For Native Americans, painting a warhorse was a sacred act that held power not only in the paints made from Nature but the painted symbols, too.In Native American cultures, horses meant power, wealth and survival. To paint a horse for battle or for a buffalo hunt was a sacred act, believed to enhance power for both horse and rider—spiritually and physically. It was serious business and could mean life or death.Although the symbolism of war horse painting was not monolithic across native cultures