Native American Horse Breeds - 18"x24"
The ancestors of modern horses originated in the Western Hemisphere,
but died off here around 10,000 years ago. Native American nations retain the memory of these horses in their oral traditions. In 1493 Christopher Columbus brought horses back to the Americas for the first time. Over the next 2 centuries
horses were brought to Mexico, South America, the Southeast and eventually up into what is now New Mexico. Over time, strays and captured horses came into the hands of Tribal peoples, and they were quickly adapted into the various cultures, allowing people to travel farther distances and hunt bigger game.
The horse breeds you see depicted on this map became unique to particular Tribes and cultural regions starting from around 1600 until the late 1800's. Many Tribes continue to breed their own own herds til this day.
