Mustangs
Although home to other horses, Mustang Leadership Partners opened barns, pastures, trainers and hearts to wild mustangs when a dark bay gelding, Chief of Minnekahda, was adopted in 1998. Nine other mustangs currently share Chief’s home, a number that varies as we adopt new mustangs and welcome foals on the farm.
Five of the current Mustang Leadership Partners mustangs are Kiger mustangs, a rare and sought-after breed now with its own registries. Kiger mustangs boast sound feet, good minds, boldness and sturdy endurance. You may read about the breed’s characteristics under “About Mustangs” on this website.
Mustang Leadership Partners has become the permanent home for many mustangs, like Chief. Others have been placed with families or individuals, and adoptions will continue as we work to achieve our core mission: to protect, preserve and sustain the wild American mustang. Each placement is made only after an intensive screening process to determine that the mustangs will be provided appropriate care and a nurturing environment.
Meet the Mustang Leadership Partners mustangs:
Chief of Minnekahda “Chief”
* First Mustang Leadership Partners Bureau of Land Management (BLM) adopted mustang
Born: April 1998, Palomino Valley, Nevada, range-bred
Adopted by Mustang Leadership Partners in April 1999
Color: Dark bay
Registered: American Mustang and Burro Association (AMBA), United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)
Chief’s Distinctions:
* He has competed in dressage tests, 30-mile endurance competition and hunter/jumper shows.
* Chief pulls carts and is an enduring and enjoyable trail horse.
Chief is special. He was Mustang Leadership Partners’ first Bureau of Land Management (BLM) mustang adopted by the co-owners’ father. With thick, wavy mane and a regal bearing, he has been called “eager-to-please” and “willing to try anything.” He moves with the grace that makes the wild American mustang a unique animal and a mount prized for centuries. His home for life is at Mustang Leadership Partners.
Satin Lady “Satin”
* Name matches her thick and satiny coat
Born: June 9, 1999, a Kiger mustang
Sire: Kiger’s Cherokee Diamond
Dam: Lahanton Lace
Purchased by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2007 from fellow Kiger owner, Billy Walls, of Georgia
Color: Grulla, a much-prized taupe with a darker taupe dorsal stripe
Registered: AMBA and Kiger Mesteño Association (KMA)
Satin’s Distinctions:
* Satin is a brood mare that arrived at Mustang Leadership Partners with a filly by her side.
* An excellent trail horse, Satin responds well to natural horsemanship techniques and is a skillful and calm “flag-bearer” in public appearances.
* She appeared in the PBS docudrama “We Shall Remain” in 2009.
Satin has all the right attributes to be a ranch horse. She is a working mother who is happiest with a baby at her side and tasks to perform. She reacts as if she yearns to herd. Though quiet and amenable to training, she tends to be a one-person horse. Once she accepts you, however, Satin is a steady, loyal companion.
Palm Beach Breeze “Breezy”
* So named because she was first adopted at a BLM Auction in Palm Beach, Florida
Born: 2001, Harney County, Oregon, range-bred, a Kiger mustang
Purchased by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2006 from fellow Kiger owner Billy Walls of Georgia
Color: Dun
Registered: AMBA and KMA
Breezy’s Distinctions:
* In foal and due in spring 2010, Breeze was bred to Fournier’s Steen’s Vaquero.
* She appeared in the PBS docudrama “We Shall Remain” in 2009.
* She performed in the 2008 Christmas parade in Dayton, Tennessee.
* Breezy possesses classic Kiger characteristics with a pronounced dorsal stripe, beautiful tri-colored mane and tail and “tiger striped” legs.
Breezy is called “complicated and brilliant.” She is spirited and challenges you to give your all. In the PBS docudrama “We Shall Remain,” she was featured in a murder scene ridden by a Georgia militiaman. She comported herself well, exuding the determination and heart that have helped wild mustangs triumph for centuries against steep obstacles.
Narcil “Narci”
* Named by owner’s son for the sword, Narcil, in The Lord of the Rings
Born: April 2002, Owyhee, Nevada, range-bred
Adopted by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2003 from the BLM
Color: Gray
Registered: AMBA, USDF and USEF
Narci’s Distinctions:
* She is eligible for an “All-Breeds Award” in dressage competition this year, a significant accomplishment for wild mustangs whose versatility and ability to compete is just now being recognized by judges.
* She has successfully participated in 30-mile endurance rides.
* She appeared in the PBS docudrama “We Shall Remain” in 2009.
* She participated with other Mustang Leadership Partners horses in the 2008 Christmas parade in Dayton, Tennessee.
Narci was skinny and wormy when she was herded down the shoot next to a big, distinctive bay at a BLM auction. Her owner’s son, however, saw something special in the ugly black mustang with the big Roman nose. He insisted that Narci join the Mustang Leadership Partners herd. Her coloration turned from black to a beautiful gray, and she has developed into an exceptionally trainable horse with a promising dressage career. A good trail horse, called “smart and stubborn,” Narci demonstrates the potential of the wild mustang as a competitive breed.
Caliente “Cali”
* Spanish for “hot pepper”
Born: 2005, California, range-bred
Adopted by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2006 from the BLM
Color: Charcoal gray spotted, “peppery”
Registered: AMBA
Cali’s Distinctions:
* Cali is deaf, and perhaps because of that, she is especially adept with natural horsemanship training techniques of sign and body language.
* She works well with children with special needs from Siskin Children’s Institute in Chattanooga who visit Mustang Leadership Partners; they are thrilled to communicate with her through sign language.
Her owner admits to a weakness for the underdog, and that describes Cali when she first arrived at Mustang Leadership Partners. Cali had a prominent scar on her left hind leg, was very thin and full of worms. Time, attention and training have paid off in a special horse whose sweet nature has made her an excellent companion. The very opposite of her “peppery” name, Cali is immensely trainable. She is learning to pull a cart, and her endurance and ability to focus hint that there are few limits to her potential, despite her inability to hear.
Little Thunder of Mustang Leadership Partners “Dart”
* Always called “Dart” despite his impressive name
Born: April 6, 2006 at Mustang Leadership Partners, but range-bred in Nevada (his dam was pregnant when adopted from the BLM)
Color: Dark Bay
Registered: AMBA, USDF & USEF
Dart’s Distinctions:
* Dart was a stand-out performer at the 2008 Christmas parade in Dayton, Tennessee, wowing the crowd with his regal poise.
* He loves to spend time with the foals and skillfully ponies these new mustangs in their first lessons in life.
“A leader” is how Dart is most often described. Though he can be strong-willed, once he trusts you, he responds in a calm, mature manner that exudes confidence. Dart’s excellent reactions to natural horsemanship training have helped him develop into a topnotch trail horse and a mustang called “best-all-around.” He will begin competing in dressage in 2010.
Kachina Doll “Kachina” (Satin’s filly)
* Pronounced “Kuh-chee-nuh.” Kachinas are spirit beings in western Pueblo cosmology and religious practices; kachina dolls are crafted by Hopi and Zuni Native American carvers.
Born: 2007, Georgia, a Kiger mustang
Adopted by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2006, with her mother, from fellow Kiger owner, Billy Walls of Georgia
Sire: Cherokee Rainbow, an excellent, well-loved trail horse who resides on a farm in the Dominican Republic
Color: Grulla
Registered: AMBA and pending KMA
Kachina’s Distinctions:
* While healing from a traumatic leg injury, Kachina has maintained her gentle, people-oriented temperament.
* She exemplifies the beautiful characteristics of the Kiger mustang through the sturdy lines of her legs and body, her expressive eyes and grulla coloration.
Much like the spirit being she is named for, Kachina’s inner strength has helped her cope with injury with a maturity far beyond her youth. She is friendly and open. She enjoys being with the other horses, and they respond in kind. An “easy keeper,” Kachina thrives despite her injury, buoyed by her outgoing personality and the survival instinct bred within her. Her potential lies in passing her fine mustang attributes to another generation.
Plein De Coups
* French for “full of spirit,” pronounced “Plăn-duh-coo”
Born: July 2007, Harney County, Oregon, range-bred, a Kiger mustang
Adopted by Mustang Leadership Partners in 2008 as a weanling colt from the BLM
Color: Dun
Registered: AMBA and KMA
Plein De Coups’ Distinctions:
* Though still young and developing, Plein De Coups has been complimented by internationally-known horse trainers as a stallion with the potential to be a “showcase” for the Kiger mustang breed.
Just a few minutes observing Plein De Coups and you understand how well his name suits him. He loves to play and has the natural exuberance unique to most young males. Called “a runt who looked like a yak” when he was adopted, Plein De Coups is emerging as a magnificent animal with the spirit, bearing and instincts that are his heritage as a wild American mustang. Giving this runt a chance is proving to be one of Mustang Leadership Partners’ best choices.