If you would like further Information about U.S. Department of the Interior wild and BLM's Adopt-A- Pro­ gram, write the Burns BLM District Office at Bureau of Land Management HC 74-12533 Hwy. 20 West, Hlnes, 97738 or call (503) 573-5241. Vehicular access from the county road to the view point area Is limited during wet weather to 4-wheel drive vehicles. The Kiger

Seeing the beauty of the Kiger in the wild with their classic coloration and markings will add much to your enjoyment of our western heritage and is an experience you won't soon forget!

BLM-OR-GI-89-11-1122.32 "A Living Legend of Our Western Heritage"

No other horse in America is quite like the Kiger horses the Spaniards reintroduced to North Mustang found on . America in the 1600's. Color classifications of the dun factor are: dun, red dun, grulla (mouse That opinion is held by scores of horse enthusi­ gray), buckskin, and variations of these colors. asts and authorities who have Markings on animals having the dun factor observed the animals in the wild. include dorsal stripes; zebra stripes on knees and hocks; chest, rib and arm bands; outlined The Kiger Mustangs are thought to be one of the ears; top one-third of the ear on its side most pure herds of Spanish Mustangs existing in darker than body color; fawn color inside of ears; the wild today. Yet the average visitor will multi-colored mane and tail; cobwebbing on probably not recognize the difference between face; and face masks. The less white these these horses and other free roaming wild horses have, the stronger the dun factor. An horses. individual horse having the dun factor may have many but not all of these markings. This brochure will help you to appreciate the special characteristics and unique nature of the Kiger Mustangs have the physical conformation which you might otherwise of both the and oriental hotblood horses overlook. from which the original Spanish Mustangs were bred and are slightly smaller than many of the special areas in southeastern Oregon for wild When thinking about the Kiger Mustangs, you present day breeds of horses. They have small, horses having characteristics. should distinguish them from other wild horses. round bones and small feet with very little The areas were set aside to reduce the chance Most wild horses are of mixed breeding while the feather on their legs and fetlocks. Their eyes of losing all the animals should a natural catas­ Kiger Mustangs possess all the characteristics of are wide set and prominent. These animals also trophe occur. They are located in the Burns Dis­ the from which the Spanish have distinctly hooked ear tips and fine muzzles. trict and are known as the Kiger and the Riddle Mustang came and, by today's standards, The Kiger Mustangs look very much like the Mountain Habitat Management Areas (HMAs). appears to be a pure breed. The word mustang modern day Spanish . They are indeed was derived from the word 'mesteno' which once a unique breed of wild horse. The Kiger HMA covers nearly 37,000 acres, with meant unclaimed sheep in the a minimum herd population of 51 horses and a and later came to mean "wild" or "unclaimed" The Spanish Mustang was a part of early maximum of 82. The Riddle Mountain HMA horse. Mustang came aboirt as an English lan­ American history having roots in Native Ameri­ contains nearly 28,000 acres and minimum and guage slang term for 'mesteno'. can culture and is the horse that helped settle maximum horse numbers of 33 and 56 respec­ the West. At one time it was thought to be tively. When the herds reach the maximum The Kiger Mustang exhibits physical color extinct on the range. Since the Kiger Mustangs numbers, the excess are rounded up and taken characteristics known as the "dun factor," which may well be the best remaining example of the to the Burns BLM Wild Horse Corrals where they was also common to a major portion of the Spanish Mustang, their are processed and made available for adoption preservation is ex­ by the public. The herds increase at an approxi­ tremely important. mate rate of 20 percent annually, requiring a roundup approximately every 4 years. In 1971, Congress gave the Bureau of Land Periodically, horses from one herd are trans­ Management (BLM) re­ ferred to the other to prevent . Quality sponsibility for "protec­ animals are returned to the herds following the tion, management, and roundups to maintain herd integrity and improve control" of wild horses adoptability. There is a high adoption demand and burros under the for the Kiger Mustangs for use as pleasure and Wild Free-Roaming breeding stock. They are noted for their intelli­ Horse and Burro Act. gence and stamina. The BLM manages two