Jim Schweizer

Jim’s career and dreams of horses and ranches began in 1958 when his father managed to borrow a retired barrel racer for the summer. With little money and four children in the family, a saddle was out of the question. He rode bareback and in an old cavalry saddle for the better part of two years. (He preferred bareback). As his father was in the military and his family moved around the world, owning a horse just wasn't in the cards. He would not own another horse until 1978 when he acquired an Arabian colt from a veterinarian who had become a personal friend. He trained the horse for two years before a transfer to Houston, TX and a growing family forced him to sell the horse. Yet he still dreamed of building a ranch and raising horses.

In 2001, with children grown, he and his wife Pam purchased two quarter horses and a young appendix filly, and in 2003, began to put his dream of building a “ranch” into reality. Two years, two barns, a house and 7000’ of oak fencing later they moved into their new home. While building his new home, Jim began studying horses in earnest and decided that he did not want to be in the Quarter horse crowd. A small add in the back of Western Horseman caught his eye and he began his study of Kigers. He liked the look, the eye, the hardiness, the mind and the natural selection process. In short, he liked the Kiger. He placed several calls to Oregon and, with his friend and trainer, Dan Oslin traveled to the Northwest with the desire to acquire the best Kiger horses that he could find.

Since then, Jim has sold his Quarter horses and has acquired six Kigers, a tattooed mare, a young colt and filly, a grulla two year old filly, a dun 3 year old filly and a four year old gelding. He currently has two horses in training with Lee Mancini and is training the others himself. He plans on showing the Kiger horse in the Buckskin circuit beginning in 2007.

Jim continues to work on his horsemanship with the help of Corine Elser, Lee Mancini, Dan Oslin and several Oregon ranchers. He is an avid reader and diligently studies the horsemanship and methods of clinician Clinton Anderson.

Jim is currently the President of Dart Oil and Gas Corporation and leads a group of over 80 people in the exploration for and production of crude oil and natural gas. He is honored, proud and excited to be a part of the Kiger Horse Association and Registry.