The Plains Indians first saw horses in the late 17th Century after the Spaniards brought them from Europe into south-western America. They got their first horses by stealing and trading among the Spanish settlements of the South-west. Within a century tribes such as the Commanches owned large herds of horses. Now they were able to cross vast areas of the Great Plains to hunt buffalo. As a result, many tribes abandoned their fixed adobes and became nomadic hunters. They would follow the wandering game herds, sleep in movable lodges and design a whole new way of life based on mobility.
By the 19th Century, a Plains Indian spent almost all of his life on horseback. By the time he had outlived his warrior years, he would, hopefully, be the proud owner of a large herd. When explorers first came upon them, they were so impressed by the Plains Indians' horsemanship that they called them the horse Indians.
By the 19th Century, a Plains Indian spent almost all of his life on horseback. By the time he had outlived his warrior years, he would, hopefully, be the proud owner of a large herd. When explorers first came upon them, they were so impressed by the Plains Indians' horsemanship that they called them the horse Indians.
