<P> Trade with the Spanish Trading between Spanish settlers and Native Americans was rare and occurred in parts of New Mexico and California . The Spanish mainly intended to spread the Christian faith to Indians and to use them as slaves for work . The most significant effect of trading with the Spanish was the introduction of the horse to the Ute in New Mexico . Gradually , horses bred and their use was adopted across the Great Plains , dramatically altering the lifestyles and customs of many Native American tribes . Many Indians switched from a hunter - gatherer economy to a nomadic lifestyle after they began using horses for transportation . They had a greater range for hunting bison and trading with other tribes . </P>
what was the first valuable use of horses for settlers in the new world
greater range for hunting bison and trading