Spirit Mustang Horse Breed
If you watched Spirit the Stallion of the Cimarron you probably wonder what horse breed is Spirit. Maybe most of you know the answer, but for those who don't, Spirit is a Mustang. Play Spirit Riding Free and see how beautiful this horse is.
The country of origin of the Kiger Mustang is USA, though their ancestries are from Spain. Since the 15th century Spanish conquistadors settled North America and brought their horses with them. Many of these horses were let free or escaped they were roaming free in the wild, when during the mustang roundups in Beatty’s Butte region in Harney County it was noticed there are group of horses with similar color and markings. In 1977 the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) separate these horses and DNA testing showed that they have the dun factor, smooth gaits and are closely related to the Spanish horses. BLM promoted the breed, placing seven horses with refined features in Riddle Mountain and twenty in Kiger. Therefore the Kiger Mustang is a relatively new horse breed and is thought to have incredibly pure bloodlines. They are mainly located in the southeastern part of Oregon.
The country of origin of the Kiger Mustang is USA, though their ancestries are from Spain. Since the 15th century Spanish conquistadors settled North America and brought their horses with them. Many of these horses were let free or escaped they were roaming free in the wild, when during the mustang roundups in Beatty’s Butte region in Harney County it was noticed there are group of horses with similar color and markings. In 1977 the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) separate these horses and DNA testing showed that they have the dun factor, smooth gaits and are closely related to the Spanish horses. BLM promoted the breed, placing seven horses with refined features in Riddle Mountain and twenty in Kiger. Therefore the Kiger Mustang is a relatively new horse breed and is thought to have incredibly pure bloodlines. They are mainly located in the southeastern part of Oregon.
A Kiger Mustang mare of the rare Sorraia phenotype and a stallion called Mesteño are the foundation stock of many Kiger Mustangs that are living today. The breed can be found in eight herd management areas of the Burns District of Oregon. These include: Palomino Buttes, Kiger, Riddle Mountain, South Steens, Heath Creek/Sheepshead, Alvord-Tule Springs, Stinkingwater and Warm Springs.
The average height of the Kiger Mustang horse is approximately 14.2 hands high. The coat colors that appear are: dun, red dun, grulla (mouse gray), black and buckskin. Most Kiger Mustangs have dun coat color with primitive markings. Dorsal stripe running down the middle of the back into the tail; zebra-like stripes on the upper legs , knees, hocks and shoulders; chest, rib and arm bars; dark color around the muzzle; ears with dark outlines and lighter interiors; as well as two toned (bi-colored) manes and tails are typical for a dun horse. They can have many, but not necessarily all of them. The less white they have, the stronger the dun factor is.
The average height of the Kiger Mustang horse is approximately 14.2 hands high. The coat colors that appear are: dun, red dun, grulla (mouse gray), black and buckskin. Most Kiger Mustangs have dun coat color with primitive markings. Dorsal stripe running down the middle of the back into the tail; zebra-like stripes on the upper legs , knees, hocks and shoulders; chest, rib and arm bars; dark color around the muzzle; ears with dark outlines and lighter interiors; as well as two toned (bi-colored) manes and tails are typical for a dun horse. They can have many, but not necessarily all of them. The less white they have, the stronger the dun factor is.
The Kiger Mustang resembles to the Spanish Mustangs and has exceptional physical confirmation of the wild and oriental horses. It has a slightly convex to slightly concave facial profile. The eyes are wide set and prominent; the ears are distinctly hooked at the ear tips and the muzzle is fine. The neck is high set, muscular and arched; the shoulders are slopping; and the chest is narrow but deep. The legs are strong build with small feet and hard, solid hooves. They can have little feathering on the lower legs and the fetlocks. The have beautiful full and flowing manes.
The Kiger Mustangs are easy trainable, willing, surefooted and highly versatile they are used for endurance riding and other competitions under saddle, driving and all kinds of riding disciplines. One stallion named Donner was an artist’s model for the title horse of the animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Representatives have fiery spirit, taking naturally to herding and are commonly used for pleasure riding.
The Kiger Mustangs are easy trainable, willing, surefooted and highly versatile they are used for endurance riding and other competitions under saddle, driving and all kinds of riding disciplines. One stallion named Donner was an artist’s model for the title horse of the animated film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Representatives have fiery spirit, taking naturally to herding and are commonly used for pleasure riding.