The Horse Catchers Trilogy books in order

The Horse Catchers Trilogy by Amanda Cockrell follows North American peoples encountering horses for the first time, a transformative moment in the continent's history.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 When the Horses Came 1999 Amanda Cockrell Buy
2 Children of the Horse 2000 Amanda Cockrell Buy
3 The Rain Child 2001 Amanda Cockrell Buy

The Horse Catchers Trilogy picks up one of the most transformative events in North American history — the moment when horses, escaped or traded from Spanish herds, reached the indigenous peoples of the interior. Amanda Cockrell follows communities as they encounter these animals for the first time and begin to understand how horses will change everything.

The three books — When the Horses Came, Children of the Horse, and The Rain Child — span generations and track the ripple effects of this new technology across cultures. Cockrell avoids the temptation to tell the story from a European perspective, keeping her focus on the people whose world is being remade.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the The Horse Catchers Trilogy series?

There are three books in the The Horse Catchers Trilogy series, published between 1999 and 2001.

What is the first book in the The Horse Catchers Trilogy series?

The first book in the The Horse Catchers Trilogy series is When the Horses Came, published in 1999.

What historical moment does The Horse Catchers Trilogy explore?

The Horse Catchers Trilogy is set during the period when horses, brought to the Americas by Spanish colonizers, first reached the indigenous peoples of the Great Plains. This was a revolutionary event that transformed transportation, hunting, warfare, and social structures across the continent. Cockrell’s trilogy imagines what that transformation looked like from the perspective of the people who lived through it.

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