# Hanoverian weight and height: a warmblood size guide with joint and foal tests

> Hanoverian height from Kentucky, warmblood weight from Minnesota, daily hay by body weight, and care notes on osteochondrosis and the fragile foal test.

Canonical: https://lucernel.com/guides/horse-breeds/hanoverian
Last updated: 2026-10-19

Hanoverians stand 16 to 17.2 hands, and while no source gives a breed weight, warmblood horses as a group averaged 1,300 pounds on a livestock scale in a University of Minnesota study.

**Hanoverians stand 16 to 17.2 hands, and warmbloods as a group average 1,300 pounds.** The University of Kentucky lists 16 to 17.2 hands (64 to 70 inches). No source opened for this page gives a Hanoverian weight, so the best available estimate is the University of Minnesota’s average of 1,300 pounds (590 kg) for 89 adult warmbloods weighed on a livestock scale. (University of Kentucky and University of Minnesota Extension (the weight is the warmblood group figure))

| Source | Height | Weight |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of Kentucky | 16 to 17.2 hands | Not given |
| American Hanoverian Society rules of registration (quoted by the International Museum of the Horse) | No set range; height in proportion to build | Not given |
| University of Minnesota, 89 adult warmbloods (all breeds) | Average 66 inches (16.2 hands) | Average 1,300 lb |

The Minnesota figures describe warmbloods as a group, mostly seen at a hunter and jumper show, and not Hanoverians alone.

## Size is judged in proportion, not by a number

The Society’s rules, as quoted by the International Museum of the Horse, say horses should be neither excessively large nor too small, that height should suit the overall build and that harmony matters more than size. That is why a published weight range is hard to find, and why a tape and a scale are worth more than a table.

## Daily hay for a 1,300 pound Hanoverian

With no Hanoverian weight to use, the arithmetic uses 1,300 pounds, the Minnesota warmblood average. Replace it with your own horse’s weight. Merck says warmblood breeds tend toward the lower end of its intake range.

Merck gives 2 to 2.5% of body weight in feed dry matter as the usual starting range for a healthy adult, with at least half from forage, 1.5 to 2% as the goal for a horse that needs to lose weight when laminitis is not a worry, and 1.25% as the floor. The figures below are our arithmetic from 1,300 lb, counting hay as 90% dry matter, which is our assumption.

- 1.5% of body weight: 20 lb (9 kg) of dry matter, about 22 lb (10 kg) of hay
- 2% of body weight: 26 lb (12 kg) of dry matter, about 29 lb (13 kg) of hay
- 2.5% of body weight: 33 lb (15 kg) of dry matter, about 36 lb (16 kg) of hay

## A weight tape example for a Hanoverian

The horse weight calculator runs the adult equation from the Merck Veterinary Manual: measure heart girth and body length in inches, square the girth, multiply by the length and divide by 330 to get pounds. Running the Minnesota warmblood averages, a heart girth of 78 inches and a body length of 67 inches, gives 78 x 78 = 6,084, times 67 = 407,628, divided by 330 = about 1,235 lb (560 kg). The scale average for that group was 1,300 lb, so the equation came out about 5% low, in line with Merck’s warning that it slightly underestimates weight.

In the same study, draft horse and warmblood owners misjudged their horses by about 115 pounds, or 7%, on average. A scale beats any estimate, and the same method each time keeps a trend honest.

## Osteochondrosis in growing horses

Merck describes osteochondrosis as a joint cartilage problem with several causes, including fast growth, a high carbohydrate diet, mineral imbalance and genetics, and names the Standardbred and Swedish Warmblood as predisposed breeds. It does not name the Hanoverian. Many cases show no signs and turn up only on prepurchase X-rays, while a foal that lies down more and has stiff, swollen joints needs your vet.

## The fragile foal test

UC Davis says fragile foal syndrome type 1, once called warmblood fragile foal syndrome, is a recessive condition in which affected foals are born with thin, fragile skin and are euthanized soon after birth. It estimates a carrier frequency of 9 to 11% in warmblood horses and recommends the DNA test for all warmblood and sport horse populations. Its reference list includes a 2020 study of the Hanoverian F/W line and the fragile foal variant. Carriers are healthy, so the test matters at breeding time.

## Muscle stiffness

UC Davis reports PSSM2, a muscle disease, in warmbloods and Arabians. A Hanoverian with recurring stiffness after work is a case for your vet, before any change to the feed.

## Body condition

Merck advises a score of 4 to 6 on the 9 point Henneke scale. The Minnesota warmbloods averaged 5.2, and only 2% scored 7 or more, against 42% of drafts. Score your horse by feel each month and log it with the weight.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a Hanoverian weigh?

No source opened for this page gives a Hanoverian weight. The University of Minnesota’s adult warmbloods averaged 1,300 pounds (590 kg), which is the best available estimate.

### How tall is a Hanoverian?

The University of Kentucky lists 16 to 17.2 hands, which is 64 to 70 inches at the withers. The American Hanoverian Society sets no number and asks for height in proportion to build.

### Can a Hanoverian carry a 190 pound rider?

The University of Minnesota reports that an average adult light riding horse can comfortably carry about 20% of its ideal bodyweight, rider and tack included. For 1,300 pounds that is about 260 pounds, so a 190 pound rider with 25 pounds of tack is inside it. Fitness and conformation change the answer.

### Should I test a Hanoverian for fragile foal syndrome?

UC Davis recommends the test for all warmblood and sport horse populations. It matters at breeding time, so ask your vet or registry which results you need.

## Sources (checked 2026-10-02)

- [University of Kentucky Equine Programs, Horse breeds](https://afs.mgcafe.uky.edu/equine/horse-discovery/breeds)
- [International Museum of the Horse, Hanoverian (American Hanoverian Society rules, archived copy)](https://web.archive.org/web/2020/http://imh.org/exhibits/online/breeds-of-the-world/europe/hanoverian/)
- [American Hanoverian Society, Hanoverian Breed Profile](https://hanoverian.org/about/hanoverian-breed-profile/)
- [Oklahoma State University, Breeds of Livestock: Hanoverian Horses](https://breeds.okstate.edu/horses/hanoverian-horses)
- [University of Minnesota Extension, Estimating actual and ideal bodyweight of adult horses](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/horse/estimating-horse-bodyweight)
- [University of Minnesota Extension, Guidelines for weight-carrying capacity of horses](https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/animals-and-livestock/horse/guidelines-for-weight-carrying-capacity-of-horses)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/nutrition-horses/nutritional-requirements-of-horses-and-other-equids)
- [Merck Veterinary Manual, Osteochondrosis in Horses](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/developmental-orthopedic-disease-in-horses/osteochondrosis-in-horses)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Fragile foal syndrome type 1 (WFFS)](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/warmblood-fragile-foal-syndrome-type-1-wffs)
- [UC Davis Center for Equine Health, Polysaccharide storage myopathy](https://ceh.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/health-topics/polysaccharide-storage-myopathy-pssm)