Steens Mountain Kiger claybank mare. Annette Croul
Steens Mountain Kiger Registry
26450 Horsell Road
Bend, Oregon 97701
www.kigers.com
Kiger horses (pronounced Kye´-grr) have become a phenomenon among mustang populations. Spanish characteristics, plus a heavy dose of dun factoring, have gained these horses nationwide attention. As a result, Kigers have stepped beyond mustang status to become a popular domestic breed. Noted for their intelligence and stamina, they are strikingly Spanish in phenotype, and it is believed that their ancestry dates back to the conquistadors who brought Spanish horses with them to the New World.
Discovered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1977, these wild horses were found on the high desert of southeastern Oregon. Rumors had circulated for years in Oregon about the line-backed mustangs called “Oreanas” and their similarity to Spanish horses. Government officials agreed that here was a special horse. Individuals in the herd were strikingly similar in color and conformation, and had distinct dun markings (stripes on legs, for example). For preservation’s sake, they moved the small band of horses to the north end of Steens Mountain near Kiger Gorge, from where the breed takes its name. This group of horses became pivotal to the Kiger program.
The majority of these horses, around nineteen, were placed at what today is called Kiger Herd Management Area (HMA) on Steens Mountain. At the time, this area’s known capacity was twenty to thirty head, so it is likely it was cleared of previous livestock. The known exceptions were two resident mares that were retained.
The value of the band was that its type was so distinctly Spanish. The herd’s link to ancient Spanish bloodlines was proven in the 1990s, when blood testing was performed by Dr. Gus Cothran, the renowned equine geneticist. The DNA clearly proved the horses had a strong Spanish connection: while genetically diverse, they had a higher degree of relatedness to Spanish domestic breeds than most other wild populations.
History
In 1979, the small band of Spanish-looking horses were moved to two separate areas on Steens Mountain—Kiger HMA and Riddle Mountain, just a few miles east of Kiger HMA. It was decided they would be grouped and managed differently in each area according to distinct characteristics, with the dun and grullo colors being in one group, while dorsal stripes and dark borders on the ears were in another. The BLM retained as much as possible the dun and grullo coloring of the horse, but did allow a margin for white markings, off coloration, and a variety in body color.
The BLM modified its plans in the late 1980s to create uniformity between the Kiger and Riddle areas. Many horses that had non-dun coloration or white markings, or were dun in phenotype but varied in color genotype, were made available to the public. Horses of non-conforming colors have continued to surface in the herds occasionally and are also made available at adoptions. When these horses are offered for adoption, they are represented as Kiger/Riddle livestock by the government. Therefore, the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry accepts any color horse, as long as it can be traced to one of these two herds.
Steens Mountain Kigers, such as this dun gelding, are not only durable mounts, but also affectionate and trustworthy. Annette Croul
Steens Mountain Kiger dun mare with three-week-old filly. Annette Croul
In 1988, two dun mares from the nearby Sheepshead HMA were added to the population at Kiger HMA. BLM officials have denied adding any other horses to the Kiger or Riddle herds since then. Thus these horses have been restricted from any additional outside types.
In the opinion of the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry, this management history does not justify the claim that Kigers “come from all over.” Horses from Sand Springs, Warm Springs, Potholes, Palomino Butte, and even from Nevada and Utah have been labeled “Kigers,” but the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry considers them to be from their respective areas and not qualified for its registry. The Burns District BLM stated that there are no future plans to add outside horses to the Kiger herds.
By limiting registration to horses directly connected to the Kiger or Riddle Mountain HMAs, the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry has incorporated a closed studbook, believing it is the only way to preserve the integrity of the Kiger breed.
Today, wild Kigers continue to be protected on both these HMAs in southeastern Oregon. Kiger HMA covers nearly 37,000 acres and has an Appropriate Management Level of fifty-one to eighty-two horses, while Riddle Mountain contains nearly 28,000 acres and has an Appropriate Management of thirty-three to fifty-six horses. When populations exceed the levels, wild Kigers are gathered and offered for adoption. This event generally occurs every four years, depending on range conditions, predators, and the reproduction rate of the wild horses.
The competition is fierce for wild Kiger adoptions. For this reason alone, more breeders are raising Kigers on private farms and ranches. Domestic Kigers have the advantage of being readily available as well as being accustomed to human contact.
The BLM has made significant progress in the management of the wild horse herds in Oregon. Until recently, adoptable Kiger mustangs have been in short supply. There were less than 20 horses at the first Kiger adoptions, whereas in 2007 there were more than 160. The demand was at its highest in 1995, when 1,358 people were vying to adopt only 83 available Kigers. Thanks to outside pressure from land interest groups, however, and the soon-to-be implemented use of birth control for feral Kiger populations, it is anticipated that the numbers of horses available for adoption will again return to a level where demand exceeds the supply. A current rough estimate of Kigers in the general population is still well under 2,500.
