answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Often different tribes would paint pictures or put hand prints on their horses to show different honors. In some tribes, each hand print signified the capture of a horse on a raid to an enemy village.

User Avatar

Wiki User

16y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

Most native Americans did not have any horses - these were restricted to the Great Plains and the areas bordering the Plains. In any one Plains tribe, such as the Crows of Montana, most horses were never painted and only ever used as transport animals. These made up the main part of the tribe's horses.

Certain horses were kept as "buffalo runners" because of their speed and bravery when hunting, running close alongside an adult buffalo cow so the hunter could drive his arrows deep into the animal's chest. The horse must not flinch from the buffalo's horns and the rider could only control the horse with his legs, since both hands were needed for the bow and arrows.

A very small percentage of the best horses were kept for war and it was these that were painted and decorated for ceremonies and to prepare for battle. Some markings recorded the warrior's deeds; others were intended to give the horse extra speed or agility, or avoid gopher holes, bullets and arrows. Some markings indicated the rider's warrior society membership, the horse raids he had been on or the wounds he had received.

Before battle, these favourite horses usually had their tails "clubbed" or tied up in a knot with feathers attached, but the reason for this is unknown.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

They painted their horses when they went off to war or out hunting. Different symbols were thought to give the horses extra speed, better vision and stuff like that.

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Why did Indians put hand prints on their horses?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about U.S. History

How die the did the Indians cook their food?

They used a buffalo's stomach to cook their food. They put hot rocks in it and they put it in their to boil.. They ate the buffalo with wild rice and seasonings.


Native Americans put an ear to the ground to hear the enemy?

to hear where the horses were approaching from, it could be the enemy or could just be somebody they are waiting for


How is American Indian reservations today different from life for them before reservations?

The reservations meant that the Indians led a totally different way of life. They were a means of totally destroying the Indian culture and way of life. The Indians were not allowed to hunt the buffalo which in the best provided them will nearly everything they needed. This was they had to depend on US food hand-outs. If they tried to rebel the US would stop the food hand-outs and the tribe would starve. Tribes were split up across different reservations- they were no longer united so the tribal council, the chief lost their roles in the tribe. Religious feats, ceremonies and dances were banned, the medicine man lost his role in the tribe. Were not allowed to carry weapons- so braves couldn't prove their bravery by battle and they couldn't increase their wealth by stealing horses. Indians lost power to punish themselves, would be put on trial like Americans-lost Indian way of life and culture, Some Indians were made into US police style officers a cunning ploy to make some Indians loyal to the USA. Children were forcibly made to go to boarding school, they lived in military conditions and were taught to disrespect their Indian culture and were not allowed to speak their tribal language, Dawes act 1887 split reservations into farming plots for each family- plan to turn Indians into 'civilised' Americans and this also split the tribe. Poor, infertile soil meant they couldn't make good produced so depended on government.


Who was president when the Indians were being put on reservations?

There were more than 1 president of the US involved with reservations, beginning at the First President of the USA, George Washington through the 30th, Calvin Coolidge.


What was it like to be a blacksmith back in 1600?

Back then you could not just go down to the store and buy what ever you needed when something broke. You had to fix it and that's one reason why they had a blacksmith. The blacksmiths job was to basically make or fix anything out of iron, but that's not all the blacksmith did. Since the blacksmith worked with metal he made and put horse shoes on horses. Since the blacksmith was working with the horse to put the shoes on they got to know some of the diseases that some horses have. so because of that the were also used as a vet.

Related questions

Who painted horses?

The Indians would paint horses according to their tribe. They would put hand prints, circles around a horse's eye, etc.


Why did Indians put feathers in the horses manes?

The reason why Indians put feathers in the horse's mane was to show that theirs was a war horse. The feather was used to symbolize this.


Why do red Indians put their ear to the ground?

to hear how far the horses is and the speed they are going in


How do you make a hand print in concrete?

Normally you press your hand(s) in the cement when its wet or just been poured, however, if where you want the prints is already hard, you can cut a small square out, and pour fresh cement and put your prints in the new patch.


How do you make glass prints?

when you put your finger prints on the glassthen their is finger prints


What year did Engelbert humperdinck put his hand prints in cement at MGM studios Chinese theater?

1989 1989 1989


Why did American Indians put an ear to the ground to hear an enemy coming?

They can discern the vibrations of horses in the distance, estimate how many there are as well as the speed of travel.


What side should you put a horses saddle on from?

You are supposed to put it on from the horses left side.


What is the best technique to show finger prints and how does it work?

Ink your thumbs and put them on a plain price of paper and your prints will show up :)


Why are your finger prints unique?

because each person is different and has different finger prints ,depends were u put ur finger.....


How can you teach your 5 year old daughter to do a cartwheel?

there are mats you can find. they have two feet prints, on one side two hand prints in the middle and then another two feet prints on the other side. and if you have your daughter put her hands and feet in the spots and slowly work with her on having her flip over her hands and land back down on the other feet prints eventually she will get it. its basically just a work in progress for a while http://www.cartwheelmats.com/ heres a link thing.


Why American Indians used to put their ears to the ground to listen for the sound of horses?

Because sound travels better through a solid, than it does the air, so they would have been able to hear the horses hooves better by listening through the ground.