not everyone loves a Kiger Mustang

[fantasykiger]

I know shocking....LOL ;D
Oddly enough I met a person who was selling all of her domestic bred horses and changing over to Mustangs. She had been researching all differant HMAs and decided Mustangs was were the horses to own. She came to my home to look at a little BLM Mustang that a friend was boarding here, that was for sale.
As she was here it was hard not to notice my Kiger Mustangs, she mentioned she had a Kiger Mustang mare that did not like childern, that bit and was generally not a nice Mustang. From this one experience with her mare she concluded the Kiger Mustangs were not a desirable choice when choosing a Mustang. She asked about my mule and when I explained how wonderful my experiences were with Kiger Mustangs I bred for a Kiger mule, her opinion was I had made a terrible choice.
Strangely enough Wickee was of no help in convincing her otherwise. My curious in your face filly showed no interest what so ever in the visitor.
She was a nice enough person we did enjoy chatting about horses and my Pintaloosa did take a liking to her and while she did not buy my friends Mustang she did say she could make an exception to her all Mustang herd and consider buying my Pintaloosa, she really fell for her, so she took my card and left to convince her hubby she needed at least one domestic bred horse.

[lindad]

I don't think I would have given her my card and definitely would not sell someone with that kind of thinking a horse. OMG! To sell all domestic bred horses to get all mustangs......just because....? OMG! Wickee is a wise girl. I'm a little worried about your Pintaloosa though, she may need intervention. The lady may be nice, but me thinks the elevator stops short of the top floor.
Linda D

[dunbnwild]

Any horseperson worth their salt knows that one horse is not representative of an entire breed. So right there, she's lost points in my eyes. Then to have the audacity to tell you that you made a terrible choice--tells you right there that she has no manners. I think Wickee was right to give her the cold shoulder.

My mare Cat is typically very social and into the whole meet and greet thing, okay she basically lives by the "its all about me" philosophy--but she doesn't suffer fools. It's hard not to snicker at the look on her face when she discovers one, it's like she just swallowed pickle juice. Then she turns and walks off. If the other horses don't follow suit she'll stomp a few times like, "We don't have time for this." She's a crack up. ;D

[kigerfan]

I didn't think the gal sounded all too good either. First off, if you bond with horses, you probably aren't going to up and decide to sell your whole herd just because you decided to go for another breed. It sounds to me like horses are biological machines to her.

[fantasykiger]

I highly doubt she will be back for the Pintaloosa, while she was smitten' by her, I think she was also one of those "out of sight, out of mind" types.
I come from an area where alot of horses are work horses, they have jobs be it ranch horses roping horses, rodeo horses, a means to an end not so much, best friends. More often then not they are still very much cared for, just not so much bonding to one person.

[stlkigers]

Sounds like Wickee is becoming one smart mare....I'd trust her opinion on this matter!

That being said, I do have some Mustang friends that do not really like Kigers....I think it is a holdover from all the BS that was going on with all the fighting going on and also from the inflated pricing on Kigers when anything that was a Kiger was automatically worth alot more money....And then there are those mustang lovers who just like different types....

[JoanMRK]

Hmmm... Reminds me of when my dog doesn't like someone, it's usually with very good "sense."

[kigermamma]

I had someone tell me "Oh Gawd! I hate mustangs!!!! They aren't worth the hay they eat!" When I told them I had a Kiger Mustang. Then I took her out of the trailer................within ten minutes they were cooing and drooling over her. They had also remarked at how flighty and spooky mustangs could be. My mare was much calmer than their paint and a whole lot better ground manners!!! Missy has made a lot of Kiger lovers out of people who once prejudged.

[angelsdream]

I agree - whenever I say mustang around here - people instantly think crazy!!! But I do have to say I have changed a lot of minds with my 2 girls....everywhere I take them everyone is amazed... I took Bella with us to drill team practice last nite to get her used to hauling and going to different places - since I have her tying good now.and everyone was asking about her - they all love Lakota anyway - so to see another one, they are very interested in them now.

Im in quarter horse world down here - people are surprised when I say Lakota is a kiger mustang....but I do feel like my 2 have to be extra perfect cause if they messed up one time - people would instantly judge them and say "i told ya they were crazy" but Im proud to ride my mustang!! and love sharing !!

