Very Kigerish or Spanish looking Quarter Horses

[Jackie]

I was very struck by how Spanish or Kigerish these quarter horses look - right down to their Zebra Dun hooves...

shiningc.webs.com/

[mystickiger]

Beyond color, I sure don't see it. With few exceptions that sight is full of butt high, heavy gaskin, heavy loined horses. Do you mean stiped hooves for Zebra Dun hooves? If so, I guess you could consider stiped hooves a similarity as in almost any breeed. But sorry, I can't consider the overall condition of those horse's hooves even remotely similar to Kigers. While they may be nice enough horses, their feet aren't anything I would look for.

Karen

[Jackie]

I guess I should say that, while they kind of look like they're on steroids and are bit-butted, they have the leg barring, bi-colored manes, and I noticed the A shape on their front ends. I guess, being a newbie, I still don't have the fine points down. There is just something about them that seems sort of Kigerish to me... of course I'm still not seeing very much difference in the Sulphurs and Kigers yet, either...

[Michelle Clarke]

The mares up top actually look like they have cellulite on their behinds...!

Oh....pretty please don't mention Kiger and Sulpher in the same sentence! That's just asking for a debate and we all know where it will start!!

[Jackie]

Sorry, meant to say big-butted

[kimk]

Yep, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Karen.... ain't NOTHIN" kiger like about those QH's 'cept the dun factor. they are pretty QH's though.

[sbutter]

Outside of color, there really isn't any similarities that would be confusing to tell what breed it is. I would say that a fun project to do would be to get similar posed pictures of horses from various breeds (do a google image search) and compare the differences. Break the horses up into pieces and just look at the sections and then look at the whole. Picture those horses as bay, black, chestnut, etc. you would not think them to be kigers at all. Now you know that you are visually drawn to the obvious in horses (color) so pretend to see them as a typical color. That way you start to educate your eye to the more subtle differences. Its a fun learning experience and you may want to go through some of the conformation threads on here to see what people are looking at in different types of horses.

[DianneC]

The best leg stripes I've ever seen were on a QH mare! She only had one dun gene too. If you look at the muscling on the QH's on that site you'll see they are more heavily muscled than Kigers. They are built more like linebackers and Kigers are more like swimmers or bicyclist, smooth flowing muscling.
Nice clear grulla coloring on those mares though. That's really rare in QHs. Most are more like the stallion in color, kind of sooty.

[stormyranch]

The best leg barring a saw was on a quarterhorse also. They thought maybe he was a Kiger because he had leg barring. It's funny that people associate barring with Kigers but not the dun factor.

[Jackie]

sbutter, that's a great suggestion. I take the point about them being heavily muscled, and when I pulled a picture of a Kiger next to a picture of one of these Q horses I did see that the Kiger looked much more refined - football players and gymnast - that's a great comparison also. Wouldn't all of that muscle make the quarter horses less agile than the Kigers? I noticed that agility seems to be mentioned whenever I come across quarter horses, but aren't our mustangs more agile?

As to Kigers and Sulphurs, I will try not to mention them here, but I really like them both. I'm getting a Sulphur mare (the BLM TIPped her for me, and I'm paying for a couple of extra months, so will get her in the Spring), and hope to someday also get a Kiger.

[Michelle Clarke]

Jackie...just kidding about the Sulpher - you can surely tell us about all of your adventures with your new horse! We love to hear stories, see LOTS of pictures and share your love for the wonderful creatures that grace our lives.

The QH's are much less agile in general. When you see top ones in reining and cutting, you'll notice they have a lot more lean muscle for flexability, not the bulky stuff. While QHs are known to be able to carry more weight because of the heavy back muscles, they are less flexible and that is why they have a harder time at dressage and you don't often see them in the dressage ring and I've never seen one at higher levels.

The mustangs surely are more agile and flexible, considering how they have to live and travel.

Please feel free to post things like this so everyone can benefit from it.

[pepper]

And this is why I have never viewed Kigers as a "color "breed only.Even though there's been all kinds of controvesy about registration & who's a "kiger" & who isn't...it's been pretty clear over the years that a kiger horse of another color than dun ..is still a kiger horse.They breed true with conformation & other mental & physical traits that defines a "breed" & not just a color.
On the other hand I've come acrossed lots of other horses of different breeds with amazing dun factor & stripes everywhere that were registered with long pedigrees in other breeds..nice horses,but not mustangs & definitely not from wild herds in south eastern Oregon.

[grullagirl]

To me personally quarter horses have gotten so refined in the face and neck that they almost look like half arabs to me nowadays. I've actually heard of Ladies Smokey Dude he's one of the only grullo performance sires right now in the AQHA. I think probably the biggest difference that I see between the kigers and quarter horses is temperment. To me personally the kigers and the spanish horses are so much more willing to learn than the QH's. I have to say though combining those two breeds makes some pretty nice horses.

[rubymountainkigers]

I think comparing horses of different breeds and especially different Kigers is an excellent idea. Since the very beginning there have been three distinct phenotypes of Kiger horses. If your used to seeing them you can tell they are Kigers but there definately are distinct differences in the types that come off of the HMA's. Taking a picture of Riddler over here at the corrals would be one good example. He would likely confuse a lot of people who are used to the smaller, slighter built types or the Sorria types. His type, which is the stockier stouter type with a smaller head and a straight profile seemed to be more common at the beginning than it is now. Some to me also look more like the old style Andalusians. It would be really interesting I think to compare the various types.

[DianneC]

I'd love to see Riddler's pictures!
I've had three types, Chinook - who is bigger, heavier and has been called old Andalusian. Just had a Lusitano breeder ask me to confirm he is mustang, looks Luso to him LOL. Then Cedar, lighter, perfect wedge-shaped head. Smoke was a Sorraia type, was even registered as a Sorraia Mustang but they decided to leave the geldings out.
Chinook


Cedar

Smoke