Bronze, 13’’ x 40’’ x 12’’ The coming of
the horse changed many of the old ways for buffalo hunters. The buffalo chase
on horseback combined the excitement of the horse race with the challenge of
the hunt. The thrill and exhilaration were so fulfilling that it became
addictive to the hunter. The buffalo hunter would put his horse into a full
gallop the moment the herd broke⎯a test of horse speed against
buffalo speed. Each hunter selected a single buffalo and attempted to ride
within a bow's length away. The preferred target on the buffalo was the
intestinal cavity just behind the last rib and back of the shoulder, which
allowed the arrow to penetrate the heart. This method of hunting buffalo became
a real test between man and animal, as opposed to the later mass killings of
buffalo by white men, which decimated the herds. Buffalo are no longer hunted
in this manner, but there was a time not long ago when man, horse, and buffalo
raced over the prairie and the earth trembled!
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