Kiger Mustang
Encyclopedia
Kiger Mustang is substrain of Mustang
horse located in the southeastern part of U.S. state of Oregon
. Originally feral horse
s with specific conformation
traits discovered in 1977, the name also applies to their bred-in-captivity progeny
.
Discovery was the direct result of the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) Mustang roundups in Beatty's Butte area in Harney County
. During the roundup, it was noticed that among those horses collected from the area, there was a group with similar color and markings. DNA testing by the University of Kentucky
show close relation to the Spanish horses
brought to the Americas in the 17th century. These distinct horses were separated from the other horses and the BLM placed two groups in different areas to preserve the breed. Seven horses were placed in Riddle Mountain and twenty in Kiger.
The Kiger Mustang is considered to have bred true for generations to a certain type. Many of today's Kiger Mustangs can be traced back to a stallion called Mesteño.
Kiger Mustangs live in the eight herd management areas of the Burns District of Oregon:
in color and have primitive markings
, including zebra-like stripes on the upper legs and shoulders as well as a dorsal stripe which runs down the middle of the back into the tail. Typically a dun horse is a shade of muted tan or a light brown-gray with dark brown or black manes. A dun colored horse may have many, but not all, of the primitive markings which include the dorsal stripe, two-toned manes and/or tails, zebra-like stripes on the upper legs and shoulders, dark color around muzzle and ears with dark outlines and lighter interiors. Dun horses are generally identified as simply duns or grullas.
Kiger Mustangs, as a rule, are agile and intelligent, with the stamina and surefootedness seen in many feral horse breeds. Bold and with lots of "heart and bottom" (a term for courage and determination) but gentle as well as calm, they are used for pleasure riding
as well as endurance riding
, assorted performance competition under saddle, driving
, and many other situations where an athletic horse is desired.
The artist's model for the title horse of the animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
was a Kiger Mustang named Donner, also known as "Spirit", who lives at the Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary.
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
horse located in the southeastern part of U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Originally feral horse
Feral horse
A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated ancestry. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these horses often are popularly called "wild" horses...
s with specific conformation
Conformation
Conformation generally means structural arrangement and may refer to:*Carbohydrate conformation, the three-dimensional shape of a carbohydrate...
traits discovered in 1977, the name also applies to their bred-in-captivity progeny
Progeny
Progeny can refer to:*A genetic descendant or offspring*An academic progeny Other uses*Progeny Linux Systems*Progeny - an episode of the television series Stargate Atlantis...
.
Discovery was the direct result of the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
(BLM) Mustang roundups in Beatty's Butte area in Harney County
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
. During the roundup, it was noticed that among those horses collected from the area, there was a group with similar color and markings. DNA testing by the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
show close relation to the Spanish horses
Iberian horse
The Iberian horse is a title given to a number of horse breeds native to the Iberian peninsula. At present, 17 horse breeds are recognized by FAO as characteristic of the Iberian Peninsula....
brought to the Americas in the 17th century. These distinct horses were separated from the other horses and the BLM placed two groups in different areas to preserve the breed. Seven horses were placed in Riddle Mountain and twenty in Kiger.
The Kiger Mustang is considered to have bred true for generations to a certain type. Many of today's Kiger Mustangs can be traced back to a stallion called Mesteño.
Kiger Mustangs live in the eight herd management areas of the Burns District of Oregon:
- Palomino Buttes
- Kiger
- Riddle Mountain
- South Steens
- Heath Creek/Sheepshead
- Alvord-Tule Springs
- Stinkingwater
- Warm Springs
Characteristics
Kiger Mustangs are primarily dunDun gene
The dun gene is a dilution gene that affects both red and black pigments in the coat color of a horse. The dun gene has the ability to affect the appearance of all black, bay, or chestnut -based horses to some degree by lightening the base body coat and suppressing the underlying base color to the...
in color and have primitive markings
Primitive markings
Primitive markings among domestic horses are a group of hair coat markings and qualities associated with primitive breeds, and the dun coat color family in particular. All dun horses possess at least the dorsal stripe but the presence of the other primitive markings varies...
, including zebra-like stripes on the upper legs and shoulders as well as a dorsal stripe which runs down the middle of the back into the tail. Typically a dun horse is a shade of muted tan or a light brown-gray with dark brown or black manes. A dun colored horse may have many, but not all, of the primitive markings which include the dorsal stripe, two-toned manes and/or tails, zebra-like stripes on the upper legs and shoulders, dark color around muzzle and ears with dark outlines and lighter interiors. Dun horses are generally identified as simply duns or grullas.
Kiger Mustangs, as a rule, are agile and intelligent, with the stamina and surefootedness seen in many feral horse breeds. Bold and with lots of "heart and bottom" (a term for courage and determination) but gentle as well as calm, they are used for pleasure riding
Pleasure riding
Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. Pleasure riding is called "hacking" in British English, and in parts of the eastern United States and Canada...
as well as endurance riding
Endurance riding
Endurance riding is an equestrian sport based on controlled long-distance races. It is one of the international competitions recognized by the FEI. There are endurance rides worldwide....
, assorted performance competition under saddle, driving
Driving (horse)
Driving, when applied to horses, ponies, mules, or donkeys, is a broad term for hitching equines to a wagon, carriage, cart, sleigh, or other horse-drawn vehicle by means of a harness and working them in this way...
, and many other situations where an athletic horse is desired.
The artist's model for the title horse of the animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a 2002 American animated film that was released by DreamWorks. It follows the adventures of a young Kiger mustang stallion living in the 19th century wild west. The film, written by John Fusco and directed by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook, was nominated for the...
was a Kiger Mustang named Donner, also known as "Spirit", who lives at the Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary.