Want to know more about the Indian spirit horse? Read on for interesting facts and info on this unique breed of horses as well as the legend that surrounds the Indian spirit horse…
The Indian spirit horse is both a legend and reality. The legend of Indian spirit horses is better remembered as the legend of the ghost wind stallions. This story has been orally narrated down the generations from the Flathead and Nez Pers Indians.
On the other hand the Indian spirit horse is also a special breed of opted horses. The stories of spotted horses originating from the Pacific Northwest tribes are closely associated with key Native American personalities such as Soft Wind, George Long Grass And Howling Elk.
Indian Spirit Horse Legend
The tales of the Indian spirit horses can be found etched into the pedigrees at the Appaloosa site. The most popular sites where the history of the Indian spirit horses can be found include the Lolo Pass, Yakima, White Bird Canyon, Palouse Valley and the Walla Walla Valley as well as the Snake River. The original story dates back to 1762 and variations of the legend of the Indian spirit horses continued to develop until the 1877 war of Nez Perce.
Amongst the popular horses that have been singled out as being amongst the more revered ghost stallions is the ghost horse. This was a wild mustang that went by the name of Wind Drinker. This particular horse was a white stallion that was renowned for its fast pace. In its ability and character the wind drinker was considered to be the most superior of all horses. He was known for his intelligence, grace, beauty, endurance and unmatched speed. According to native Indian tradition he was also revered as a potent medicine symbol.
Because of his amazing abilities the ghost horse was known as the winged steed of the prairies. The horse was cited in numerous locations including Mexico, Oklahoma, Washita as well as South Canada. This highly sought after stallion was eventually rounded in by Vaquero after having been chased down for about 200 miles by a group of professional mustangers.
As the legend goes the Indian spirit horse refused any offerings of water or grass for 10 nights after his capture. The horse eventually died of hunger in captivity in full pride. However as his name goes, the ghost horse was repeatedly cited at numerous locations even after death. The Native Americans claimed that people continued to see the ghost horse up until the mid-1900s. Following this the population of wild mustangs began to decrease in the western plains and hence the Indian spirit horse vanished along with them.
Indian Spirit Horse Breed
It is believed that Russian sailors actually purchased the highly revered medicine horse and later sold it to the native Indian tribes of Oregon and Washington. It is also believed that people came from all over the region to breed their horses with the spotted Indian spirit horses. Many people consider the spotted horses to be
direct descendents of the Russian Akhal Tekes breed as well as the spotted horses of the Russian Don region.
The breed was renowned for its unique characteristics and special traits. Their stamina along with their bravery were amongst the most valued personality traits. The reason why this breed of spotted horses came to be known as ghost horses was because of their spotted skin that gave them a natural camouflage.
