History Timeline 1976-1980

[karismakigers]

Management Framework Plan, dated January 29, 1976

"Recommendation: Maintain a herd of from 20 to 30 head of wild horses in the East Kiger Herd Management Area.

Recommendation: Maintain a herd of from 30 to 50 head of wild horses in the Smyth Creek Herd Management Area.

Recommendation: Maintain a herd of from 80 to 120 head of wild horses in the Riddle Mountain Herd Management Area."

Signed Willard Phillips




Return of Dorsal Striped Horses Riddle Mt. Herd Management Area 1976

Dated 12/27/1976

"Following the 1976 gather, one stud and six mares with dorsal stripes and dark mains and tails were returned to the Oreana Flat Pasture--Riddle Mt. Herd Management Area.

One mare was a grulla, the others were same shade of dun or buckskin.

Dorsal stripes are one of the more primitive color patterns of horses. This stripe is found on the Tarpan (the wild European horse), the Onager (a wild Asiatic Equus), Przeqalski horse (a wild Russian horse), and the Sorraia (a wild Spanish horse). This stripe was a common characteristic of the Spanish mustang.

Because this is a primitive color pattern and was common among Spanish mustangs, the Riddle Mt. Herd Management plan calls for the preservation of this color pattern.

Horses selected for return were of medium size and of good conformation.

It is not the intent of the plan to perpetuate horses of this color that are lacking in other selection criteria."

<photo> See at: www.kigerhorse.org/76Original.html

"This picture shows one stud and six mares with dorsal stripes that were released back in the Orieana Flat Pasture-Riddle Mountain Herd Management Area in the summer of 1976. Horses are in the alleyway at right side of picture. Picture was taken at the Harney County Fair Grounds. Note color. These horses were gathered from the Oreana Flat Pasture in June 1976. Signed Willard Phillips"




Wild Horse placed at Smyth Cr, dated 2-8-1977 {or 12-8-1977, cut off}

1 Bay Stallion, 7 year old. "Above mentioned horse's previous range was South Steens."




Lakeview and Burns horses placed at E. Kiger, Dated November 17, 1977

8 Dun/Buckskin Mares
3 Grulla Mares
1 Dun/Buckskin Filly
1 Grulla Filly
1 Bay Mare
1 Bay (Brindle) Mare
1 Red Roan Mare
1 Claybank Mare (went Gray)
3 Dun/Buckskin Stallions

{Above horses were from Beatty Butte HMA- Lakeview district}

1 Blue Roan Mare
1 Brown Mare

{Above horses were gathered in East Kiger HMA- Burns district on 11-16-1977}

{The above horses are the "original 20 Beatty Butte horses that were released into East Kiger HMA, and also includes and additional 2 mares that were found in East Kiger and re-released in East Kiger.}




Wild Horses Placed at Riddle Mnt, 12-12-1977

4 Dun/Buckskin Stallions
1 Blue Roan Mare
1 Claybank Mare (went Grey)
1 Grulla Filly

{The above horses are the "original 7 Beatty Butte horses that were released into East Kiger HMA}





Wild Horses Returned to Range, dated ?-13-1978
{month is cut off}

1- Sorrel Mare, 2 years old
1- Sorrel Mare, 3 years old

"These animals were gathered from Palo Buttes 8-3-78 and 8-15-78. Horses issued F. M. nos. - Not Branded"




Horses returned to Smyth Creek from Jacki Butte, dated 10/21/78

5 brown studs
1 bay stud
1 chestnut stud

signed Er (E. Ron Harding's signature.)





Wild Horses Placed at Riddle Mtn., dated ?-15-1979
{month is cut off}

1 Black Mare
1 Dun/Buckskin Mare

"Previously from BV-SH HMA" {this is shorthand for Barren Valley-Sheepshead}




Riddle Mtn Horses Returned to Riddle Mtn, dated 12-14-1979

2 Dun/Buckskin Stallions
1 Dun/Buckskin Mare
1 Blue Roan Mare
1 Dun/Buckskin Yearling Filly

"Horses listed below were originally gathered from the Barren Valley Sheep head. They were placed on Riddle 6-15-79--were regathered 12-7-79 and returned"

1 Black Mare
1 Dun/Buckskin Mare




United States Government Memorandum, dated 12/11/1979
"Subject: Type of Horses to be Managed in Riddle Mtn, East Kiger and Smyth Creek Allotments"

"On December 3, 1979, Chris Vosler, Chad Bacon, Ron Harding and Bill Phillips met and dicussed the future horse management for Riddle Mtn., East Kiger and Smyth Creek Herd Management Areas. The following decisions were made.

1. Riddle Mountain, East Kiger and Smyth Creek Herd Management Areas will be managed for horses showing Spanish mustang characteristics.

2. East Kiger Herd Management Area will be managed for those horses of dunn or grulla color with dorsal stripes, leg stripes and/or shoulder stripes with dark border around the inside of the ear. These horses should have a minimum of white markings with horses with no white having preference over those showing white. These horses should be of small or medium size.

3. Smyth Creek Herd Management Area should be managed for the same type and markings as East Kiger Herd Management. However, small amounts of white and off coloration will be allowed.

4. Riddle Mountain Herd Management Area will be managed for horses with dorsal stripes and a dark border in the ears. Color can vary as long as dorsal stripes and ear markings are present.

5. Horses not showing at least some degree of quality will be culled from the herds. Color alone will not be the basis for retaining horses in these herds.

The purpose of this decision is to retain some horses on public lands that show characteristics of the Spanish mustang.

This places horses with the most primitive coloration in East Kiger with Smyth Creek tolerating an intermediate step away and Riddle Mountain having a variation in coloration but retaining the dorsal stripe and ear markings.

signed Willard Phillips"

[kigerfan]

Thank you for posting all of that all in one place. I've found bits and snippets of it throughout the internet including that one picture, but it too much searching around to find all of it and it's much more digestible in one spot as a linear timeline.

[DianneC]

Are the notes about the claybanks going gray added to the original information?
Thanks again for your work on this Jillian!

[karismakigers]

Dianne,

Yes, gray is written on the paperwork. Ron told me this was added later, date unknown.

Jillian