THE FIRST HORSE NATION

 "This newsletter about the history of the first horse nation is dedicated to my Native American friends, and to the horses that came and changed all our lives."

(Susan Klaudt) 

 Long before the Eagle became the national symbol for the United States of America, the Eagle was used in Native American culture. One of the ways it was used was to artistically symbolize the great strength and power of the horse.

I am not a historian by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a lover of Native American people, as well as horses. Oftentimes, they are both seamlessly intertwined in my heart and in my consciousness, poetically influencing me, and making me wonder where the thought of one ends and the other begins. I have often thought of Native people as "America's original horse whisperers", but more importantly, I think of them as people of destiny whose lives are forever joined with that of the horse. 

In the early years of our ministry, when my husband and I were doing mission work amongst the plains Indians, I began to sense that many of the Native people seemed to have an innate understanding of horses. At the time, it seemed a mystery because I knew it wasn't necessarily an understanding that had been birthed from a certain head knowledge pertaining to horses, specific training, or even experience. In fact, many of the Native people I knew on the reservations did not even own a horse, and yet, there was a connection - a connection that seemed to come from somewhere within their heart. Over the years, I would eventually come to believe that the innate understanding that Native people had with the horse was, perhaps, deeper than what met the eye. And I wondered, - could this understanding, this connection, be traced back to the providential hand of God, and the birth of the first horse nation?

A painting of White Cloud calming her horse in an Indian camp. 

THE BIRTH OF THE

HORSE NATION

 I am endlessly fascinated and amazed at the "providential hand" of God in bringing back the horse to his native land. This historical marvel forever changed our relationship with horses, and it signaled the beginning of the first horse nation. Are you ready for a bit of fascinating history? Then saddle up, and let's take a short ride back in time.

Many people are not aware that according to most historical accounts, horses originated in what is now known as the Americas. In other words, this continent was their original native homeland thousands upon thousands of years ago. And then, for reasons not entirely known, horses spread to Asia and Europe, and soon afterwards, the horse became completely extinct in the Americas. Now, here is where it gets interesting. History then records that Columbus brought a herd of 25 horses with him on his second voyage to the western hemisphere in 1493. We also know that the Spanish explorer, Hernan Cortes, brought about a dozen horses to the new world in 1519. And again, around 1539, Coronado brought 558 more horses with him to the Americas on an expedition. Of all the horses that Coronado brought, it is recorded that only 2 were mares.

Finally, around 1592, another explorer by the name of Juan de Onate brought 7000 head of horses with him when he came to establish a colony in New Mexico. Amongst his 7000 horses, there were both stallions and mares. Thank God for a man with bigger vision! The true beginnings of the first horse nation were now in place, and nothing would ever be the same again.    

 

THE HORSES ARE

COMING! 

"I looked over there and I saw twelve black horses toward the west, where the sun goes down ... Then they showed me twelve white horses (in the north) ... Then I turned around toward the west ... I saw twelve head of horses, all sorrels. Then I turned to the south and saw twelve head of buckskin horses. These horses had horns ... As they stood, the bay horse looked to the west and neighed. I looked over there and saw great clouds of horses in all colors and they all neighed back to this horse and it sounded like thunder ...The bay horse said to me, 'Behold them, your horses come dancing.' I looked around and saw millions of horses circling around me - a sky full of horses ..."  

(Black Elk, Oglala Lakota) 

Observant of their natural surroundings, the Native people quickly recognized the beauty as well as the power and usefulness of the horse that had been returned to their homeland. By the 1600's, the birth of the horse nation was well underway. History records that by 1659, the Navajo were raiding Spanish colonies and stealing their horses. And the Apaches were already trading captives for horses by 1664. Historically, we also know that the Pueblo captured thousands of horses and other livestock in 1680 from the Spanish during their expulsion from New Mexico. But ultimately, the trail of the horse nation would lead to the plains Indians, and bring about the birth of some of the greatest natural horsemen the world has ever known. Such was the plan of God whose hand is always providential, and never circumstantial!

The heavens and the earth declare

God's majesty. 

