on the subject of granite hammers vs. granite horse tethers

[larson1951]

i talked about this on another thread yesterday
i will copy and paste it here also
the first series of images show a well used hammer probably used for breaking bones or building earth lodges
the second one with only polish is a horse tether
i also show the tool that was used to make the grooves on these implements
it is a hammerstone
i have quite a few which is why i don't always pick them up anymore
should i send you one just like it?
a lot of those were used to make the groove on a huge cantalope sized hammer
you know....tap,tap,tap,then grind and rub and grind and rub to make the groove
an old sioux indian lady who was working at the catholic church in fort yates told me some things about these pcs
she said "i bet you boys don't know what all the uses of those were for", we said "no we don't, please tell us about these stones with grooves"
they had a display of at least 50-100 of them in the basement
she told us that the ones with heavy impact usage were hammers, but the same ones that showed no use were horse tether weights for keeping the horses close by
steve

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[MObushwhacker]

You need to keep in mind that the horse was introduced to the Americas by the Europeans and I believe were used mostly by the plain Indians at a time when the stone age was fast disappearing from history

[flintdigger]

Very intersting post & artifact's Steve.

[Ohio_Doug]

A rock of that size was used to weigh down a horse? I'm thinking NOT. Lets not let folklore steal our common sense. I'm just saying...

[SOHIO]

[larson1951]

its apparent you don't know what a horse tether is, if you google 'horse tether' you will see lots of them, most are cast iron with a handle on them and come sizes from ten to twenty pounds, i have three of them a ten, a twenty, and a twelve pound all cast iron, in addition to the sioux indian piece i posted and also one on the front porch of my grandfathers house, which is still there
it was common for people to carry them in their horse drawn buggys so when they stopped they got out and set the weight on the ground and it kept the horse from walking away, the indians made theirs from granite field stone, and it is common knowledge in the dakotas, and not folk lore
i said these were used to keep the horses close by, not to weigh them down, when general custer and his army were massacred those indians were on horses.......folklore?
when i was a kid on the farm we hauled hay with draft horses and used them then, in fact the last time i was at the old farm there was one still sitting where my grandpa left it, and it was just like the one in the picture,
i have found lots of horse mandibles on the site i hunt and they are there mixed right in with the buffalo bones and artifacts, this is fact, not folklore
i am only posting to offer information, and I read this website every day to gain information and i am thankful for it
larson1951
steve

[joshuaream]

It seems like there are a lot of people who know very little about horses. The tether isn't like a dog leash that has to withstand the strength of the horse, it's just enough weight to gently provide tension when the horse moves. If you watch Amish horses, they pull against their tethers when something spooks them, it's comforting and keeps them relaxed. Might be all of 15 pounds.

[joshuaream]

It seems like there are a lot of people who know very little about horses. The tether isn't like a dog leash that has to withstand the strength of the horse, it's just enough weight to gently provide tension when the horse moves. If you watch Amish horses, they pull against their tethers when something spooks them, it's comforting and keeps them relaxed. Might be all of 15 pounds.

[Edmundruffin]

It seems like there are a lot of people who know very little about horses. The tether isn't like a dog leash that has to withstand the strength of the horse, it's just enough weight to gently provide tension when the horse moves. If you watch Amish horses, they pull against their tethers when something spooks them, it's comforting and keeps them relaxed. Might be all of 15 pounds.

Using a horse tether is a European (not Native ) practice. As stated the horse was introduced long after the stone working phase on the Great Plains. We use a small section of railroad track, six to eight inches with an old horseshoe welded on top as a tether.

[larson1951]

thanks joshuaream, i am glad you chime in on this subject
however edmund is right it is a european practice...... (and the Indians did it also)
the older lady at the church in fort yates said they would use them when she was young
i always remember on the movie series 'Gunsmoke' when old Doc would go to someones house or go fishing in his buggy the first thing he would do is get out and grab his little tether and place it in front of his horse and loop one of the reigns through it

[larson1951]

yes thanks 11KBP you are right
i like the images you posted, it helps explain

[SOHIO]

ya learn something new everyday, thanks for the post larson. I know nothing about horses. I traded a honda accord for one once though, she was very old and could barely get around. Didn't realize how old she was when i traded for her. She could barely stand sometimes. Would like to get another horse though to take out on some trails. Some of my "colleagues" have mentioned that they think I should get a donkey to accompany me on my excursions into the wildernesses I frequent, seeing how I am sporting the mountain man look this season

[Michael Karr]

It was nice talking you about this.....Mike

[Hot zone]

When found near water a canoe anchor, to tie down a tipi, used for hide stretching or horse tether. I imagine it would be handy for many uses. At a garage sale it helps sales to have an answer for: what was it used for? No matter the intended use a good find!

[RGINN]

I do not discount the stone tether weight idea for Indian horses. They weren't meant to keep the horse in one place, just to keep them nearby. Horses were very important to the Plains tribes. Horse stealing was also a great way to pass away the dull times. Horse herds, which could be pretty immense for the average plains village, were constantly guarded by young boys. In times of threat by an enemy, whether a hostile tribe or the US soldiers, men would keep their best horses close to the house, and tethered. Flintworking pretty much went the way of the dinosaur after trade was established with the Europeans (disagree if you will, fine, but probably no southern plains Indian born after 1850 mastered flint knapping or needed too). They captured picket pins from the US soldiers and tether weights from the Spanish and knew their use, and in a pinch a rock would still work. As for folklore, the old story of tying a lead rope from the horse to your wrist is probably pretty much that. Might have happened once, but go try it and see how you sleep.

[ByroninTn]

We find the same type stone here in east tennessee. They are net weights used by the indians, for fishing, much like the weights in a seign.

[Gold Maven]

Very interesting, I've grown up around horses and never heard of this kind of tethering.
All the old books I read about prospectors, and mountain men always hobble their horses with a strap, so they can move around and graze but not run off.
I guess with a tether you leave the bridle on? Or Tie a rope around the neck?

[RGINN]

Depends on the part of the country, Gold Maven. The first Europeans the Southern Plains tribes had much contact with were the Spanish. The Spanish used tether weights. A 25 pound iron tether weight with the visage of a Spanish knight embossed on it was plowed up in a field in southwestern Oklahoma many years ago. It was immediately pronounced lost by the Coronado expedition, but more likely was something captured from the Spanish or Mexican Lancers by the Comanche or Kiowa. Along with a lot of the Spanish bits, spurs, chain mail, etc. found in SW Oklahoma that people attribute to the Coronado expedition or Spanish entradas. Probably mostly trophies of war. The Comanches were a little bit quicker than most tribes at adopting equipment captured to their use. There is some evidence that they studied Spanish cavalry formation and copied them with their own horsemen. For their environment and times, a tether weight would work well. With the bridle on and the rein attached to the tether weight, a quick cut of the rein above the tether weight and you were ready to go. A hobble would take a little bit longer to undo, then harness the horse. Seconds seemed to be shorter at times on the plains. Course, just my general idea and probably lots of other scenarios.