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Post by twisting on Oct 25, 2011 16:05:25 GMT -5
So, it's looking like I may be able to add a new pony to my little herd sometime next year. I know, vague and relatively lengthy timeframe, but I decided to start researching early. (That and there isn't a whole heck of a lot else to do with my spare time here in the desert.) I kinda made every new horse buyer mistake possible when I got Keno. Buying sight unseen, off the internet, the very first horse I seriously looked at. I joke that I should have bought a lottery ticket the day I bought Keno because Karma was on my side. I doubt I will get that lucky twice and I want to dig into things a bit more this time.
That brings me to my question(s). Kigers have been around for a while now, what lines would you guys look to for an athletic performance horse? My plan is jumping and dressage. Maybe a touch of low level eventing, when I leave Hawaii.
Brave is going to be important, can't have a horse that's going to back off to a fence that doesn't fall down. I've noticed in Keno a bit of caution when approaching new things. Will I run into this in most Kigers?
Gaits, I prefer a flatter, longer gait to one with more action. A good sized stride would allow me to cover the distances between the fences as they were intended to be ridden. Which lines have flatter movement? Has anyone ever crossed their Kigers to another breed with the idea of getting a long low gait, rather than more knee action?
Size, I'm 5'9", and while I know that almost any sized Kiger would be able to carry me, I would look a bit silly on a 13.3 hand horse. Keno's 16 hands is quite lovely, but my no-longer-20-year-old-knees have lodged a few complaints about the climb. Which lines tend to be around 15 hands?
Younger horse or older? Okay, so this one doesn't have anything to do with bloodlines. I'm debating picking up a yearling, and doing the groundwork/starting myself. (With experience supervision, I'm not fool enough to think I know enough to do it all by myself.) However I love the foundation that Keno had, and the convience of having all the hard work already done. Would I be able to get a higher quality horse for my money by picking up a yearling and taking a few years to let it grow? Or should I just stick with what I know and get something thats already been greenbroke. How easy is it going to be to find an older horse? I know most people don't seem to want to let go of them once they're undersaddle.
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Post by gotkiger on Oct 25, 2011 16:38:49 GMT -5
Kigers are very athletic in general. I have yet to meet one that doesnt want or like to jump. They are very smart as well and can get bored with the same thing over and over like arena work. However there are a few out there that like to do both. I dont know a lot about the bloodlines out there, but i do know my mare, Dollie, really likes arena work and jumping. She has two grandsons on the ground this year but none schedualed for next year. I dont know a lot about how her first colt does in the arena or over fence but I crossed her with an andalusian last year and got an amazing colt this year that has no trouble clearing a 5 foot solid fence. He is super sweet and curious and smart. He looks amazing running around his pasture having fun and everyone that sees him move thinks he would be a great jumper or dresage prospect.
my mare is Silverado (steens kiger x Mestena (both wild)) x kiger quail (wild)
she was bred to Dejado Habano
I think it can be hit and miss with the pure kigers. So many of the captive bred kigers are first and maybe second generation still that knowing the family history and what is passed on can be unknown completely. There are some that really stamp their foals and grandfoals but i can think of only a handfull.
With a cross you can find that perfect sire or dam of a different breed that has what you are looking for and passes it on to most if not all their foals. That is part of the reason i did my cross. Frodo is a great little guy and a great starting point for me.
For me Dollie was the first horse I looked at when i started looking for my first horse to purchase. I had looked at a lot of different horses and breeds online but i kept bing drawn in by the kigers. When I first saw her there was an instant connection. I left and went and looked at two or three other horses and waited a while before making the decision to buy her because i didnt want to make the wrong decission. I am so happy that i have her. While she has her problems neither of her foals have inherited them. I can happily say that she produces better than herself. It took a lot of research for me to find her. But i think it takes a lot to find the one horse you are meant to have.