[fantasykiger]

I guess I can see the flip side of the coin people say TB to me and I think crazy, ..but then I think there are has got to be some great ones out there or why would so many folks own and love the breed and not just for racing. I think everyone is right in that it is wrong to judge a breed by an individual horse.

I too am in QH world, I'm not just next door to Kiger Mustangville, I think QH's and the like, paints and palominos come with cattle. But I am noticing more differant discipline barns are here and I discovered a dressage trainer who studied over seas just a few miles down the road as well.

[sbutter]

One of my first riding horses as a little girl was a TB. She had raced successfully at the track and she just seemed like a smart and calm mare. One day my mom pulled her out of the pasture (she had never been ridden since the track) and went on a trail ride with her with a group of friends. They were crossing a ditch and some of the more experienced trail horses were not having any of it. So, my mom took her first and she just naturally sat down and slid down into the ditch and walked out the other side like she had been doing it all her life. Everyone was amazed at how relaxed she was. She soon became my riding horse and I still have a picture of me in my little cowboy boots sitting on the very top of her with my legs practically doing the splits because I was so small on her and she had a foal at her side. She was a lot of fun to ride and I never once remember being afraid of her even though she was so big. I can think of quite a few of TBs that have come through our ranch that were amazing horses.

Then we have seen the exact opposite. We had a yearling freak out and jump out of its pasture and run through our ranch and over the railroad tracks and through the vineyards. We got in the car and followed him and we finally caught up with him outside of a dairy farm. He had flipped over and was stuck in an irrigation canal (no water in it) and no longer was scared, but very angry. My grandpa is a vet, so he sedated him so he would relax and we could safely get him out of there. We noticed he had a piece of a plastic bag sticking out of his mouth. We thought that maybe he had the rest of it in his mouth, but when he pulled it out, it was barely the size of a baby carrot and as soon as he moved, the plastic fluttered in the breeze and he would freak out. So, there definitely is two sides of a coin.

[fantasykiger]

sbutter... I love to hear the stories and experiences like the one you decribed in your first story of a much loved TB.

I have been witness to the plastic bag run, that you decribed above, but nothing as severe as that.

[kigerfan]

I had a TB that had been campaigned and broke down, he bowed his tendons. They pinfired him and put him out to pasture. He was out for a long time though I don't know how long. When I got him he was not lame, perfectly ridable in fact we rode in some local parades as well as trail riding. He was a wonderful horse to ride. Even when he threw little tantrums, he was very agile and never lost me. But he also would register in the wacky catagory. He would fall asleep and have horsey nightmares. He literally pulled out two hitching posts, high centered himself on another. I ended up selling him because there were so many children around that ranch and I was very concerened about the possibility of someone getting hurt when he went into one of these episodes. When he was having an episode, if I was near, all I had to do is come up and give him a light smack on the back end and tell him he was dreaming again and he would immediately stop. Stand there and catch his breath and calm down. But nobody else could have that affect on him for some reason.

[JoanMRK]

Kigerfan I had to LOL about your story... that is pretty darn funny! ;D I cannot imagine smacking a horse on the rump and telling them they're dreaming again... LOL!

Tiffany, I have to agree with my guilt on thinking TB's are crazy but I shouldn't be thinking that way because it is the same as with people calling our mustangs crazy. My mustangs are very well accepted here locally but if I travel down to the Big City, they're all QH and Paint lovers (blech) and I always get the "look" once I say they're mustangs. People just don't think they're worth anything.

Sarah, you are one person who has opened my eyes to the TB world and teaching me a lot about the breed. I do know that they have to be wonderful horses, it's just hard to get past the stereotyping (I must be dumb because I'm blond!) I sure appreciate your stories and your horses are simply gorgeous. They are the epitomy of "equine" and always remind me of those old paintings of the horses done back in the 1700's and 1800's.

[kigerfan]

Joan, nobody else around could believe it either but with me it worked every time! He would stop immediately. That horse trusted me so completely that even when he got himself high centered on a hitching post I was able to get him off calmly. He is the only horse I've ever known that seeminly tip toed.

My husband was riding our other horse and as he was riding by a bush by the side of the trail he sneezed. My horse decided that the bush was evil and he kept an eye on it while he 'tip toed' by it, when he was most of the way by it he leaped into the air and landed right next to my husbands horse and went back to walking. My husband looked at me and asked me what the heck that was about. I said Rocket is just happy that the killer bush didn't eat him for dinner. He was definitely a funny boy.