Horses were an integral part of the Native American society by the mid 19th century. The Plains Indian society was changed by it’s ability to move frequently, hunt  buffalo herds as they roamed, and quarrel with other tribes. Wealth and power often equated with the number and quality of horses the chief and his family owned. It was common, because of their value, to obtain horses by any means possible like the braves stealing “ under the cover of darkness”.