The New Wild West: Kiger Mustang Roundup
By Angel S. Gnau
I heard the drone of the helicopter engine seconds before it appeared over the rim of the sagebrush-covered bluff, but didn't see any horses. "Where are the horses?" I asked. The first two bunches of horses had come up the valley earlier, so we were expecting them to come from the same direction. In the next moment, a puff of dust swirled up from under the helicopter as a small band of wild horses cascaded down the rim rock in front of us! The Bell 47 helicopter herded the horses closer to the concealed trap. Just as we thought they were caught, the lead mare ducked under the helicopter and led the horses out onto the valley and away from the burlap-covered fences. Helicopter pilot, Cliff Heaverne of High Desert Helicopters out of Fallon, Nevada had them rounded up again in twenty minutes and safely into the hidden corrals.
September 11, 2003 turned out to be a beautiful sunny day in the high desert. I had been on a waiting list at the Bureau of Land Management in Burns, Oregon for almost two years to be one of the privileged few to observe the Kiger mustang gathering in the "Kiger Mustang Herd Management Area" about 60 miles southeast of Burns. I felt very fortunate to be present for the first gathering of Kiger mustangs in that area since 1999. I was one of only seven people invited by BLM Public Affairs Specialist, Mark Armstrong to witness the once in a lifetime event on that day. And what an exciting day it was!
Mustang "gatherings" have changed quite a bit from the first roundups. Today, wild horses are gathered using a helicopter instead of on horseback. In most cases, a "prather" horse is also used. The prather horse, or Judas horse, as I call him, is trained to run back up into the trap and corrals, hopefully leading the wild horses in with him. The helicopter brings the horses up into the burlap-covered steel fences that lead to the concealed corrals. The prather horse is set free near the opening, after the wild horses spot him (or her), he then runs up through the trap and into the corrals, bringing the wild horses with him. Occasionally, a smart lead mare, which may have been gathered before, turns back at the last minute, ducking under the helicopter, taking the rest of the horses with her.
The Kiger mustangs in Oregon's southeastern high desert are thought to be descendants of the 16th century Spanish explorer's horses. These distinctive horses with their Spanish heritage have the characteristics of the colonial Spanish horses, such as a heavier build than other mustangs and broad straight faces. The colors range from the most common light dun coloring with black points and dorsal stripe; to the nearly white, "claybank" to darker browns to the grayish-brown, "grulla" and the more rare and stunning honey-gold colored horses. Many have "shading" on the muzzle and other areas of the body, along with the primitive "zebra-like" markings on the legs. These markings are being naturally bred out of the Kigers, and there are concerns that the primitive markings, inherent to the Kiger, will disappear altogether.
Only a few ranchers and farmers in the area had seen the Kiger mustangs before they were discovered by the BLM in 1977, when about 29 horses were rounded up by BLM wranglers near Beatys Butte, Oregon. The horses were trucked to Burns, Oregon where 'Wild Horse Management Specialist' E. Ron Harding got his first look at the horses.
"The first three truckloads that came in had these little dun horses," Harding recalled, "I go up to this truck and peek through, and what do I see? A lot of zebra-striped horses. I got excited!"
The Kigers became extremely popular in the horse world in a short amount of time. In 1993, a BLM adoption event in Burns attracted 544 prospective buyers for 100 Kigers. By 1996, 1,353 people came to see the 100 Kigers offered. According to our BLM guide, Mark Armstrong, the Kigers are almost always all adopted, unless there is an injury or major problem with a particular horse.
In 1999, a 6-month old Kiger filly brought an astonishing $19,000 at a BLM adoption event in Burns. That same year, Kiger breeder Rick Littleton sold a 3-year-old Kiger stallion to film producer, Steven Spielberg for a price reported to be between $35,000 and $50,000. The young stallion became the model for the 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron' movie released in 2002.
The BLM has been managing the wild horses and burros on the nation's public lands since 1971, when the "Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act" went into effect. This act is attributed largely to the efforts of Velma Johnston of Reno, Nevada, or as a lot of people knew her, "Wild Horse Annie." She initiated a letter-writing campaign that produced more letters to Congress than any other subject except for the Vietnam War. Her efforts culminated in the passing of the "Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959" which proved difficult to enforce. The law would be greatly updated with the "Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971."
Together with the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, the BLM has worked to insure healthy herds and rangelands in the United States. The people at BLM always put the welfare of the wild horses first. They frequently meet with various interest groups to discuss issues. Stress on the horses is kept to a minimum whenever possible. Contrary to some beliefs, the horses are not run to the point of exhaustion by the helicopter, but instead, very efficiently spotted, then herded by the helicopter into the nearby concealed corrals. I personally saw no injuries or exhausted horses on the day I was present. In fact, even the foals had plenty of energy left over after the gathering!
By the 1800's, more than two million horses roamed western North America. Today, the numbers are approximately 47,000 in the combined western states. It is believed that the population dropped to less than 20,000 in the early 1950's due to professional "mustangers" capturing and transporting horses for slaughter, and occasionally for riding horses. The 1971 law would preserve the wild horses and burros as living symbols of the "American West."
The majority of today's wild horses are found mostly in the remote areas of ten western states; Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Wyoming and Utah. The highest concentration of horses can be found in Nevada. With the decline of natural predators, like wolves and cougars in the areas where wild horses inhabit, it has become necessary to limit the number of wild horse and burro populations to prevent degrading the rangelands, that in turn hurts the wildlife, including the mustangs.
Wild horse and burro populations increase, on average, at the rate of about 20 percent each year. By managing the herds, rounding up excess horses and offering them for adoption, an "ecological balance" is maintained. Adoptions remain the primary method of controlling wild horse and burro herds. Almost 200,000 wild mustangs have been adopted since 1973. Approximately 400-500 horses are rounded up each year just in Oregon, to assure the rest of the herds will have sufficient grazing throughout the year.
Many of these horses have been trained as pleasure horses, workhorses, show horses and even police horses. Some of the "poster" horses are: Steens Vaquero, a six-year-old mustang stallion, adopted and trained by Pam and Matt Fournier of Oregon. Nicknamed Cowboy, he won the 2002 World Championship in Western Riding, Open through the "American Buckskin Registry Association;" J.B. Andrew or Andy as he was called, was originally trained by the prison inmates of Canon City, Colorado. Unusually large for a mustang at 16.3, he went on to become a champion 4th level dressage horse for his owner, Virginia Scott before he was retired in 2001. Abigail, a 15-hand mare became a proud member of the Bishop, California Police Department. I could go on and on! There are so many wonderful ex-mustangs! And just think…one of them could be yours!
For more information on the Kiger mustangs, or mustang adoption events in your area, contact the Bureau of Land Management at 1-866-4MUSTANGS (1-866-468-7826) or look them up on the web at: www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov
Biography
Angel Gnau is a certified equine appraiser, and manages her "Pacific Equine Appraisal" in the Portland, Oregon area. She appraises all breeds and disciplines. She is available nationwide. Her background comes from 33 years in the horse industry as a trainer and horse transportation specialist. She is also a freelance writer of horse-related articles. Angel can be contacted at (503) 684-2097, or by email: angel.gnau@verizon.net.
