# 5 yr Kiger Mustang



## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

It's been a little while since I've posted photos of any of my horses for critique. Aurelio, my "baby" (adopted from the BLM as a yearling) isn't such a baby any more, at about 5 years old now. I'm interested to know what people think of the way that he's matured. What aspects do you like? What critique do you have? (Click the photo for a larger version)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

awful! so decrepit and disgusting you'll need to get rid of him somewhere, and my backyard might accept him.


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

He looks like he needs to come to Maryland. If I pay transport costs can you just stick him on the trailer? I'll give you bubblegum.


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## Gabby7783 (Jun 28, 2015)

Beautiful horse!


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Wow, he is lovely! I'm particularly fond of those feet <3


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Unusually good shoulder. This horse could probably jump and fold in front as a package. A tiny long in the coupling and a bit posty behind. Nice horse this.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I'm trying to find something bad to say about him and all I can come up with that is wrong is that he's not in Katy, TX right now. I bet he just floats over the ground!


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm flattered that you all think so well of him. I think he's pretty amazing in more ways than one, but I am also susceptible to being biased since I'm so very fond of him. ^_^

Elana, interesting that you mention his potential to jump. I primarily ride dressage and hit the trails, however I am a bit tempted to pop him over a few little jumps at some point.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

What HMA is he from? He looks nice, a bit long but otherwise really, really nice. His color don't hurt anything either.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

He's from the Kiger HMA in Oregon.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

Yum!!!!!!!!!!


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## thesilverspear (Aug 20, 2009)

If he goes missing, don't look in my barn.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

KIGER!!!!! *spazzes and faints* He is stunning! and i cant see a thing wrong with him at all . If he goes missing dont look in my barn XD!


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## CrossCountry (May 18, 2013)

Where in the world did you get this beautiful mustang? Both of mine are awkward and well... um interesting looking to say the least!


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

He is from the Kiger HMA in Oregon. There are some real gems among many of the mustang herds. I'm probably biased of course, but I think that the Oregon herds often seem to be especially appealing.

Of course, it was sheer luck on our part that the scrawny yearling we adopted has developed into such a handsome guy. We just had a single 2 square inch photo to work from when we decided to bid on him! (see below) I wish I could claim that my mad conformational assessment skills led me to pick the diamond in the rough. Mostly, I liked that he was leggier than the other yearlings that were available for adoption. Most of the Kigers mature in the 14 hand range, but I wanted a 15 ish hand horse. I hoped that he would grow in to those longer legs of his, and he has! He's about 15.1 hh -- just what I wanted. He's just what I hoped for in hundreds of other ways too. This horse has really stolen my heart!


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## hollysjubilee (Nov 2, 2012)

Eolith said:


> It's been a little while since I've posted photos of any of my horses for critique. Aurelio, my "baby" (adopted from the BLM as a yearling) isn't such a baby any more, at about 5 years old now. I'm interested to know what people think of the way that he's matured. What aspects do you like? What critique do you have? (Click the photo for a larger version)


I haven't read any other posts . . . 
I love his level, short back and his balanced form . . . 
I adore his Barb head, his soft eye, and his cut-out ears . . . I am always drawn to the Barb's . . . 
His shoulder has a wonderful slope, and his neck is gorgeous showing either incredible genetics or appropriate riding/conditioning on your part. 
The angle of his front pasterns seems off to me . . . not in line with the hoof angle, but it seems worse on the left front, so maybe he is standing on a downhill grade with his foot. Back right hoof and pastern seem to show the same type of broken line . . . and remind me of what I've seen of mules. Maybe heels are a bit long? His hooves look solid and healthy . . . 
His coloring is perfect (for me) . . . and he seems like a great size.
He is just about perfect all over.
You are one blessed horse-lover, and your Mustang is very fortunate to have been found by you.


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## LittleBayMare (Jun 2, 2014)

hollysjubilee said:


> I haven't read any other posts . . .
> I love his level, short back and his balanced form . . .
> I adore his Barb head, his soft eye, and his cut-out ears . . . I am always drawn to the Barb's . . .
> His shoulder has a wonderful slope, and his neck is gorgeous showing either incredible genetics or appropriate riding/conditioning on your part.
> ...


I agree, those pasterns are the first thing that jumped out at me...well, ok, the second once I got past the OMG IT'S A WELL CONFORMED MUSTANG AAAAAND A DUN KIGER!!!!!!!!!!!! :loveshower::mylittlepony:
Lol. I think the heels _are_ a bit long, but those pasterns are also long and a bit sloping IMHO. They scare me a little bit. I would personally like to see a bit more of an engine behind, but that is probably just my QH bias showing through. Other than that, I see a shining ambassador for his breed that no one should be ashamed to have gracing their pastures. (And if he goes missing from yours don't come looking in mine. :biggrin


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

LittleBayMare said:


> Lol. I think the heels _are_ a bit long, but those pasterns are also long and a bit sloping IMHO.


Interesting that you and hollysjubilee mention his longish heels. That's definitely one quirk of his that doesn't fit into the "ideal" picture of a perfect horse. When we first got him, his heels were scary long. His hooves all around are very hard, compact and fairly upright. A previous trimmer once called him "mulefooted". He really is interesting because while the majority of horses are prone to having their toes get too long and distorted, it really is his heels that grow out amazingly fast. 

