Most Famous American Indian Horse Breeds Revealed!

Last Updated on May 1, 2022

If you’re a fan of Western cowboy movies, you will be familiar with the agile and speedy American Indian horse breeds. But what types of horses are they? Let’s find out all about the most famous American Indian horse breeds!

What Horses Do American Indians Ride?

American Indians are renowned as expert horse people, and some of the most famous horse breeds today owe their origins to historic native American people. These tribes have been selectively breeding horses for many years, picking only the best horses to breed from.

The result is a number of horse breeds with similar traits. These are all medium-sized horse breeds, able to carry a medium-weight adult with ease. They are sure-footed and agile, able to traverse rough terrain and steep hills.

The horses favored by American Indians were also prized for their incredible stamina, able to cover many miles with ease. They were able to accelerate, stop, and turn with ease, which was hugely beneficial when herding animals and other horses.

There are also some interesting color variations that have come about from the breeding of American Indian horses. While other breeders around the world favored horses that did not have any white in their coats, the indigenous people of America preferred these horses. As a result, horses descended from these ancient breeds have a much wider range of interesting coat colors and patterns.

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Famous American Indian Horse Breeds

Here are some of the most famous breeds of horse linked to American Indians:

• American Paint Horse

Historically, American Indians preferred colorful horses, and would selectively breed from any with unusual markings. This led to the increase in horses with white pattern markings, as these traits were passed on genetically. For this reason, the American Paint Horse is one of the few horse breeds that can boast pinto coloring amongst the vast majority of its population.

• American Quarter Horse

Now one of the most popular horse breeds in the world, the American Quarter Horse is descended from local Chickasaw horses, crossed with the English Thoroughbred. They are one of the fastest breeds of horse in the world over a short distance, which is how they got their name.

The Chickasaw horses were first obtained in the 16th century from the Spanish and were fast and stocky, but only around 13 hands high. The Thoroughbred bloodlines gave the breed height, as well as increased speed and endurance.

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• Appaloosa

The Appaloosa is one of the most famous Native American horse breeds, developed by the indigenous Nez Perce people from Idaho. This breed is famed for its spotted coat and is now hugely popular around the world.

• Choctaw Horse

This now endangered horse breed was produced hundreds of years ago by the Choctaw tribe of southern Mississippi. This breed was prized for its extreme levels of endurance, able to go on long hunting trips. It is relatively small in size, and is similar in built to the Spanish Mustang.

• Florida Cracker Horse

The Florida Cracker Horse can trace its origins back to the ponies of the Chickasaw tribe. This horse became a popular mount with cattle herders in Florida, and its name comes from the sound of the cowboy’s whips. These horses were the predecessors to the American Quarter Horse and had two special gaits – the amble, and the running walk.

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• Nez Perce Horse

From the same tribe as the Appaloosa, the Nez Perce horse is more sporty than its spotty relative, thanks to Akhal-Teke bloodlines. It is highly sought after for jumping and long-distance riding. They are also naturally gaited and are able to perform a running walk.

• Nokota Horse

The ancestors of the Nokota horse were bred by the Sioux tribe in North Dakota. This breed is prized for its blue roan coat, and many Nokota horses exhibit the Indian shuffle gait. Latterly, bloodlines of Thoroughbred, Spanish, and harness horses were introduced to this breed.

• Spanish Mustang

You may not immediately associate the Spanish with American Indian horses, but Spanish horses are actually the foundation breeding stock for the majority of American horse breeds! The Spanish Mustang bloodlines can be found in many American Indian horse breeds, thanks to horses brought over by Spanish settlers many years ago.

Summary

So, as we have learned, the most famous native Indian horse breeds are those that are descended from horses bred by ancient American Indians. These include the American Quarter Horse, the Appaloosa, and the Paint Horse. In fact, many American horse breeds owe their origins to the horses specially selected and bred by indigenous American Indians.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on native Indian horse breeds! Are you a huge fan of one of these particular breeds? Or maybe you’ve got a question about what the right horse breed is for you? Leave a comment below and we’ll get back to you!

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