Because of their wide range, the Comanche helped spread horses through trade to more northern PLAINS INDIANS. Through much of their history, they raided white settlements and other tribes to steal horses. They also tracked wild mustangs. The Comanche became skilled horse breeders and trainers and maintained huge herds, more than any other tribe.
Both boys and girls were given their first mounts when they were only four or five years old. Boys worked hard to become skillful riders; then, as teenagers and young men, they used these skills in warfare. A Comanche rider, galloping at full speed, could lean over to use his horse as a shield while he shot arrows from under its neck. He could also rescue a fallen friend by pulling him up onto his horse while in motion. Comanche horses were so well-trained, in fact, that they responded to spoken and touch commands. Girls also became accomplished riders. When they grew up, they went antelope hunting with the men.
As was the case with other tribes of the Great Plains Culture Area, horses enabled the Comanche to travel great distances in pursuit of the buffalo herds, which the Plains Indians relied on for food, clothing, bedding, and shelter. The Comanche lived in temporary villages of
Comanche horse whip
Buffalo-hide tipis year-round, following the buffalo migrations when necessary.
World History
