KBR Wild Horse and Burro Information Sheet
Iberian Horses in North America
(Information and photographs courtesy of Hardy Oelke, Ph.D.
Graphics courtesy of BLM)
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Iberian horses have been present on the North American Continent since the
Spanish explorers brought them over in their ships. Among them were horses
that are nowadays known as Sorraias, remnants of the indigenous wild horse
of South Iberia. Since these early appearances, a few small bands of these
horses have remained isolated enough so that they stayed reasonably pure over the
centuries and maintained their characteristics.
There is genetic evidence which strongly suggests that the sorraia characteristics date back to the Primitive Form-III horse which existed as far back as the ice age.
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Kiger Horses in Oregon
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Sorraia characteristics appear in a few remaining herds such as the
Kiger Mustangs of Oregon, Sulphur Springs Mustangs of southwestern Utah,
and the Pryor Mountain Mustangs of Wyoming and Montana.
For a more complete discussion on these rare animals with additional photographs, please follow the link below to:
Mr. Oelke has also written a book which not only describes the findings of his research but includes numerous fascinating photographs which he took while studying the wild horse herds.
Please Note:
This is not a BLM operated or BLM sponsored site. It is run by private wild horse and burro enthusiasts. We are thankful to Mr. Oelke for providing the information which is presented here.
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