This is all just my opinion so i am sorry if it offends anyone. I hope this helps a little. I know it is not much but something is more than nothing
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Post by stormyranch on Oct 25, 2011 21:16:42 GMT -5
Kate, have you looked at any of the horses from the Kiger adoption? There are quite a few nice 1 & 2 year old colts left. A 2 year old at 14'3" should be a good size when mature. The internet adoption will be coming up and if you decided to get one of those you could have it gentled here before be shipped to you. www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/onsitegallery.php?horseCategory=291I was going to tell you that Keno's full sister was for sale, but I just sold her  |
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Post by stacy on Oct 25, 2011 23:22:21 GMT -5
I agree with Lisa. This Kiger I adopted from the adoption is incredibly brave. Sorry the picture isn't better, but he also likes to jump! ha. After 2 weeks I can let him into a four acre pasture and still be able to catch him. He is so well socialized from having a herd that he has better manners than any of my other horses. This guy is an older stallion. Lisa and Kevin would do a great job in gentling him for you. Plus that would end up a great story for a wild kiger. From wild to dressage/jumping....cool. It has been done before, but still very cool. Attachments:
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Post by stormyranch on Oct 26, 2011 9:03:01 GMT -5
What an awesome boy you have Stacy!
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Post by twisting on Oct 26, 2011 9:30:42 GMT -5
I have been looking at some of the internet adoption horses, but I'm not an approved adopter. I would love having a BLM kiger, but the logistics of it all seemed a bit overwhelming. Don't the horses have to stay in an approved facility for a year? Until they are titled?
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Post by courtney A on Oct 26, 2011 11:01:53 GMT -5
It doesn't take much to build an approved faacility, Need a 12x12 stall and a correl with 400 square ft. If you are sending him straight to the trainer inform the BLM of this. Send the information requarding the trainers facility and map to it. I am sure if you are sending the mustang to a facility that has been approved before there shouldn't be a problem. The internet adoption is fun have 3 mustangs from there. Wonderful animals, Good luck
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Post by fantasykiger on Oct 26, 2011 12:59:28 GMT -5
Finding proven bloodlines in the discipline your looking to ride in, not to mention having the concerns of flying a horse to your home, I can see where captive bred has it's advantages. Have you been to Michelle's website at Rancho' Bayo to see what she has to offer that is already undersaddle. here is the link www.ranchobayo.com/sales.htmlI don't know what your budget is, but this mare is really nice ;D www.ranchobayo.com/reina.html |
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Post by gotkiger on Oct 26, 2011 13:27:58 GMT -5
oh yeah, i will deffinately agree that she is very nice. Michelle has some amazing horses. If i were richer I would easily be persuaded to buy a few of hers.
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Post by nightangel on Oct 26, 2011 13:39:06 GMT -5
There's a big group coming up in the spring to get started under saddle, lots of potential in there!!!  |
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Post by twisting on Oct 26, 2011 15:44:01 GMT -5
I adore Michelle's horses, and have spent plenty of time drooling over them. The only concern I would have there is that she seems to breed for more extravagant movement, the Hispano arab and Lusitano crosses are lovely for dressage, but hunters and to some extent jumpers lean towards flatter movement. Long and low is the idea. To cover the ground while riding all day on the hunt field with as little energy wasted as possible.
Though to be honest, at the level I'm going to be competing at safe and sound is more important than fancy. Still, it would be a bit silly to buy a horse that had been purpose bred for the opposite of what the judges are looking for in my chosen sport. Which is why I was wondering if anyone had ever bred for long low movement as opposed to the more extravagant knee action.
As for building my own BLM approved facility. I don't have my own property, and the location where I board is a technically a flood plain. No permanent structures are allowed to be built on the land. Which is why the developers who keep buying the place and reselling it to another developement company haven't already leveled the ranch and put up multi million dollar dream homes. And I doubt the BLM would be happy with me shipping one of their mustangs to Hawaii while they still had the title.
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Post by kimk on Oct 26, 2011 15:55:56 GMT -5
I have my 15h appy mare bred to My Kiger Tiger for a May 2012 foal..... Should be a nice one if you want to start from the ground up
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Post by twisting on Oct 26, 2011 17:08:53 GMT -5
Okay, now you've got me eyeing the blm babies. I do like 1128 and 1229 the best. 1228 is cute too, though he's got a bit of a long back.
The mares all make me a bit nervous, the older ones are probably all pregnant, correct?
hmm looking at the older boys I like 1146. 14.2 would be tall enough when he filled out a bit more. 1232 seems to have a nice hip.
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Post by stormyranch on Oct 26, 2011 21:04:20 GMT -5
Kevin thinks you would be able to take a horse to Hawaii after it's been gentled.
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Post by gotkiger on Oct 26, 2011 22:12:50 GMT -5
i dont see why not.. it is in the USA.
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