are organized by the verband and district breeders' clubs (bezirkverband).
The district clubs are primarily responsible for local mare and foal
shows. Foals of that year are presented, usually at their dam's side, to
a panel of licensed breed judges. Foals of acceptable quality are branded,
their papers are signed, and they are entered into the foal registry.
Judges also use this venue to recommend exceptional foals for stallion
candidacy or auction participation. Mares return to the mare shows as 3
year-olds to be evaluated for entry into the studbook; only such mares
can have registered Hanoverian foals. The young mares are evaluated on
their conformation and gaits
to ensure that they are of sufficient quality. Another component of the
mare shows is the field test, in which young mares are evaluated for
their suitability for and age-appropriate competency in dressage and show jumping.
The majority of young mares participate in the field test or station
test for mares, as proof of performance is required for the mother of
any stallion candidate, as well as for the State's Premium. The best
mares are awarded the State's Premium (Staatspraemie), a monetary prize provided by the government of Lower Saxony aimed at keeping the finest mares in the local breeding population.Every other year, one of the seven district breeders' clubs hosts the Louis Wiegels show.The
best 3 and 4 year-old mares from each district attend, and to win is a
great honor. Alternating years with the Louis Wiegels Mare show, the verband hosts the Herwert von der Decken mare show in Verden.
Breeding stock selection events
Each year, the seven regional clubs nominate a total of 700 2 year-old colts as stallion candidates, of which only 100 attend the actual licensing (koerung) at Verden in October.A panel of verband-selected judges, experts in their fields, form the koerkommission, which evaluates each young stallion for his suitability as a sire of future Hanoverians. Through a veterinaryexam, the colts must be deemed free of osteochondrosis
lesions, vices, and other heritable conditions. They are then assessed
on pavement to ensure that they have sound, straight, true gaits, as
well as straight, sound legs. On the second day, the colts are judged on
the suitability of their gaits for dressage, and their competency in jumping.
On the third day, about half of the young stallions will have earned
their temporary breeding license, while the other half are typically
castrated and go on to become excellent riding horses.
What follows the announcement of licensed stallions is the Stallion
Sale, an auction which featured Hotline in 2005, who sold for a
staggering €800,000.
The
Hanoverian Society also organizes the Station Tests for mares. These 4
week-long tests are a more in-depth evaluation of a mare's suitability
for riding; in addition to her talents fordressage or show jumping,
the judges can form an understanding of her character and temperament,
including how easy she is to train. These tests are held at the
Hanoverian Riding and Driving School in Verden and at the Hessen State Stud in Dillenburg.
After young stallions have earned their temporary license, they have
until they are 4 years old to prove themselves serviceable riding
horses. The most common track is send the stallion to a Stallion
Performance Test (hengstleistungsprüfung) at the test center in Adelheidsdorf. As an outpost of Celle State Stud,
the test center, unlike the Riding and Driving School, is owned by the
state. Management of the 11-month test for state-owned stallions and the
70-day test for privately owned stallions is shared between the
government-owned State Stud and the privately owned Hanoverian Society.