Indian Horse Training

The Indians were exceptional horsemen who used a different approach to keeping and using horses from their European counterparts. They did not use the same bridles or saddles, nor did they confine the horses. Instead, they treated the horses as family and lived with them. This fundamental difference in the relationship with the horses showed how they break a horse to ride. These principles of training are becoming more popular in the horse community today.

  1. Ground Training

    • The Indians lived in mostly nomadic societies that would pack up the entire settlement and move it to another location regularly. The horses they kept never lived in barns or fenced paddocks but instead would graze loose next to the camps. This shows the principle training technique the Indians used; they made the horses think they were part of the Indian's herd. The horses wanted to stay with the Indians because they wanted to be in the herd.

      The Indians accomplished this by speaking the horse's language. They would handle the foals and young horses their entire lives so they developed a relationship with them. When the Indians would handle the horses, it was often to build the friendship and the level of respect, not just to go for a ride or have the horse pull cargo from one place to the next. This combination of respect and being protected from predators made the horse see the Indians as part of their family. These daily interactions as family members made the horses, in turn, respect the Indians and see them as leaders.

    Riding

    • When it came time to ride the horses, it was a simple step to get on the horse's back with little fuss from the horse. The horse was so used to being handled and so used to trusting the people in his life that having someone on his back was not questioned. The young horse was often ridden in a group of other older horses to teach him steering and control. Again, they used the horse's natural instinct to be in a herd to teach the horse to accept being ridden.

      The Indians relied heavily on their horses for transportation and were concerned for their health and well-being. They would not overwork the horse because they did not want to injure it and then not be able to use it. This consideration for the horses' well being kept the horses happy and willing to work. The Indians often had many horses and would rotate riding them to keep every horse fresh.