Are Hanoverians "hot" to ride?

L

lcormack

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 March 2006
Messages
78
Visit site
Now I know that all horses are individuals, but in very general terms, would you say Hanoverians were hot to ride? Or laid back? Spooky, non spooky? Has anyone come across any quirks that seem common to the breed?
Cheers
 
i've got 3 hann x tbs, all are spooky and over-imaginative tbh. they seem to go around looking for things to spook at. one thing i've noticed with them is that they will spook dramatically at a colour change in the grass, from a patch of normal grass to dark grass, or clover, or whatever... which a tb or tbxid wouldn't even notice in my experience. also very suspicious of their reflection in car windows and reflections in puddles!
the other thing is that they are so athletic that if they decide to use it themselves to get you off, it can be a bit much! give me one that can't buck 7' in the air any day!
 
Thanks kerilli, you just about put me off until I thought "there must be a reason for you to have 3 of them"! So what are they plus points?
 
I had a HanXTB - used to buck me off at every possible time - could jump like a stag though - stick with Clevelands - completely honest!
grin.gif
 
I have 3 full hanoverians and each one is different, the rising 6 is a real monkey, he is OK if he is in control of the situation but take him out of his comfort zone and he is a spooky thing.
The rising 6 is fantastic he went to the british dressage potentional international 4 year championships at Stoneleigh and we did not even have to do an arena walk he went he as if he had been doing it all his life (he had only been to 5 other competitions before) the horse he went in with was really nappy and he just ignored it. ( I was so pleased) I have his half brother who is rising 4 and he is also quite laid back (he has just been broken in) does not seem to spook at anything but I am sure he will have another side to him. I also think they need to be kept working they like a job to do. I have had thoroughbred's for many years and found them more of an handful.
 
umm, 1 i bought because i felt sorry for him (great reason, not), he's a serious athlete and would have gone a long way but just wasn't tough enough. 1 i bred, put hann stallion on tb x id event mare to get more movement and trainability... the first bit worked, the 2nd didn't! 3rd one i bought as yearling, hann stallion on tb event mare, for same reasons i presume... she is very very flighty though and i'm only just backing her.
plus points: natural movement and athleticism, trainability (usually), presence.
must admit, until i'd sat on my big hann i couldn't believe anyone could be brave enough to come down to a Puissance wall at 7'. on him, i would have. he felt as if he could have jumped a house, that much power. it's like an Aston Martin compared to all the Morris Minors i've ridden before! the feeling of power is quite addictive! for instance he has such a huge powerful canter that even as a youngster he could do flying changes with ridiculous ease, he had such a moment of suspension. that's quite a feeling... if you can channel it!
however, unless i was serious about dressage or sjing i wouldn't have one again, personally, not for hacking/rc/low key stuff, tbh.
hope that doesn't confuse you even more! obviously these are just my horses, i'm sure there are people out there with beautifully behaved non-spooky hanns!
 
I have one by Louella Gardammer (From temple farm lines)
They are well known for being quirky but he is an angel to handle is difficult to ride but would lead a child on lead rein. He jumps liek the wind, thing with hanovarians is not to wind them up they are warmbloods quiet seat quiet life problem for me is i am hot seated probably why he is so hyper but i can say real genuine boy will jump anything for me even if i is bit worried, i did join up with him and they seem trusting breed depends though i have ridden real arrogant one before can be stubborn.
 
I couldnt have put that better myself, i have one and he is exactly like that! Never a dull moment, but i do love him, he is clever, quick thinking, and comes through when it matters, passes a tractor and trailer one minute and wont go by a car the next, keeps me awake!
wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Now I know that all horses are individuals, but in very general terms, would you say Hanoverians were hot to ride? Or laid back? Spooky, non spooky? Has anyone come across any quirks that seem common to the breed?
Cheers

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a hanovarian x tb for my first horse, and I must admit that he isn't an ideal 1st horse. But now I've got used to his 'ways' he has taught me so much, and he's an absolute sweety! Granted sometimes he can be a little spooky and grow to about 20hh when spooked, but I just need to talk to him and hes fine. I do think that they are forward going though.
Hes a little grumpy in his stable, but he's always been like that.
He is so lovable, and always looks after me (he waits for me if I fall off!). He even lifts his leg to ask for a carrot to!

