The short answer is: No, Indigenous peoples in the Americas did not have horses before the arrival of Europeans.
Here's a deeper explanation:
* Horses went extinct in North and South America around 10,000 years ago. This was long before the arrival of humans in the Americas.
* European explorers brought horses to the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries. These horses quickly spread throughout the continent, becoming an important part of Indigenous culture and life in many areas.
However, it's important to note:
* There are some theories suggesting a small population of horses might have survived in the Americas. These theories are not widely accepted by the scientific community.
* The ancestors of horses were present in North America during the Eocene epoch (56-34 million years ago). So, there is a historical connection between the Americas and horses.
In conclusion:
While the Americas were once home to horses, they went extinct long before the arrival of humans. The horses that Indigenous peoples later came to rely on were brought by Europeans.