History of the Kiger Mustang

Horses originated in the continent of North America, but mysteriously vanished in the Ice Age. It wasn't until Spanish explorers brought their horses with them that North America became home to the horse again. Those that wandered off formed feral herds called mustangs, which have been at times heavily culled. One herd in the Kiger Mountains of eastern Oregon survived unchanged for hundreds of years.

  1. Spanish Horses

    • According to "96 Horse Breeds of North America" (Judith Dutson, 2005), the original breed of Spanish horses introduced to North America was the Sorraia of Portugal. These horses were brought to the Kiger Mountains by the Shoshone tribe.

    Rediscovery

    • Kigers were not discovered in modern times until 1977, when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decided to round up mustangs from Beatty's Butte in Oregon. The horses the BLM discovered looked far different from the usual mustang.

    Testing

    • Blood samples sent to the University of Kentucky showed that the Kigers has a genetic match different from other mustangs or other common American breeds but nearly identical for the Sorraia. It was decided this herd of horses was a breed worth preserving.

    Film

    • The general public first discovered Kiger mustangs when they were featured in the PBS film by Wolfgang Bayer, "America's Wild Horses" (1987).

    Fun Fact

    • Spirit in the popular Disney animated movie "Spirit: Wild Stallion of the Cimarron" was based on an actual Kiger mustang named Spirit living at the Return to Freedom Wild Horse Sanctuary in California.