The Buffalo Horse

How They Changed Their Lives One good horse was usually considered worth twenty buffalo skins. The Indian horses are rated as “five-cow,” “ten-cow horse.” This means that the horse has speed and bottom to overtake a herd under ordinary circumstances and place his master alongside of twenty cows, to be dispatch in succession. A twenty-cow horse is beyond price with the Crows and Sioux. Like the Arab mares, they are, as a rule, not to be bought. “I had the best buffalo horse that ever made a track.” — Buffalo Bill What Was a Horse Worth? (americanindian.si.edu) In the early 1800s, on Native trade routes, … Read more

1886

<< Previous  Next>> 1886 Bison History Buffalo Bill Wild West show c1886 Photo by Sarony~LOC   Two years ago (would be 1886) the United States government foresaw that the buffalo was about to be annihilated, and sent a special commission to secure and preserve for its museum specimens of the race. The intention was at first to capture alive a family of bison and keep them in the National park of the Yellowstone, but there were difficulties in the way. At last, it was decided to preserve specimens by the taxidermist’s art, and five superb samples are now at the … Read more