The Hanoverian breed traces its roots to the German province of Lower Saxony, where in 1735 a state-operated stable of stallions, or Landgestuet, was founded at the behest of King George II, located in the town of Celle. The aim of the state stud was to produce a robust carriage horse that was also well suited to military service.

To ensure that its goals were realized, the Landgestuet carefully recorded the pedigrees of their stallions and also the mares bred to them, through the establishment of the “Hanoverian Warmblood Studbook.”

This tradition, unique to the Hanoverian breed, was upheld by the state until1922, at which time the duty of maintaining the Hanoverian Warmblood Studbook passed to a union of 54 local clubs. The Society of Hanoverian Warmblood Breeders was thus born and has striven to maintain the strict pedigree of the Hanoverian horse to this day.

The Hanoverian Stud Book is comprised of some 19000 active broodmares and over 450 approved breeding stallions. The aim of the society itself is to advise breeders in all questions of breeding, keeping horses and also to induce a standard breeding measure for the Hanoverian horse; “A rideable, noble, big framed and correct warmblood horse, which on the basis of its natural abilities, its temperament and character is suitable as a performance as well as pleasure horse.”

The Society of Hanoverian Breeders has expanded from its humble roots in Germany to regions throughout the world. The Hanoverian Breeding Club of Western Canada is one of the many local breeding clubs located all over the world, and helps to form the main pillar of the Society of Hanoverian Breeders.