34 INDIANS OF THE PLAINS. 



The riding gear and horse trappings that always 

 form an interesting part of collections, naturally came 

 in with the horse and followed European models. The 

 native bridle was a simple rope or thong looped around 

 the jaw. Saddles were of two types, pads, and frame-. 

 The latter were made of wood or elkhorn securely 

 bound with fresh buffalo hide which shrunk as it dried. 

 The Mills Catlin collection contains a sketch showing 

 how one of the saddles is staked down to the ground 

 while the wet rawhide sets in place. Women's saddles 

 had very high pommels and were often gaily ornamented. 

 Stirrups were also made of wood bound with rawhide. 

 Some tribes, the Dakota for example, used highly 

 decorated saddle blankets, or skins; wmile others 

 (Crow, Blackfoot, etc.) used elaborate cruppers. Quirts 

 with short handles of elkhorn or wood were common. 

 In fact, there was little difference in the form of riding 

 gear among all the Plains tribes. 



The nine typical tribes were more or less always on 

 the move. All their possessions were especially de- 

 signed for ready transport. Nearly all receptacles 

 and most utensils were made of rawhide, w T hile the tipi, 

 or tent, was easily rolled up and placed upon a travois. 

 When the chief gave out the order to break camp it 

 took but a few minutes for the women to have every- 

 thing loaded on travois and ready for the march. Even 

 the village group used tipis and horses when on the 

 buffalo hunt (p. 17). The smaller baggage was often 

 loaded upon dog travois. We have no accurate data 

 as to how T the camp w r as moved before horses came into 



