The significance of the horse to the Native American culture both past and present is immeasurable, especially to the tribes of the American plains. The picture of a proud chief in his headdress, sat astride his sturdy and trusted stead, conjures up feelings of strength, courage and a unique understanding. It is hard to conceive of one without the other.

But it wasn’t always this way. The horse lived in North America during prehistoric times but became extinct, possibly due to climate change. It wasn’t until the arrival of the European, and especially Spanish settlers in the 16th and 17th centuries that horses were again introduced via New Mexico and California. The stallions and mares that escaped these settlers formed the nucleus of the wild herds that spread north and onto the American plains. These herds of wild mustang, still exist today.

The Welcome Acquisition
Tribes of the American plains such as the Cheyenne, Blackfoot and Sioux Indians, were introduced to horses through peaceful trading practices with friendly tribes that stemmed from the South. Upon the acquisition of a ‘big dog’ or a ‘deer dog’, as the tribes called the horse, they had little idea of how to make use of it at first. And they certainly had little idea of how it would single-handedly revolutionise their entire culture.

In the first instance due to their lack of riding knowledge, the horse was used as a pack animal, and carried the heavy burdens that the dogs and women used to bear when the plains were colonised on foot. This was a drastic change for the women, whom without such heavy burdens, could devote their time to craft projects and instrumenting larger, more comfortable tents for their family.

Prior to this welcome arrival, the tribes had lived a nomadic life on the fringes of the plains and hunted buffalo and deer to the best of their ability on foot. However, once the art of riding had been mastered, the priaries stretched open before them, and the Native Americans found an abundance of buffalo to hunt, which unprecedentedly meet all of their food, shelter and clothing needs. A warrior found that with a quick and steady horse underneath him, he could outrun even the fastest buffalo. Many plains Indians became expert horsemen and rode fearlessly, fully trusting their stead as they lined up their bow and arrow at their target of a bison’s heart.

The nomadic life of the Native Americans took on a whole new meaning, as they could move camp easier in order to follow the buffalo herds on their seasonal wanderings. This defined the great buffalo community that the Great Plains Indians became.

A Spiritual Being
Due to it’s significance within the Native American culture, the horse became an almost spiritual being, a gift from the Great Spirit. Members of tribes were no longer judged by merit but by how many horses they owned. Fast and sturdy horses were also given as gifts to a person of exceptional merit, or to a brave warrior.

However as the plains became more accessible to all tribes, rivalry between them for hunting rights sparked violent warfare. The buffalo surrounding tribal villages was less plentiful than in no-mans lands, so tribes were forced into such areas, often encountering fierce clashes with rival parties.

Inevitably the introduction of the horse made raids on rival villages much easier than ever before. Warriors were able to approach from much further afield, and at a lightning pace. Such plundering was the continuation of earlier feats to aquire women, scalps and slaves. But now the stealing of an enemy’s horse was added to the list of prestigious actions. Such a feat brought a warrior even more glory than killing his enemy on the battlefield.

Enviable Horsemanship
The understanding that the Native Americans developed with their horses was immense. One way that the plains Indians used to break horses was to wade two steads, one broken and one foal ready to break, up to their breasts in a pond. Once at the required depth, one Indian would jump onto the unbroken horse in order to break it. The genius behind the idea was that the water prevented the animal from excess bucking and even if the Indian was thrown, the pond water provided a soft landing!

Although some tribes used various forms of stirrups, the image of a Native American warrior frozen in time is of one sat astride his horse, minus a saddle or stirrups, his body moving in time with his stead, and the warrior demonstrating a seat that any rider of today would be envious of. Together with the trusting bond between a warrior and his horse, such competent riding enabled an Indian to learn and master unbelievable feats to aid him on the battlefield. Not only were warriors able to mount and dismount their horses at full gallop, they were able to slide off and hang on to the flanks whilst in motion, to avoid and to fox their enemies.

The Native Americans had a custom of painting messages of battle and glorious feats on their horses’ bodies. For example, hand prints signified hand-to-hand combat and hoof prints signified that the horse had been stolen in a raid. Other designs used illustrated visions, dance and optical illusions, the latter being used to confuse the approaching enemy. Together the painted horse and his painted master rode as one into battle.

The Painted Horse and Selective Breeding
Following on from this fondness for painting their steads, the Native American had a distinct liking for painted horses of a piebald, skewbald and spotted nature. The only horse selectively bred by the Native Americans was the Appaloosa, still the most famous of all the spotted breeds today. It was created by the peaceful, berry gathering Nez Perce tribe, who before the introduction of horses had little need for them, but soon after became a tribe of buffalo hunters.

The name ‘Appaloosa’ derives from the Paluse river situated in the state of Washington, near to where the tribe bred their horses. The box canyons of the area helped to contain their horses enabling this effective selection process to take place. The selective breeding began by castrating or trading unsuitable males and importing specimens from the states still occupied by the Spanish. It is thought that some Indians living among them may have come from the south bringing with them selective breeding knowledge acquired from the Spanish. This breeding process meant that at the time of the arrival of the white man to their land, the Nez Perce tribe possessed horses of a far superior quality to those of other tribes, due to their speed and endurance.

More is the pity that today’s Appaloosas have little in common with their ancestors as they have since been interbred with draft, thoroughbred, Arab and quarter horses.

The Beginning of the End
The media culture of the twentieth century has immortalised a romantic image of the Native American and his horse. Films such as Hidalgo and the award winning Dances With Wolves, portrayed various images of the Native American plains culture, and not one was as strongly illustrated as the culture’s enduring bond with the horse. Although horses were not always a part of their culture, upon their introduction the Indians welcomed the resulting revolution with open arms, despite it sparking the beginning of the end. Only some 30 years later had the buffalo disappeared due to the arrival of the white man, taking with them the plains Indian civilisation, one the most famous horse cultures in history.