This is a picture that really got my imagination going. It's called "Fording the Stream" by Henry Farny. However, that's not quite what's going on here. This young Indian boy is taming his horse. It's a method the plains Indians often used. Just take an untamed horse out into chest-deep water. The horse is out of its element. It can't buck without putting its head under water, or possibly losing its footing. The young horse tamer can simply slide onto its back. Plus if the young man should fall off, he won't get hurt. Then he just gets the horse used to him being on its back. The other riders are standing by to head off any trouble, if the horse decides to make a run back to shore. It was apparently a very effective and gentle method of getting a horse used to having a rider on its back. It set my train of thought off in all directions!