When the Holy People first made the horse, it was a complete thing, but it would not come to life. They tried to get it to rise up on its strong legs, but it would not rise.
Caterpillar was asked to help. "How can I help?" he asked. "You know," one of the Holy People said, "where the sacred flints are kept." "Yes, this is true. But I am slow getting around." Then the Holy People prayed over Caterpillar and he became Butterfly. Swiftly he flew to the Mountain Where Flint Is Kept, and gathering four flints, he returned to the Holy People and put the flints into the hooves of the horse.
The great horse stirred, quivered, came to life. Then it surged, leaped into life, struck the air with its hooves, and galloped off into the clouds. "Look," a Holy Person said,"the horse makes the marks of Butterfly when it dances on its hooves." And it has been that way ever since.
The five horses of the Sun Father are a way of telling time, Navajo style. White shell and pearl horses represent dawn, turquoise is noon, red shell is sunset, and jet or coal is night. really came from a black flute inside its mouth. red stone was used to produce the horse's heart, sun rays its bridle, and that even the dawn played a role in making up its belly, thus dividing it into two parts one black and one white, which meant that it belonged to both day and night.
Navajo Horse Legend
quoted and inspired by Where the Two Came to their Father . A Navaho War Ceremonial given by Jeff King by Maud Oakes