The Indian And The Horse

A detailed Summary of The Indian And The Horse

In the United States today people from all corners of the earth come together to form a melting pot. It can be described as a mesh of diversity which melds together to form a unique nation. The uniqueness of this country can best be attributed to by the contributions made by each of the different cultures that call it home. While many of these contributions may go unnoticed some have vastly changed the lifestyles of those who inhibit this land. As it remains well documented the first inhabitants of what was known as the New World were the American Indians. What may have been viewed by outsiders as a simple way of life was much rather a complicated oneness with the land which was shared by all of the different tribes. This lifestyle, however, was greatly changed with the arrival of the Europeans. Many new things where introduced to the Indians. It can be disputed that theses "new things" may have, in the long run, done more harm than good. Three of the more influential "gifts" introduced to the New World were the gun, liquor, and the horse. This paper will examine the affect of the horse on the Indian way of life.

In the present day, the many purposes that horses had served have been replaced by modern technology. They are now

Like all enthusiasts he devised new tricks: he could hang from the back of the horse by one leg, throw his bow arm over the neck, reach through underneath with an arrow in the other hand, and shoot at his enemies with a minimum exposure of his own body. (265)

The Indian began by galloping single file around the soldiers and, coming within range, would fire at every exposed head or body. Usually the Indians hung from the off side of the horse, thus reducing the chance of being hit by the soldiers' fire. The line of riders would draw gradually closer, thus making the fire more effective. If their losses were not great, they eventually rode over the surviving soldiers and thus annihilated them. (267)

It is being suggested that man, Indian or other, had a direct involvement in populating North America with wild horses. However this may have happened, soon after the introduction of the horse to the New World, Indians on horseback became common.

viewed as luxury pets or as sports items. However, the horse had a great impact on the human lifestyle in the past, especially that of the Indians of the New World. According to archaeologists, the horse was present when the Indians first set foot on the American continent, but it was never tamed (Wissler 264). The Indians may have hunted the wild horse for food and used its skin for various purposes, similar to the buffalo. This could have possibly led to the extinction of the horse in the New World long before the arrival of the Europeans. While Indians of the past are stereotypically believed to have use nature to the fullest they may have overlooked the many benefits a tamed horse could provide. If these wild, hunted horses were tamed then the outcome of the arrival of the Europeans could have been drastically different.

The horse also proved to be an excellent tool for its riders in combat. It appears that the Indians used the horse to its outmost capabilities. The many uses of which seemed to be limited only to the imagination. Wissler states:

Indian roles in film and television have often been greatly exaggerated. They are depicted as being one with nature and masters of horsemanship. However, this one depiction of the use of the horse may not have been as greatly exaggerated as one

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Approximate Word count = 1517
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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