The Indians and Their Horses

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the effect that the arrival of Spanish horses had on the Indians in terms of mobility, currency, hunting and warfare. The paper notes that the horse was unsurpassingly beneficial to the Native Americans when it came to wars. Horsemanship was something that the Indians learned either from observing the Spanish settlers or more likely by trial and error. The paper highlights the fact that horses gave the Indians wealth and prestige, an advantage over the buffalo, and time-tested horsemanship and riding skills. The civilizations of the tribes of North America were truly revolutionized by this amazing creature.

From the Paper:

"The horses the Plains Indians used to hunt buffalo were invaluable to their owners. They had to be smart, quick, and unafraid of the large hairy beasts. If the horse wasn't fast enough to dodge the injured buffalo, or if it wasn't paying attention to its rider, it was often injured or killed. On one such hunt, a buffalo "crowded upon another rider so closely that he had no room to maneuver. The sharp horn of a cow ripped the horse's belly, causing the entrails to protrude. The horse was thrown, the entrails replaced, and the rent sewn with a sinew....After the wound healed the horse ran as well as before." The rider had to fully trust his mount or both of their lives would be in danger."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brisbin, Gen. James S. "Indian Riders: Great Feats in Horsemanship-Scenes in an Indian Camp." New York Times. 16 July 1887.
• Cary, Diana Serra. "Horses and the Plains Indians." Wild West. Dec. 2005. <www.americanwest.com/critters/gazette.htm>
• Clutton-Brock, Juliet. Horse Power: A History of the Horse and the Donkey in Human Societies. Cambridge: 1992. 147.
• Dobie, J. Frank. The Mustangs. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.: 1952. 47-53.
• Galard, Guy De. "Ride Among the Buffalo." Western Horseman. Mar. 2008: 134-136.

More papers on The Indians and Their Horses:

• Essay # 52711 : "The Sioux Indians"
• Book Review # 112910 : "The Garies and Their Friends"
• Analytical Essay # 62977 : "Frank J. Webb's "The Garies and Their Friends"

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