The Horse and the Plains Indians : A Powerful Partnership

The image of a Native American on horseback has become ingrained in the American consciousness. But the Plains Indians and the horse were not always inseparable. Once, Native Americans used dogs to help carry their goods, and even after the Spaniards introduced the horse to the Americas, horses were considered so valuable that the Spanish would not allow the Indians to have them. But soon horses escaped from Spanish settlements, and Native Americans quickly learned how valuable the horse could be as a hunting mount, beast of burden, and military steed. Follow the story of this transformative partnership, starting in the early sixteenth century and continuing today. From the award-winning nonfiction team that brought you The Buffalo and the Indians comes a new companion work that tells of the transformative period in the early 16th century when the Spaniards introduced horses to the Great Plains, and how horses became, and remain, a key part of the Plains Indians' culture