Spirit is a Kiger Mustang horse. The Kiger Mustangs are known for being easy to train, willing, surefooted, and highly versatile. They are used for endurance riding and other competitions under saddle, driving, and ranch work. Spirit was a real-life Kiger Mustang stallion who turned 25 in 2020. The animators of the movie "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" observed his movement to create the most accurate depiction of a horse in an animated film.