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You are here: Home / History / When did the American Indians of the Great Plains start riding horses?

When did the American Indians of the Great Plains start riding horses?

July 31, 2020 by Karen Hill

The image of the American Indian hunting buffalo on horseback may seem eternal, but it isn’t. There were no horses at all in the Americas until the Spanish conquistadors brought them.

In 1540, Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado, traveling through Kansas, let most of his 260 horses escape. The Great Plains Indians tamed the wild descendants of these horses and made them an important part of their culture.

Juan Ponce de Leon, who conquered Puerto Rico in 1508, governed it for four years, and came to Florida in 1513 seeking a fountain of youth. The 61-year-old explorer found death instead in a skirmish with Native Americans near present-day Tampa.

Related Facts

  • Where did horses in North America come from and did Plains Indians always ride horses?
  • Where Is the Great Plains Located and Which States Are Part of the Great Plains?
  • What are the Great Plains and Where are the Great Plains located?
  • Why were horses so important to Plains Indians?
  • How dangerous were the Indians to wagon trains crossing the plains in the American Old West?
  • Where does the phrase "hold your horses" come from and What does "hold your horses" mean?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Which Spanish Explorer discovered the Grand Canyon and When?
Next Post: Who were the Native Americans found by Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado? »

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