Overall, I do think that warmbloods have a certain quirkiness, but I definitely wouldn't be without him, and I would be bored with a plod...
 
Mine is not 'hot' to ride but can do an impressive buck and is an absolute swine to handle from the ground! However he has not got a nasty bone in him and is full of character and I love him to bits
grin.gif
 
I have had 2 one was extremley sharp spooky and hot! The other one was so laid back you had to check his pulse to see if he was still alive
grin.gif
 
The modern Hannovarian horses have a lot of TB in them. Look at the pedigree and see how many times XX appears and you will see just how much TB influence there is.
 
I have one by Gotz II and yes she is unpredictable, spooky and after years of training she now rides, most of the time, like a normal horse but I have been to hell and back with her, but have put it down to having to break her as a 12 year old.

Her brother was very laid back, same mother and father, he was the oldest, the next one a mare that is now a livery with me is unpredictable, same parentage and her younger sister was by Temple Westminster and same mother and she was very much like her older sisters. Three were Bays and one Chestnut.
 
i have a hanovarian mare, Donnerschwee (Donnerhall) x Sao Paulo, she is hot to handle, hot to trot but the most amazing movement ever, when she works with you, she is unstopable! but she can be a stubbon cow at times and can be a real MARE to ride! you cannot argue nor reason with her at times. but i love her, real x factor, real black beauty
 
Certain bloodlines are more renound for being hot or less trainable. Jumping lines tend to be sharper and there are certain dressage lines that some professionals will avoid.
 
I have a Demonstrator mare who is the biggest saint in the world, totally bombproof, competed to a decent level SJ before switching to dressage, is now a broodmare but was happy to come back into work after 5 years off to let me potter about on her before she went back in foal

I also had a 3yo I bought from Germany by Weltmeyer. Another total saint and the most talented young horse I have ever sat on. My horse of a lifetime who I heartbreakingly had to sell and have never forgiven myself for.
 
I have two His Highness youngsters and they are so good and take everything in their stride. the one who is a monkey is an Escudo II (jumping lines)
 
I have the ride on a young Dimaggio horse, he has the most sweetest, kind temperament you could wish for on the ground, he's just a bit nervy. Under saddle he's quite sharp but it's a good thing really as we're hoping to take him through the levels. I've ridden a few hannoverians and in general they were all quite quirky but wouldn't describe any of them as dangerous
 
The warmblood books are not "breeds" in the way many people think of the term, in that they do not derive from a small gene pool and follow very narrow criteria. They are bred for sport and as such, are constantly being refined, added to (horses from other books, TBs) and improved. What's more, different lines have gone in different ways, and then those lines have been mixed together to further tinker with the formula.

It's a bit like saying what's a Ford car like. Are we talking Escort or Thunderbird?
wink.gif


That said, they are bred, by and large, to be athletes. The ones that fit the criteria of the book are bred to be big moving, big jumping, motivated individuals, which obviously does not always make them suitable for other jobs. Dressage horses especially, are bred to be sharp and animated because that's what the job demands at the upper levels. And a jumper with scope will show it bucking as well as jumping if that's the way things go. Although, give the huge gene pool, not every horse comes with the turbo engine and there are lines known for their easy going natures (which is not the same as ridability, by the way). Plus, some of the ones that aren't super successful by absolute standards might, in fact, make better mounts for the average rider.

How the horse is bred is much more important than what "breed" it is.
 
i have a 16.3hh hanoverian x danish warmblood...19years old and an absolute MANIAC :P haha still jumping 1m10 courses and aiming higher at the age of 19!!! lol, love hanoverians...he can be very grumpy...but thats just cus he's ginger :P haha xxx
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top