| Curly Horse History & Info |
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The horses used by the Sioux are legendary. They were used for travel, scouting, in war, and in the great buffalo hunts. The survival of the tribes depended upon the ability of the men to utilize the horse in harvesting the Buffalo that supplied meat, tipi coverings, tools, and more. The Sioux and the horse had a very special relationship. The horses were incredibly durable and hardy, sure footed, thick boned, fearless, and intelligent.
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Oral traditions say that a few horses in the Sioux herds were held to be very special. These horses were known for their winter hair which resembled a buffalo's coat rather than an ordinary smooth horse coat. Young Eagle records that the Lakota word for these horses was, "Sung-gu-gu-la", which translates literally, "horses with burnt hair". The 1801 winter count drawing by Blue Thunder depicts curly haired horses among the tribe's horse herd. The 1804 winter count by the Lakota Sioux Lone Dog also depicts these curly haired horses being stolen from the Crow Indians to the west. These curly haired horses are also depicted in drawings by Red Horse in the famous battle with General Custer at Little Bighorn and in Black Hawk's drawing books from the 1875 to 1895 period. There were likely never many of these special curly haired horses in the Sioux's horse herds; however they had a very significant status. Many oral legends remain about these horses.
Today, there are very few Sioux-lineage Curly Horses remaining. These survivors are descendants of Chiefs Sitting Bull and Big Foot's horse herds that remained in secluded areas of the Dakotas. A few individuals on the Standing Rock and Fort Berthold Reservations bred the curly haired horses left in the Dakotas by Chiefs Sitting Bull and Big Foot, thereby maintaining the "Sioux-lineage" bloodlines. Eli Bad Warrior, Ernie Hammrich, and Slim Berndt in particular deserve credit for maintaining this breeding. There is something very special about these Sioux-lineage Curly Horses. They posses the legendary curly coat that is very unique in and of itself, but there is more to them than outward appearances. They are wonderful "people" horses and possess a special intellect.
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Two Sioux-lineage Curly Horse mares, Dancer and Curly Bear, and a gelding, Red Cloud, have been donated to Diamond Willow Ministries. The mares are the foundation for DWM's preservation program. Several other breeders have offered the stud services of the very few remaining Sioux-lineage Curly Horse stallions. From these original mares, Tate (Dakota for "wind"), Mato Akicita (Bear Warrior) and Running Star (Wicanhpi Inyanka) were born. These Curlies live on DWM's property adjacent to the Ikce Oyate Christian Center in sight of the tribe's Buffalo herd. |
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The youth have a special love for horses that has been passed down to them by their elders. Boundless opportunities exist for using these horses to make positive impacts. Suicide and poverty rates here are among the nation's highest. The horses are providing a positive opportunity for youth to interact and learn not only horsemanship, but skills that help them cope with the many challenging issues facing them on the reservation.