Spirit from DreamWorks' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron is a Kiger Mustang, a rare breed known for its Spanish Barb ancestry, with a striking dun coat, zebra stripes, and dorsal stripe. The real horse that inspired the animated character, also named Spirit, lives at the Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary and serves as an ambassador for wild horses.
In the movie, Spirit is actually a Dun horse, more accurately a 'Dunskin' for his buckskin coat and the presence of primitive markings such as a dorsal stripe.
Spirit was the perfect example of genetically and historically rare 15th-century Spanish Barb horses, and animators observed his movement to create the most accurate and realistic movement on the screen. Following the film's release, DreamWorks selected Return to Freedom (RTF) as Spirit's permanent home.
DreamWorks selected the now-named Spirit when he was a colt. Born to a stallion and mare that had been captured by the BLM in Oregon, Spirit was (and still is) a beautiful example of the Kiger mustang breed.
Born to a stallion and mare captured by the BLM in Oregon, Spirit epitomizes the Kiger mustang breed with his striking appearance—wide-set eyes and a thick, wavy, multi-colored mane and tail—which inspired the animated version of the horse that continues to captivate audiences today.
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What breed if a horse is Spirit?
Between a story on the page about a wild horse that would not be broken and the appearance onscreen of a galloping, animated hero who inspires dreams of freedom came a very real horse: Spirit, a Kiger mustang stallion that turns 30 years old this year.
The Spanish word cimarron, meaning “wild” or “untamed,” refers to a region in the southern Rocky Mountains where control of timber, gold, coal, and grazing lands long bred violent struggle.
If you've got kids who love horses—or you were such a kid nearly 20 years ago—then you've probably heard Damon's voice as the titular horse in the 2002 animated movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. That vocal-only performance reportedly raked in $2.3 million for the actor.
Lucky also makes friends with Prudence "Pru" Granger and Abigail Stone. Pru owns a talented and proud palomino horse called Chica Linda, and Abigail owns a friendly and goofy pinto horse called Boomerang.
Today, Spirit lives at Return to Freedom Sanctuary in Santa Barbara County, roaming 300 acres of pristine California pasture. More than just a movie star, he's an ambassador for wild horses, inspiring visitors of all ages to protect America's mustangs and the freedom they represent.
Spirit's patient and loving mother, Esperanza, is a beautiful and caring palomino coloured mustang mare who keeps a cautious eye on her bold young colt.
It is most likely that Esperanza is the lead mare of the Cimarron herd. That makes Spirit the herd stallion. He either fought off his father, Strider, when he was old and strong enough, or Strider died and Spirit took his place. The foals in the movie are most likely Spirit's offspring.
The City of Cimarron was first settled in 1878 and took its name from a fork in the Santa Fe Trail which led travelers to the Cimarron River. The city was was incorporated in 1885. Cimarron is located in Western Kansas, at the intersection of US Highways 50 & 23.
Esperanza is a palomino dun (dunalino in the real world) mustang mare. Her coat is peachy gold, with a cream mane and brown eyes. She has two tall white stockings on her back legs, two short white stockings on her front legs, and a white blaze on the center of her face.
BLACK + DUN: This is called Grullo/a depending on horse's sex ('a' is female'); it is also called black dun, blue dun, slate grullo, silver grullo, silver dun, or lobo dun. This is often considered the rarest shade of dun.