Registry
Since the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry’s inception in 1996, more than eight hundred horses have been registered. Kigers are now represented in thirty-one states, as well as overseas.
To qualify for registration, a horse must originate from one of two herds on Steens Mountain in Oregon, or be the descendant of horses that qualify. Horses that are not from either the Kiger or Riddle Mountain HMAs, or domestic-raised horses that do not have ancestors from those areas, are not accepted. There is, however, a half-Kiger division in the registry for horses with one qualifying parent. The Steens Mountain Kiger Registry recommends that breeders have DNA parentage testing performed on their Kigers.
The breeding goal is to achieve a balanced using horse that retains the Spanish appearance. This should be accomplished by exclusively using stock originating from Kiger or Riddle Mountain HMAs and/or direct descendants. While some have embraced other dun mustangs as “Kigers,” the government itself is specific on the subject. The BLM states that the name “Kiger Mustang” is given only to the horses maintained on the two designated HMAs in southeastern Oregon. Conscientious breeders maintain that integrity.
Steens Mountain Kiger claybank stallion. The phenotype is that of a quality Spanish horse. Annette Croul
Majestic red dun stallion with refined head and vibrant color. Rancho Bayo
In a general sense, the term “Kiger Mustang” is used to describe a government-managed wild Kiger, while “Kiger Horse” is applied to one bred in captivity and is a descendent of horses from those areas. The entire Steens Mountain Kiger Registry population is inclusively known as Steens Mountain Kigers.
Although there is pride in owning a mustang, most breeders own the captive-bred Kiger Horses, which are not mustangs. The BLM states that horses not born in a feral environment are not mustangs. As of 2001, only 26 percent of the horses registered in the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry are freeze-branded horses. The majority have been born and raised in captivity.
Life With Kigers
Avid Kiger breeder Bettye Roberts states in an interview what true Kiger temperament is like: “I’m a lifelong horse person. I have owned everything from Shetlands to drafts . . . but when I got my first Kigers, I immediately noticed a difference in how they think compared to other horses. Maybe it’s only that they are more expressive. . . . They seem to analyze situations better, they know how to keep themselves out of trouble better, and most of them have a can-do attitude. Of course in some of them, as with any mustang, the survival instincts are so strong that you don’t always get that kind of receptivity . . . but if you’ve got a good one, you know it. This kind of horse will go to the mat for you. It’s the reason I will never go back to [other horses]. These Kigers are not only intelligent, they are personable, sometimes phenomenally so. . . .
“The receptive ones kind of spoil you, and then you have the expectation that they should all be that sharp, [but] they are not. In truth, sometimes you have one that will go the ‘other way.’ As near as I can tell, it’s all about how they decide to use their inherited survival mechanisms. Fortunately, most Kigers are curious and give you the benefit of the doubt. They are a social breed, and many of them will extend their society to include their owners. In some cases, that would be an understatement.
“They will soak their own hay if it is stemmy. They’ll steal your car keys right out of your pocket if you aren’t careful. They aren’t big on being ignored. . . . One mare showed up on my back porch to be cared for when injured. I had two Kiger geldings run up from the field to protect a girl who was thrown to the ground by another [breed of] horse; they chased away the curious [horses], and never left her side until help arrived.
“And then there was my Kiger gelding, who followed me out to pasture, saw me digging a hole, and started digging, too . . . and subsequently stomped the nest of snakes that I had unintentionally uncovered. While I am sure that other breeds have representatives in them that react similarly, I haven’t seen it to the frequency and the extent that I’ve seen in the Kigers. . . . They are very unpretentious horses. While I’ve known a few of them that lacked confidence, most of them are the other way around. They just assume that they can.
“Now as a breed, they aren’t all a piece of cake . . . . It’s all because they think for themselves. But when that intelligence gets channeled in the right direction, you can end up with a horse that you’ll never part with, a horse with good common sense and a ton of try.
“I think that is what keeps people interested in the Kiger breed. It certainly isn’t because they can run faster or jump higher, because they can’t. Nature didn’t make them to excel at any specific athletic task; nature honed them for survival. And survival requires just a few things, namely, a conservative metabolism, the ability to sprint, and a good brain. I had owned horses for forty-five years before I got into Kigers, but observing them was a completely new experience. Just when I thought I knew a lot about horses, I found out I didn’t know so much after all.
