What did native americans use horses for?

Answer 1

The horses were a part of America, where they were. So they tamed them and rode them. But the population grew when the Spanish brought over their horses, because they bred with the Indian horses and that's how we got the rugged mustang that roams wild today.
Horses have changed the lives of the Native Americans in many good ways. The main thing that horses did for the Native Americans was give them transportation.

Answer 2

The picture we get from whatcing movies, that the Native Americans had spiritual and natural ways of training their horses is not true. Their methods where quite harsh and extreme. They broke the horses will with physical power, and cept going until the horse where so tired it could no loger fight and bent to their will. It was basically a rodeo, that eventuallt the horse or the man would lose. The horse was ounumbered and forced to do as it was asked or it would get punished.

Answer 3

Natives often bred their own horses (really large ponies) - the Nez Perce, Cayuse and Appaloosa (Palouse) tribes were famous for their excellent stock breeding; the resulting animals were already part-broken when they were traded to the Plains tribes.

Other horses were stolen from enemy tribes - horse raids were very widespread among the Plains tribes since a warrior could count coup by stealing a first-quality animal from outside its owner's tipi at night. Naturally these horses did not need to be broken and many animals changed hands several times during their lives.

Wild horses (mustangs or broncos) were more time-consuming and various methods were used. Some tribes led the horse into deep water where it was more difficult for it to buck and rear up (and at the same time provided a softer landing for the rider if he were thrown off). Other tribes tied a horse's leg up against its chest so it could not gallop away or buck the rider. A hobble would be used to get the animal to remain close by when not being ridden, to get it used to human company.

Some groups were very brutal with their horses, lashing them and beating them into submission - not very politically correct today, but it was considered normal among some Plains groups. No horse whisperers existed in those times.

Answer 4

they used them for various things including transportation and food. they also used them for outrunning enimes.

Answer 5

Native Americans would ride horses with no saddles. They would use a rope that would go through the horses mouth with no nose band or anything and hold on.

Answer 6

The Spanish brought horses to North America in the 16th century.

Answer 7

they penned them up