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The Indian Horse Period
The Discovery of Indians
The first Spanish explorers discovered the
Indians as they moved north during the
early 1500’s. The Spanish were on a
mission to discover gold and riches along
with acquiring new territory for the King of
Spain.
These Spanish explorers brought with
them Spanish horses known as Spanish
barbs. These horses were used for travel
and aided in conquering the new land and
its people…
Indians and Horses
The Spanish did not predict that the
Indians whom they held as slaves in
the 1600’s would learn to work and
handle horses on the Spanish
Rancheros. Ultimately the Indians
rebelled and drove the Spanish out of
what is now known as Mexico and
regained their lands. These rebellions
allowed many of the Spanish horses
to roam free.
The Indians with horse skills taught
others horsemanship and by the early
1700’s most Indian tribes had their
own string of horses.
After the Plains Indians acquired horses, they mastered
the skills of hunting on horseback.
The Louisiana Purchase
Regardless of Indian attacks,
Spain still had a firm claim over
what was known as the Louisiana
Territory. Spain signed over the
territory to France in 1802 and
France in turn sold it to the United
States in 1803. This land
acquisition, made by President
Thomas Jefferson, doubled the
size of the United States and
played an enormous role in the
lives of the Indians and the horses
they rode.
Further Expeditions
After the Louisiana Purchase added over 828,000
square miles of land to the United States,
expeditions were sent out to explore the newly
added territory and to make contact with the
Native Americans.
On their expedition over the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific Ocean in 1804, Lewis and Clarke
discovered many Indian tribes on horseback.
Mixing of Horses
As the settlers of the East began moving
West and encountering more and more
Indians, they were more formally
introduced to the Indian’s horses.
Many horses over the history of the
territory had been traded, lost, or stolen.
Mixing of the wild Spanish breeds and
European bloodlines was a common
occurrence.
Many traits were deemed hardy in the
Indian horse and were eventually bred
into more pure bloodlines to aid in the
creation of the most versatile horse of
them all….the American Quarter Horse.
Trade
Indians discovered
horses were good for not
only creating a better
living, but for trade as
well. They traded horses
for supplies and luxuries
such as beads like the
ones used to make this
Kiowa beaded headstall
displayed at the
American Quarter Horse
Museum.
Artworks: