Why did Indians put hand prints on their horses?

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

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.

Answer 3

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.