Horse - Lakota the Appaloosa

Horse

My parents have a small ranch in Western Nebraska where they raise and train horses. This is a picture of an Appaloosa called Lakota. My dad is an authority on Native American Horsemanship and chose the name to honor the extraordinary riders from the Buffalo Nation. By age four Sioux children had mastered riding and how to stand on a horse's bare back. As they grew stronger, the youngsters were taught to shoot arrows and practiced hitting targets from horseback.

Mastering such skills became invaluable to the horsemanship required to survive in later years. The Lakota Sioux were a nomadic tribe of plains Indians who relied almost completely on the bison herds to obtain the necessities of life. In 1823 Prince Frederick of Wurtemberg witnessed the hazardous Indian technique for hunting buffalo and was dully impressed:

"The Indians are extremely bold and daring riders. This is shown especially in their hunting of the buffalo. In this dangerous work it is often hard to say which has the greater skill, the rider or the horse. Since the Indian who manipulates the bow and arrow can not make use of the reins, he must leave the horse entirely to its own discretion. The animal must be carefully trained to approach the bison within a few paces. It must run close to the powerful and often angry bull, and must be ready at all times to evade with great swiftness the charges of the terrible opponent."

Comments

  1. fascinating--and i love that decorative horse post :)

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    1. Thanks, I also like how the horse's pose mimics the decoration.

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  2. This was a lovely post Dan and a most interesting slice of history. Also, an acknowledgement of the extraordinary ability and empathy between rider and horse. The buffalo I know is considered the most dangerous animal ... I know some say the lion, or the enraged elephant, or the hippo .. but the buffalo in my neck of the woods (South Africa) is one to be wary of.
    Thank you for this and the photograph of Lakota!
    I wrote on 'Hair' so help me ...

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    1. I've heard that the water buffalo down there is a very dangerous animal. The bison here appear calm and peaceful but I'm sure it's a lot safer on the outside of the fence.

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  3. I wish I had my own horse. They're so beautiful.

    Happy A through Z posting.
    pensuasion.blogspot.com

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    1. They're beautiful animals, I usually get to ride a little bit when I get back home.

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  4. Wow, fascinating. I like the historical info, and it's interesting that your parents know so much about this.

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    1. My dad is a cowboy and he has studied several different forms of horsemanship.

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  5. I truly love this entry and the photo is beautiful. Although I come from NY, my dad came from Nebraska and he was my hero and role model. I like to read about
    history and this is something new I hadn't read before, although I love Indian lore.
    I think your quest in life is similar to mine and you sound like a really interesting person.
    Best Wishes,
    jean

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    1. Thanks, there is a lot of local history in western Nebraska especially regarding the conflict between Native Americans and westward expansion with all of the wagon trails and forts.

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  6. Another great photo - what a beautiful animal - I enjoy reading your posts and seeing your wonderful photos. Most we don't get to see here in the city.

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    1. Thanks, living in the city has its advantages but sometimes its nice to get back home into more of a rural environment.

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  7. Gorgeous horse. I just want to reach out and rub his velvety nose. I grew up in the Palouse, from which the Appaloosa takes its name. Never had a horse of my own, but a friend and I used to climb up onto a neighbor's friendly mare, bareback. She'd put up with us for a while. When she was sick of us, she'd let us know by scraping us off onto some brambles!

    ~Tui
    visiting from the #AtoZChallenge
    Twitter: @mentalmosaic
    Blog: http://www.mentalmosaic.com/blog

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    1. Thanks, so you're from Washington? Idaho? Sounds like some wonderful memories. They're smart, if they don't want you on their back anymore they'll figure out a creative way to get you off.

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  8. That is so cool- I would love to visit a working ranch. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. How did Prince Frederick see the Lakota hunting buffalo in the 1600s?

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    1. He didn't, my fault. Prince Frederick saw the Indians hunting buffalo during a trip up the Missouri River in 1823.

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  10. Love horses. I had one when I was a teenager. Thanks for

    wearinglemon.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks, they are interesting animals. It's fun to get back home and see them.

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  11. I would love to have grown up on a ranch! Horses are one of my favourite animals.

    Rinelle Grey

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    1. It was a lot of hard work then but when I look back on it now, I kind of miss it. That's why it's always good to get back and help out.

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