SPRINGBORO, Ohio — Morgan and McKenna Ivey of Springboro are fortunate girls. For starters, Morgan, age 16, and McKenna, 6, have access to their own stable on 21 acres in Warren County. But the envy of most of their friends is that these girls ride and compete with Kiger mustangs, a very special breed of horse.

The Kiger is found in the wild in the plains of Oregon. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, or BLM, corrals these horses once a year and offers them to the public at special sales or auctions.

While many horses caught in the wild by the BLM often sell for just $175, a Kiger sells for no less than $3,000.

“The Kiger is as close to American heritage as you’re going to get. They’re what the Indians rode long ago,” said the girls’ mother, Dawn Ivey.

The Iveys reside in the northern part of Warren County near Springboro. At one time their land was home to an Arabian horse farm.

“I taught grade school all my life and lived near the city,” Ivey said. “We moved out here to get away from the city life. Soon, I realized all the money from my teaching salary was going to daycare and since the entire family was into horses we decided to put the money into stables and horses.”

Kigers, to be exact; but it didn’t happen that quickly. Ivey wanted her daughters to have their own horses, but wasn’t certain which way to turn. A friend convinced her to purchase horses from the BLM roundup. The family now has four (Sombra, Roscoe, Reed and Missy) and are looking to purchase more.

“The Kiger is a special horse and unlike a Thoroughbred, the Kiger doesn’t spook as easily and is an ideal ride for any child,” Ivey said.

They’re seldom seen in the show ring, much less shown by children. Morgan has been riding competitively for just one year with her Kigers, and is a Level-A rider with the Ohio Reined Cow Horse Assoc. McKenna, who began riding the Kiger when she was just three years old, competes in jumping, reining and trail competition. The sisters are proof the Kiger is viable and performs well in the competition ring.

“We were looking for a well-trained horse for McKenna to ride Western,” Ivey said. “A friend of ours brought us Sombra and now, we’re wanting to add more to our stable.”

That friend is Bill Smith of nearby Lebanon, Ohio. Smith operates Heritage Hill Farm, a 50-acre farm that is home to these special horses.

“Folks in the Northwest covet these rare horses and they don’t like the fact that they’re right here in Ohio,” he said. “There are two areas in Oregon where the Kigers run wild and capture is only permitted every four years.”

Smith is president of the Warren County chapter of the Ohio Horseman’s Council. He’s been around all breeds of horses. Six years ago he spotted a Kiger mustang at a BLM horse sale in Columbus; he’s been hooked ever since.

“The Kigers were left here by the Spaniards more than 500 years ago,” Smith said. “When you compare the DNA of Kigers residing in Spain and the Iberian Peninsula, they’re identical.”

Kigers were discovered roaming free in Northwestern states. In 1977, testing was performed on the Kiger mustang at the University of Kentucky and DNA showed close relation to the Spanish horses brought over in the 1600s. The BLM decided at that time to preserve the breed.

Many of today’s existing Kiger mustangs can be traced back to a single stallion named Masteno, whose name means “stray” or “feral” in Spanish. Kiger mustangs are primarily dun in color and have primitive stripes on the upper legs and shoulders as well as stripes running down the middle of the back into the tail. This is called a dorsal stripe.

Typically, a dun horse is a shade of muted tan or a light brown-gray with dark brown or black manes.

“You rarely find a weanling for less than $3,000,” Smith said.

According to Ivey, the Kigers are characteristically gentle and calm and ideal for pleasure riding, as well as trail performance, endurance, driving and many other situations for which an athletic horse is desired.