On the adoption of horses by certain Native American peoples in both North and South America

[Admiral Brown]

IOTL, after the arrival or Europeans, horses eventualy dispersed and became feral in several areas of the New World. These horses were domesticated and adopted by native peoples in both North America (mostly in Western United States and the Great Plains) and South America (in the Pampas, in Southern Chile and in continental Patagonia). The adoption of the horse radically changed the way of life of these peoples.

Is the spread of horses and its adoption by certain Native American groups an inevitable consequence of the European colonization of the New World? Or is this a developpement a consequence of the specific circunstances in which the Spanish conquered and occupied extensive areas of the Americas, something that could have been prevented if some other European power occupied the same regions the Spanish conquered IOTL, or if Spanish colonisation had been different?

 

[Lusitania]

The prairies and desert areas was where the horse had the greatest impact. In heavily wooded area or jungle they were not viewed with as much interest. When we consider the typical image of American Indian it is one on horse back but that only came to be following the introduction of the horse by Spanish. For it freed the Native American from locations close to water such as rivers, streams and lakes.

 

[Admiral Brown]

But, is this inevitable?

In the pampas, before the spread of horses, what took place was the natural reproduction and dispersion of European cattle. I don't think the same happened in North America. The classical explanation is that these cows which became feral were the descendants of those which had been abandoned by the Spanish when they abandoned Buenos Aires due to Native American attacks, in 1541 (it was later founded again in 1580).

Could the Spanish had kept horses for themselves and prevented their dispersion into the wild, and their adoption by native Americans? I read that the Spanish used to put native Americans "servants" in charge of their horses, and that it is likely that some of these same people taught their fellow tribesmen how to use horses. It is said that Lautaro, the famous XVI century Mapuche "rebel" leader from what's now Chile, was in charged of taking care of the conquistador's horses before escaping and becoming the leader of the Mapuche. If another European people had colonised the Americans, one that didn't employ Native American as servants, and who didn't allow their dispersion into the wild, would free tribes still have adopted horses? Or is this impossible to prevent once you bring horses to the Americas?

 

[Analytical Engine]

I doubt you could totally prevent horses from escaping, but I could see fewer getting into the hands of Native Americans.

 

[Deleted member 114175]

Any long distance colonial expedition, could be Spanish or from any other nation, would have some escaped horses since there wouldn't be much time to set up fenced enclosures.

 

[Lord High Executioner]

In the pampas, before the spread of horses, what took place was the natural reproduction and dispersion of European cattle. I don't think the same happened in North America.

Ever heard of a little something called Texas Longhorns?

 

[Tocomocho]

I question that the horses escaped and then native peoples never exposed to riders decided to randomly horse break and breed an animal that would have been simply wild and also alien from their perspective.

 

[Lord High Executioner]

Is the spread of horses and its adoption by certain Native American groups an inevitable consequence of the European colonization of the New World? Or is this a developpement a consequence of the specific circunstances in which the Spanish conquered and occupied extensive areas of the Americas, something that could have been prevented if some other European power occupied the same regions the Spanish conquered IOTL, or if Spanish colonisation had been different?

I question that the horses escaped and then native peoples never exposed to riders decided to randomly horse break and breed an animal that would have been simply wild and also alien from their perspective.

I have a vague memory of the process including the key steps "let these semi- to fully enslaved guys take
care of our horses" and "semi- to fully-enslaved guys who have learned to ride escape, taking horses with
them". There may have been an intermediate step involving herding cattle as well.

 

[Arkenfolm]

Once horse culture was introduced to one American Indian group, it was pretty much inevitable that it would spread to their neighbours, and those neighbours would spread it before long to their neighbours, and so forth. So it's pretty much inevitable that it will happen before long since OTL groups which had never seen a white man owned horses.

I doubt you could totally prevent horses from escaping, but I could see fewer getting into the hands of Native Americans.

Which gives as many years of buffer as the rate of expansion of the horse population, which since the Plains and Pampas are so optimal for horses, isn't too much longer.

I have a vague memory of the process including the key steps "let these semi- to fully enslaved guys take
care of our horses" and "semi- to fully-enslaved guys who have learned to ride escape, taking horses with
them".

Which happened in many places, like California for instance, where the local Indians often stole horses from the missions to trade along to other groups with the ultimate destination being the Plains.