| When Paloma arrived at the barn, which was | | | | discovered by the Bureau of Land Management |
| accustomed to warmbloods, she drew a crowd | | | | (BLM) in 1977 and separated to preserve their |
| of people who were waiting to see in person | | | | purity of traits. These horses are known as the |
| what a real mustang looked like. Curiosity turned | | | | Kiger mustangs. To be considered a Kiger, |
| to even greater intrigue when her owner said that | | | | according to the Kiger Mesteño Association, |
| she was a "Spanish" mustang, not the feral | | | | a horse must be the offspring of a registered |
| mustang that roams free in the west. The timing | | | | Kiger or have documented proof it was obtained |
| was an interesting coincidence as most of the | | | | from one of the Kiger herd management areas. |
| boarders had seen the movie "Hidalgo," in which | | | | Additionally, Kiger mustangs carry the breed color |
| the equine star plays a Spanish mustang. | | | | traits, which include dun and gruel, among others, |
| The Spanish mustang is a descendant of the | | | | along with markings such as dorsal stripe, zebra |
| horses brought to the Americas by the early | | | | stripes or facial mask. |
| Spaniards. On his second voyage to the New | | | | By contrast, the American mustang is the |
| World, Columbus brought a number of Spanish | | | | descendant of escaped light riding horses and |
| horses, as the breed was considered to be the | | | | draft horses, mixed with the Spanish bred and |
| finest horses in the world. | | | | others. In general, these horses are thought to |
| In the 1950s, because they were on the verge of | | | | have little-to-no remaining Spanish blood. |
| extinction, an effort to preserve the Spanish | | | | Charged with the oversight of wild mustangs and |
| mustang type began through the selection of | | | | burros is the BLM, which manages wild horses and |
| horses that best demonstrated the Spanish | | | | burros on the public land in a "multiple use" mission |
| mustang breed characteristics. As a result, the | | | | that considers natural resources and uses such as |
| Spanish Mustang Registry was incorporated in | | | | ranch livestock grazing. The BLM monitors herds |
| 1957. "This registry was formed to preserve and | | | | for health and population size and offers individual |
| perpetuate the last remnants of the true Spanish | | | | animals for adoption. Since 1973, BLM placed more |
| mustangs," according to the Registry. Twenty | | | | than 213,000 horses and burros in homes through |
| horses were originally entered into the registry, | | | | its adoption program. In 2005, Congress enacted |
| and current numbers show about 3100. | | | | a new law to maintain herds at healthy population |
| Like the Spanish mustang breed classification | | | | levels that requires BLM to place for sale horses |
| describes, Paloma was just under 14 hands, with | | | | and burros older than age 10 or for whom |
| short strong canon bones and round, muscular | | | | adoption has failed three times. According to BLM, |
| hindquarters. But her most outstanding trait that | | | | this affects approximately 8400 horses and |
| caught everyone's admiration was her classic | | | | burros. |
| Spanish head with concave forehead and convex | | | | Formerly wild mustangs have found success in |
| nose. Her noble head was set on a fully crested | | | | new homes. J.B. Andrews, a large black mustang, |
| arching neck, and she looked like a baroque horse, | | | | has successfully competed in dressage to |
| such as the Andalusian or Lipizzaner. | | | | Intermediare I while schooling at the Grand Prix |
| A particular herd of pure Spanish mustangs was | | | | level. |