Now at his new home with Bill & Marybeth Conger

König

(aka King aka Acorn)

His name is König (pronounced Kurnig and means King in German) – my grandson can’t pronounce it so calls him Acorn.

8.5 year old quarter horse mustang gelding (born October 2006)

Approx 14.2 hands – 800-900lbs

He has awesome mustang feet and has been all over rough country barefoot. I do put shoes on him if I am going to be doing a lot of road riding or riding on the Weiser River Trail. Most of the time, he is unshod.

König was literally born on the trial. He was part of a string whose original owner traveled from Wyoming to Idaho and into Oregon on horseback. König has carried a pack most of his life.

He travels calmly through forest, desert and on busy downtown streets.

He rides nice as well. While he is not a bridle horse (arena type work) he handles nicely and carries himself very well. He has never had a bit in his mouth so I use a hackamore. The first time he was ridden we jumped on bareback with a halter and rode all over the Eagle Caps.

On a pack trip into the White Clouds, an unfortunate turn of events left us short a riding horse. We swapped König’s pack saddle for a riding saddle and a very inexperienced rider rode him throughout the remainder of the pack trip. I’ve used him as a backup horse when my regular riding horse has been laid up.

While he excels as a pack horse, I think he would make a fun kids horse and an awesome trail horse for somebody. He would not make a great arena horse without work in the bridle – although he has a decent stop and is responsive to basic leg cues when riding down the trail. His trot is a little rough for me – but I am use to a big, thoroughbred type gate. His lope is very nice and he can out-walk anything I have. Even though he has been ponied a lot, he has no issues taking the lead when I’m riding him.

He ponies like a dream. You never know he’s back there and is extremely pack aware.

He loads, trims, shoes, hobbles, high-lines, ties, etc..etc. No bad habits that I have seen, ever. When I first got him he was picketed most of his life, so he ties very well (does not pull back and is patient) He’s been on pasture since I’ve had him the last 3 years and is usually easy to catch. I often have to catch him first in order to catch my hard to catch horse.

When I am not using him, I pony him to keep him in shape and his feet solid for packing season.

I am not packing as much as I used to and won’t be using him enough to keep him. He is too nice a boy to turn out on pasture.