“Thanks to coloration and a lot of mane and tail, they have a visual attraction. But then you get one and find out that there is so much more underneath. As a breed they probably have a couple of decades to go yet in terms of refinement. And they are not the horse to have if you are planning on competing in timed events. But the right Kiger can be perfect for the average owner who wants a relationship with [his or her] horse.”
Kigers in the Public Eye
The Steens Mountain Kiger Registry’s best-known son is Donner of Steens Mountain. He was purchased by DreamWorks SKG to be used as a representative and model for the 2002 animated film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
Kiger Sundance was a model for one of the No More Nightmares plush animals, and Kiger Hawk’s image graced the packaging of Equerry’s, Inc., products.
The first horse admitted to the Steens Mountain Kiger Registry studbook, the notable Steens Kiger, sired both Donner and Sundance. His photo is easily recognized worldwide, as he is an icon of the breed. “He is truly one of the most majestic horses I have ever seen,” one devotee remarked. “His disposition, willingness, versatility, conformation, beauty, and brains place him above most.”
The Kiger breed has also been well represented by such stallions as Kiger Cougar, a reining horse exhibited at the 1992 World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, Nevada, by Bobby Ingersoll. In 2006, Bobby Elliott competed against two hundred Quarter Horses on the Kiger stallion, Spirit of Casey Tibbs.
The Associated Press surprised the public in 1999 with an article about that year’s wild Kiger adoption held in Burns, Oregon. The record sum of $19,000 was paid to adopt a Kiger mustang filly, the highest amount ever paid to adopt a mustang of any type or strain. Another horse adopted in that year, Goodfield’s Kiger Sombra, has represented the Kiger breed annually at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Proud claybank stallion. Kigers are ideally short coupled, but not heavily muscled. Bettye Roberts
Kigers have been featured in media shows on the Discovery Channel, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and Horseworld, as well as Mamba Productions of Europe. Three Kigers have participated in the Tevis Cup, a one-day, 100-hundred-mile race held annually in California that is probably the most popular U. S. endurance event.
Standards
The domestic Kiger should be bred for conformation, disposition, and color, in that order. The phenotype is that of a Spanish horse.
Breeders of dun-factored horses are encouraged to concentrate on producing horses with dun factor, but the horses that do not possess this color are not penalized. Currently 70 percent of Kigers are dun, but they can also be other colors, including bay, grullo, red dun, claybank, gray, and black.
The typical zebra-type stripes usually associated with dun coloring fits almost like hand and glove with Kigers. Many have these types of stripes, or barring, on their legs as well as a dorsal stripe, shoulder stripe, and dark ear trim. Manes and tails can be bi-colored. Some Kigers have white markings, but excessive white is discouraged.
The head profile is straight or slightly convex, not dished. Kigers have hook-shaped ears.
The neck is set rather low to the shoulder and is never a “pencil,” or thin, neck. Spanish breeds have a thicker neck and ideally with more arch than that of a Quarter Horse.
This stallion is the taller, more modern type of Kiger with elegant neck, head, and good bone. Annette Croul
Kigers have abundant manes and tails. They have short cannons and heavy-walled hooves, which are exceptionally rugged and rarely need shoes.
Ideally, the hindquarters should be well rounded and squarely set. Their tail set is low. Kigers are preferably short-coupled, but not heavily muscled. While most Kigers exhibit an ambling trot, the Kiger is not a gaited breed.
Kigers range from 13.3 to 16 hands, with an average height of 14.3 hands. Owner/breeder preference ranges from the small Sorraia (pronounced sore-eye´-a) types of Kigers—considered by some to represent the horses of antiquity—to a taller, more-modern Kiger suited for dressage.
Kigers are not timed-event horses, generally lacking the speed necessary to compete with horses bred for such events. They are agile and suitable for general-purpose ranch work, and a few rare individuals have shown enough cow sense to compete on a world level. Kigers have also been used for driving, packing, endurance riding, and trail.
In temperament, Kigers are known for their trainability, with stallions and geldings generally proving to be more tractable than mares. As with all mustangs, trust issues must be overcome first when working with horses that have been born in the wild. Kigers have been proven not only to be durable mounts, but also affectionate and trustworthy companions.
Steens Mountain Kigers are attempting to secure a position within the mainstream of equine society while at the same time preserving their mustang heritage. More people are beginning to ride and use Kigers, discovering the benefits of owning horses that offer the best of both worlds—horses with style, intelligence, and good temperament complemented by the mustang hardiness. Most individuals who purchase a Kiger add another one to their barn shortly thereafter. This is a testament to the nature of the Kiger.
Credit: Steens Mountain Kiger Registry