The Horse

Introduction by Spain

Nov 10, 2008 Jeffrey R Gudzune

The North American horse became extinct long before the arrival of European colonists.

Perhaps the most iconic image of the American West is that of the noble Indian astride his sleek charger. Whether galloping forward in the heat of battle or grimly riding into the sunset, the Native American and his horse are a persistent theme within the American mythos. While many of these images were stereotypical portrayals, historical exaggerations, or metaphorical expressions, American artists have rarely separated the two figures. However, while indigenous tribes did become master handlers of this majestic creature, the horse was in fact a European transplant. The introduction of the horse changed native society and greatly assisted in the spread of indigenous trade. It also created an image that has become an integral part of American History.

The North American horse became but a memory some time during the last Ice Age. Any species thought to have existed on the continent is believed to been driven to extinction between 10.000 and 8,000 B.C. It is possible that migrating bands of Paleo-Indians brought with them a species of horse as they crossed the Bering Strait and made their way down the western coast of North America. When the land bridge eventually receded into the sea, forever separating North America from Asia, these animals became just as isolated as the humans they transported. Any species that remained on the continent died out through a combination of disease, hunting, and predation. When Spanish settlers arrived in North America, they noted that native communities did not posses the horse as a form of conveyance or work animal. They further noted that the landscape surrounding native communities was devoid of any free-range species of the animal. In fact, indigenous communities had no name for the horse. For instance, Plains communities often referred to the horse as “Elk Dog” or “Spirit Dog.”

The European horse was first introduced to the continent of North America through the act of colonization. Spanish settlers first brought the animal with them as they moved from their established positions in Mexico and set up colonies along the Rio Grande around the end of the 1590s. Indigenous tribes who first encountered the horse were terrified of the looming figure of Spanish conquistadors astride the animal. Moreover, the horse gave the conquerors reliable transportation over long distances and allowed them to out pace their opponents. In order to maintain their control over the pueblos tribes, Spanish officials declared a moratorium on the sale of horses to indigenous communities. Natives working with Spanish officials soon learned to tame and breed the animal. Additionally, some horses managed to escape into the wild and were eventually tamed by indigenous communities. In less than a century, indigenous tribes around the Rio Grande had managed to master the horse. Some, like the Navajo, were beginning to use the animal in raids against Spanish settlements. With the successful overthrow of the Spanish in New Mexico at the conclusion of the Pueblo Revolt, hundreds of abandoned horses came under indigenous control. They would soon spread throughout the continent and prove a valuable asset to indigenous tribes

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Peter Nabokov, Native American Testimony: A Chronicle of Indian-White Relations From Prophecy to Present. (New York: Penguin Book, 1978).

Carl Waldman, Atlas of the North American Indian. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2000).

Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native Tribes. (New York: Checkmark Books, 2006).

The copyright of the article The Horse in Native American/First Nations History is owned by Jeffrey R Gudzune. Permission to republish The Horse in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.