We have been working on gradually trying to lower his heels a bit. I appreciate our current trimmer's outlook: he is reluctant to just hack off a bunch of heel all at once and prefers to try to give the horse the hoof he wants -- Aurelio's hooves grow out upright, so he's not going to try to force them to do otherwise (but he does try to encourage healthier angles). His hooves have made a lot of progress. I do have some "before" and "after" shots that I could share for those who are curious.

The most important part is that he moves out freely and soundly.  He seems to be pretty happy with his hooves for now, so I'm happy.


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## LittleBayMare (Jun 2, 2014)

Eolith said:


> Interesting that you and hollysjubilee mention his longish heels. That's definitely one quirk of his that doesn't fit into the "ideal" picture of a perfect horse. When we first got him, his heels were scary long. His hooves all around are very hard, compact and fairly upright. A previous trimmer once called him "mulefooted". He really is interesting because while the majority of horses are prone to having their toes get too long and distorted, it really is his heels that grow out amazingly fast.
> 
> We have been working on gradually trying to lower his heels a bit. I appreciate our current trimmer's outlook: he is reluctant to just hack off a bunch of heel all at once and prefers to try to give the horse the hoof he wants -- Aurelio's hooves grow out upright, so he's not going to try to force them to do otherwise (but he does try to encourage healthier angles). His hooves have made a lot of progress. I do have some "before" and "after" shots that I could share for those who are curious.
> 
> The most important part is that he moves out freely and soundly.  He seems to be pretty happy with his hooves for now, so I'm happy.


Well, if he's happy and from the what you've written, hasn't taken a lame step yet, then I suppose there is nothing wrong with a slightly less than ideal hoof angle with what you're using him for. I would be very cautious about jumping him too much, but a few small jumps occasionally shouldn't be much of a problem. I do have to respect a farrier that isn't trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I have seen way too many horses made permanently lame from such treatment. It could very well be that he is one of them.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

I'm no confo expert but... hot ****, he is gorgeous ;-; <3


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## Ibriding (Jun 15, 2015)

Wow! He is stunning! Guess I need to start looking into adopting a mustang now that I live in Oregon!


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## Foxesdontwearbowties (Jul 9, 2012)

I am hoping to adopt my first Mustang out of the Kiger herd selling this october. Although I am in Indiana, and trying to figure out how to bid over the phone. I might end up with two.. depending on how much they go for. He is gorgeous!


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Foxesdontwearbowties said:


> I am hoping to adopt my first Mustang out of the Kiger herd selling this october. Although I am in Indiana, and trying to figure out how to bid over the phone. I might end up with two.. depending on how much they go for. He is gorgeous!


Let me know if I can help answer any questions about the Kigers or the adoption process! Also, if you're looking for someone to be your eyes and ears at the adoption, I might be able to help out.  I've been debating whether or not to attend the adoption -- it would definitely be worth it if I could help someone out. (I'm not planning to adopt myself this time, I just think it would be pretty cool to see the action!)


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## Foxesdontwearbowties (Jul 9, 2012)

That would be so great! I would be very appreciative if you could do that. Would there. Be a possibility of photos / videos you could send me there? I'll private message you with my questions.


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## AmyD (Jun 1, 2015)

He's a good strong solid-looking horse. He's put together really well.


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## Partita (Feb 19, 2016)

Eolith said:


> I've been debating whether or not to attend the adoption


Nice horse!
Did you go?
I went the week before to check them out, then went back with my trailer and came home with THIS:


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## 2horses (Oct 11, 2009)

Someone on Facebook recently got me interested in the Mustang adoptions, and you two have really increased that interest. I'm curious how easy/difficult they are to train, and what differences you notice compared to domestic breeds.


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## Partita (Feb 19, 2016)

I raised and trained both of my Warmbloods from the moment of conception on (they are mother and daughter). The Mustang was right about 7 months when I bought her. 

The biggest difference for me was SAFETY since she had been unhandled. Everything would be a new experience for her. Everything took longer than I thought it would, but I was in no hurry and took things at her pace. She SHOWED me when she was ready. Almost everything I thought I would try with her needed to be broken down into several smaller pieces. I had her in a larger pen than recommended because I didn't want her to ever feel like she couldn't get away if she needed to.

When I said that everything took longer than expected, I mean EVERYTHING. Starting with getting out of the trailer. They told us, "When you get them home, you do everything in reverse" (of how they loaded them up). Well, that didn't work. She would. not. get. out. Flagging did not work. She just could not negotiate that step down. So we both spent the night in the trailer and I decided right then and there I would never push her to do something again. In the pictures you can see where I put a trail of shavings down. The same shavings that were in the trailer. Thought that might show her the ground. That didn't work. Then I added a trail of alfalfa. That didn't work either. Remembered an old trick I used to teach them to load the first time and did THAT in reverse. I took some of her manure and put that on the ground outside the trailer. Once she smelled that, she came out in a jiffy. Front end only at first while she ate some hay. Then she quietly stepped out and walked into her paddock like she'd been doing it all her life. 