Through the passing of time, and keen observation of the horse, the Native people would go on to harness the power of the horse which would benefit them in every area of their life. It not only changed the way they "hunted and captured" their food, but it changed the way they fought their tribal wars. Later, the horse would also become a central figure in the history of the United States of America. It has been said that our nation was founded upon the back of a horse. If not for the horse, and God's providential hand in returning the horse to his native land, - the lives of the Native people, your life and my life, and all of history would surely have been quite different.

CREATION VS CREATOR

NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER  

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made and my eyes sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.

I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

(Native prayer translated by Lakota Chief Yellow Lark, 1887)        

It has often been said that Native people worship creation instead of the Creator. My personal experience proves that in most cases, nothing is further from the truth. In my early travels doing Native mission work, I discovered a people that loved and honored their animals as God's creation, and in whom they often felt a particularly strong bond with, just as one would might feel towards a sojourner they traveled through life with. 

Long before the presence of white missionaries, history records that the plains Indians often ascribed to what might be referred to as an "animist" religion, believing that all things possessed a spirit, yet were from one God. The Sioux, for example, called this one God "Wakan Tanka", or the Great Spirit. These Native people believed that the Great Spirit had power over every living thing, man and animals, alike.

A young Native praying for rain during a drought.

In our culture today, animals, and especially dogs, cats, and horses, are often considered merely "pets" whose greatest worth is at best temporal, and who seem to serve no greater purpose in our life than their "here and now" companionship. It's interesting to note that modern American is the first culture historically to ever question as to whether animals have a soul or spirit, or whether they will have a place in heaven. It's also important to note that our culture is responsible for animal cruelty at historically alarming rates. Since I'm often asked whether or not I believe animals will be in heaven, I invite you to click on my Archive Button (left-hand column) and click on the newsletter titled, Do Animals Go To Heaven (1-4-2014). I also frequently recommend a book by Minister and Author, Randy Alcorn titled, "HEAVEN". You can find it in most Christian bookstores. Reading his book is a reminder that animals aren't as temporal as some may have thought. Certainly, the Native people have known this all along.  

Historically, Native people have understood and recognized the value of God's handiwork. Long before the presence of the first explorer, or the first white man, these deeply spiritual people saw proof of God's majesty in all His creation. Having felt the call on my life to do mission work with these people and to know about them, I was especially interested in historical accounts of other such mission work. History records an inordinate amount of "failed attempts" to convert the erroneously and so-called "savage" Indian to Christianity by early missionaries. This begs the question, "Why?" I believe the failed attempts were the fault of the messenger, and not the message. When there is a division between the messenger and the message, the mission fails. In other words, as ministers of the gospel, the life we lead and the message we preach must be one and the same! 

The true message of the gospel,

John 3: 16

Here's some food for thought. One of the primary reasons given for the initial low number of converts to Christianity has been recorded time and again by the Native people. They continually challenged the authenticity of the "bearers of good news", and what they commonly referred to as the "white man's religion" for what they considered good reasons. And what did they consider a good reason? For one, many personal accounts report that they rejected the good news in part, if not completely based on their observation of the inhumane way in which they witnessed these people treating their natural surroundings, their neighbors, and their animals, - especially the horse. Today, I believe that we, as ministers, can still learn a valuable lesson from the mistakes made by those who endeavored to share the gospel with the first Native Americans. It' simple. Your life is the best message you'll ever preach!

 Finally, to the early Native, the horse was his friend, his relative, his partner, his means for attaining food, his means of travel, his ally in times of peace, and his war-horse in times of battle. In essence, Native people rightly recognized the horse as a miraculous provision that had not only transformed their lives, but would ultimately define them throughout history and forever more as the first Horse Nation. To God Be The Glory!

  NOTE:

To view pictures of our early mission work, click on Archives (left-hand column) and then click on

Native American Mission Work

(1-4-2014) 

Natural Horse

Faith-Man-Ship

(Teaching biblical faith using horses)

ARE YOU READY FOR THE FAITH RIDE OF

 YOUR LIFE?  

To Learn More... 

WRITE or EMAIL

Susan Klaudt Horse Ministry

P. O. Box 4994

Cleveland, TN 37320

or  

ksworldmin@aol.com