Piapot and Other Great Horsemen

The Rhyming Horseman of the Qu'Appelle
Copyright 1978 by Grant MacEwan.
219 pages.

The Crees had been the first western Indians to enjoy the advantage of guns, which they obtained from the Hudson's Bay Company. For a while they were able to use their new "secret weapon" to drive back the Chipewyans of the northwest and the Blackfoot of the southwest. But once on horseback the Blackfoot were again able to retaliate successfully. In time the Crees obtained horses too and used them to overpower the Assiniboines. Soon all the prairie tribes had mounts.

Having to answer for the sins of introducing smallpox, guns, and whiskey the Europeans were at last able to take credit for something useful. The Indians were quick to make full use of their horses. The result was a complete change in the Indian way of life. Horses did as much for the prairie Indians as mechanization and electricity combined did in a later generation for all North Americans. And the way Piapot sat on his horse and controlled it testified to the rapid advancement of native horsemanship.

The old philosopher had more for the young man's ears. "The Great Spirit instructs you and me to treat our horses with the same consideration we give to our families. He has the same regard for one of His children as for another. We owe the same kindness to them all."

The day came when, on the street of Fort Qu'Appelle, the young man felt the thrill of the chiefs "strangely sensitive hand" on his shoulder, "felt the latent power in it." As the younger one gazed intently at the expressive Indian facelooking more and more like an open book of history written in an unfamiliar language - he also made note of the pinto horse which had carried the chief for years. The animal, like its rider, bore the marks of privation and had long since ceased to be gay and handsome.

To Stanley, already thinking seriously about horse history, the old pinto was also tinged with romance. Here, surely, was the perfect representative of the most distinguished group of pioneers in the entire animal community; it would be easy to see a relationship, though devious, with those runt-size ancestors of the horse, no bigger than a fox terrier, which had evolved on this continent and may have supplied the most effective seed stock for the world.

Oh, to know more about them and about their relationship to horses of other breeds-Arabians, Thoroughbreds, Hackneys, Clydesdales, Percherons, Mustangs. On one point the evidence was clear: the tired-looking old pinto, like the chief himself, had roots penetrating deep enough to make the immigrants from Europe and their imported breeds look like upstarts.

In the absence of a saddle, Stanley's old friend had a strip of Hudson's Bay blanket to cushion the sharpness of lean backbones. And instead of a conventional bridle with bit, he used rawhide reins fastened to a loose loop of leather which circled the horse's lower jaw just back of the incisors. His gear was simple, and yet horse and rider moved in perfect unison. It was like the harmony produced by two artists singing a well-rehearsed duet. Even at his tender age, Stanley was fascinated and did not forget.

He listened at every opportunity for the older horseman's words of wisdom, especially his horse lore. In keeping company with humans, the chief told the boy, a horse's most reliable guide is its sense of smell. A horse can tell by the scent when a horseman is nervous or angry. In the same way the animal is often warned of danger. The Indian mentioned that when a horse is in doubt about a person, it will extend its nostrils close to that individual and make another and confirming scent test. Piapot related that even wild stallions who sniff repeatedly at a man's blankets will come to accept him, even though they would instinctively fight anyone else.

Horses are sensitive and know more about the people around them than we realize, the chief said. Their hearing is intensely acute, and a harsh or angry voice will frighten them, just as words spoken quietly will bring assurance. When a horse and person get to understand each other as they should, he added, there is no longer a need for a bit. No horse is trained until a word from the horseman or a touch from his hand or heel will do. "Then the horse and horseman are trained."

"My children," he said, "are slow to learn that the low voice of meekness is better than punishment. The one braces the heart of a horse; the other brings exhaustion."

Harrison listened intently, more impressed by Piapot's words than by those he had heard from any other horseman. He was a ready candidate for the ethic of kindness to animals and soon became its exponent. Throughout his long and successful career, he treated his horses with respect and sympathy such as one person might accord to another. The trainers of his racing stock said he spoiled his Thoroughbreds with kindness and good feed, and one of the men admitted, in Harrison's absence, that his first act upon taking over a candidate for track training was to give the horse a bit of physical punishment as a lesson in discipline. Harrison was well aware of differences in training techniques, but he patiently repeated his instructions: "Nobody abuses my horses; if we can't win races with kindness to our animals, we'll just have to be satisfied to be losers."

A great motivating force in Harrison's life was the longing to see horses and all animals treated with consideration and kindness. The demands of frontier farms were particularly harsh for work animals; emaciation, bleeding harness galls, and broken spirits were the results. It was shocking to see, more so because so many owners were too engrossed in their homestead duties to even think compassionately about the suffering of their animals. The old Indian did not overlook it and his words gave strength to the younger man's convictions.

The old pinto was not Piapot's only horse. As further evidence of the chiefs sense of principle, Harrison could tell about a certain big and attractive chestnut which a local English rancher had once wanted to buy. He approached the chief and made what he considered a very fair offer. He expected the Indian to be fast in accepting the cash involved. Instead, Piapot listened in courteous silence and then made his earnest reply: "My son, the horse creature is a gift from the Great Spirit. It is a dear possession and should not be bought and sold. I will not accept your offer to buy my horse." There was a pause, in which the rancher showed disappointment. Then Piapot spoke again. "I will not sell him, but if you like him that much, you may take him. I give him to you. Be kind to him."