The Equine Trade

The Horse and Inter-tribal Trade

Nov 24, 2008 Jeffrey R Gudzune

Within a century, the horse became a dominant aspect of the inter-tribal trade system.

Once introduced to North America, the horse became the must have item among indigenous tribes. It would be difficult to pinpoint exactly where the equine trade began as records from early colonial days are still speculative. However, evidence suggests that such a trade might have originated in the southern most regions of the continent through two or three pre-existing trade corridors. Spanish expeditions from South America and across the Gulf of Mexico into Florida brought the horse into the indigenous trade system. Through a combination of escape into the wild and capture by native hunters, the animal found its way into the inter-tribal trade system and rapidly spread throughout North America.

Having forced the Spanish to retreat into Mexico in 1680, the Pueblo tribes came to possess hundreds of abandoned horses. Moving northward, they expanded their limited trade to encompass the Central and Great Plains regions of the continent. Astride their horses, nomadic traders were able to cover more territory and subsequently expand their range. For some nomadic communities, the introduction of the horse allowed for a more prosperous hunt. These tribes were able to have more products to trade with surrounding communities and establish more permanent societies based on this growing economy. Mastery of the horse allowed a few indigenous tribes to gain a significant military advantage over their neighbors. The most prominent example of this would be the Navajo tribe.

As use of the horse spread, Native American communities began to breed new horses from their existing stocks. Seeking to combine the best qualities of European horses, indigenous horse breeders created unique new horses and subsequently introduced them into the inter-tribal trade system. The Palouse of eastern Washington created a highly adaptable breed of horse that became known as the Appaloosa breed. Unique for its spotted coat and remarkable speed, the Appaloosa dominated the northwestern horse trade. Additionally, the Cayuse of Oregon were so successful at the art of horse breeding that their tribal name has become synonymous with a certain type of smaller domestic version of the animal.

Although the exact chain of custody would be hard to determine with any degree of accuracy, the equine trade developed rapidly through pre-existing trade routes. By the early 1700s, the horse had been introduced to a dozen new markets among the tribes of the Great Plains region. By the 1730s, the animal had reached as far to the west as Washington State and even as far north as Saskatchewan. By the mid to late 1770s, horse traders flourished in Illinois. As secondary source of introduction from Florida would further assist in the spread of the equine trade through the Carolinas and to the eastern regions of the continent. The horse was long established and an integral part of the indigenous life within a century of its introduction.

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).

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