Trail of the Spanish Bit by Don Coldsmith (The Spanish Bit Saga #1, Good, 1987, Pbk, 214 pages, Bantam Books)

In good condition: cover and pages have light wear; pages are very lightly age-toned; pages are unmarked.. ISBN 0553263978

Trail of the Spanish Bit begins the saga of the Elk-Dog People, the first Native Americans of the Central Plains to tame the horse for use in hunting and in warring.

Juan Garcia rode as an arrogant conquistador into the heart of an unexplored continent. One day, on a lone patrol, he was injured and lost. He knew that his chances of survival were pretty grim. But what happened to Juan Garcia on that day changed him forever. The Indians who called themselves ‘the People’ healed him and showed him their ways. In return, he brought them the Spanish Bit - a talisman that transformed their society.