Battle of the Greasy Grass

[BettyO]

I would imagine so, Gene.... the animals are fully tacked and more than likely are as they were fallen - if they are indeed dead or wounded. Surprisingly, there are no arrows sticking out of them -

But I believe more or less that Indians would NOT shoot purposefully horses, as they were considered valuable and were taken whenever possible. These animals could have been felled more or less by gunshots. The US Calvary would also use them to hide behind in case of an ambush and the animals were trained to lie down.....

But yes, this does look like an actual photo of the battlefield -

Good guess. I'll have to check....but on second thought - Comanche was wounded severely in the battle. He was shot several times and as a result was in severely poor condition after the battle. This animal appears healthy, so this is probably a staged photo -

More on Comanche - he was in color what is called a "Dun" or "Buckskin" - meaning that he was a light tan or buff in color with dark points; i.e. a dark mane, tail, and black stockings -- i.e. a really, light colored bay horse. A true "Dun" is called a grulla....and according to one site; "The Buckskin horse in not a mere "color." Buckskins, Grulla and Duns are noted for many qualities that are not characteristic of other types of horses. Their color is an indication of the superior genetic heritage they possess. Buckskins have been long noted for their superior qualities and strength. They have more stamina, more determination, harder feet, better bone, and are generally hardier than other horses." Quite simply, GRULLA is a horse color. Sometimes confusing people, it is also known as GRULLO, but means the same thing. The International Buckskin Horse Association, for example, calls it grulla, whereas the American Quarter Horse Association will call the same horse grullo. In coloring, the Dun Factor gene is what turns a sorrel into a red dun, a bay into a dun, and a black into a grulla.