Everything since then has gone the same. Slowly, quietly, no rodeo, no hurry, no sweat. As much patience and time as she needs. This is not to say that I didn't get BIG when I had to. It took me 3 weeks to be able to touch and groom her everywhere and pick her hooves. I did all that with her loose in the pen. Did not start halter work until after that. She really made me think. I hadn't started a young one in over 10 years. And I had to come up with some creative ways to break things down.

One thing I would advise is if someone does not have prior experience working with foals or young horses, is, do not let your first be a wild horse! It would be very easy to get hurt. I am a firm believer in that I only have ONE chance to present anything new the right way the first time. So I tend to be very very careful. Because I want each step of the way to be a positive one for the horse.

All that said, this whole process has been a BLAST! 

Eolith, I apologize if I've derailed your thread. I'm new here. I found this board while looking for other Kiger owners and I don't do facebook. Feel free to tell me to get lost! :gallop:


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## 2horses (Oct 11, 2009)

Thanks for your insight!


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Partita, I didn't end up going to the most recent adoption... although I still wish I had. I believe that I had another commitment come up -- and I can't even remember at this point exactly what it was that kept me away.

I'm always happy to meet another Kiger owner, especially those who have adopted their Kiger from the BLM. I'd love to "talk shop" with you. If you do decide to do Facebook at some point, there are bunches and bunches of other Kiger owners there who have a number of groups where they share their experiences. (Although I will admit that in some cases, there's silly drama within the breed, as with any.)

2horses, I'll share my perspective with you. I actually differ a little from Partita in that I think it is perfectly alright to start off with a mustang as your first young/unhandled horses, with three important caveats:

*1. The guidance of knowledgeable and supportive trainers/instructors*
I actually initially boarded my boy with a woman who had gentled many many mustangs. I did a large portion of the work myself, but she was there to help me out whenever I sort of encountered a "sticking point". Once he and I got the very basics of leading and handling down, he was similar to any other young domestic horse and I sought the guidance of a trainer who had bred and raised many of her own horses. Currently, we are working with a dressage trainer who has brought a number of her own horses up through the levels. We are having a blast schooling flying changes and lateral work!

*2. A reasonable amount of "horse sense" and experience.*
I had been riding and working with a broad variety of horses for 10+ years before I ever got the idea into my head that I might want to bring along my own mustang. I differ from Partita in that my mustang actually was the first young, unhandled horse that I ever brought along. I had been working with other horses long enough to have a good sense of how to keep myself out of trouble while handling nervous horses and how to use my body language effectively (one of the things that I have really loved about our mustangs is how very sensitive and responsive they are to my body language -- it only takes a "whisper"). 

*3. The right horse*
I highly advise that you arrange either to go to one of the holding facilities, or attend a local adoption event prior to selecting your mustang. There can be a broad variation in their personalities and their ease of domestication. It's best to go and see for yourself which horses seem to be taking things in stride and are even curious about their surroundings as opposed to the ones who react violently at the slightest provocation and cower in the farthest corner. Watching how they interact with other horses can also sometimes be useful.

There are a number of resources for potential and new adopters. Check out the Mustang Heritage Foundation and the Trainer Incentive Program. Again, lots of groups on Facebook where you can find all sorts of info and experiences and input from those who have mustangs of all types.


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## 2horses (Oct 11, 2009)

Thanks for the tips. If I did this, it would be far in the future. I already have three horses, and that's plenty. I got my youngest horse when he was nine months old, and it has been a joy watching him grow up. He probably had the opposite traits of a Mustang. He was born at a lesson barn and spent a ton of time with people and kids from the beginning. He might have gotten too much attention and spoiling. 

My Facebook's friends 13-year-old daughter is taking part in a 4-H project in which each kid adopted a yearling Mustang to gentle. It looks like they are making great progress.


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## Regula (Jan 23, 2012)

So in what way are Kigers different from other Mustangs?
And also, can one assume that the ones that have been up for adoption a few times and have always been passed up are the more difficult ones? Or is there just not enough interest?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Partita (Feb 19, 2016)

Eolith, I absolutely agree if one doesn't have the experience to seek out qualified help. I've always trained my own and forget that most people do not.

Regula, the Kigers are generally dun colored and very similar in type, unlike other mustangs that are much more varied. This is an interesting article explaining their history (I looked at the forum rules, and I think this is OK to post a link to.). Also the BLM website has info. Read this with a grain of salt, as I'm not sure ANY write up is 100% factual.

Kiger Mustangs, kiger mustang history

The Kigers generally all sell. They only come up for sale every 4 years or so. A weanling grulla colored filly sold for $10,500.00 at this last auction. There are many other Mustangs that live for years in the holding pens. They aren't necessarily more difficult, just more supply then demand. You can go pick one out for $125.00 most any day of the week.


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## Irish Treasure (Feb 1, 2016)

Omg he is to die for!!!!!!!


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## DanisMom (Jan 26, 2014)

I want! I happen to have two empty stalls in my barn. Where exactly are you located? Could I get an addy for my GPS? :-D


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