How Did The Plains Indians Use Horses To Transport Their Belongings?
The main Indian invention to assist horse powered transport was the travois. The main part of a travois consisted of two long shafts tied cross-wise in back of the horse’s head with a thick buffalo tendon. To secure the travois in place, strips of buffalo rawhide were wound around the shafts and lashed to the crosspieces that comprised the platform Travois were made and owned by the women, who took great pride in their craftsmanship. Any woman who failed to remove all of the buffalo hair from the rawhide line, or who allowed its width to be uneven, was considered an incompetent housewife. The tipi lodge cover was also carried by the horse. Getting the cumbersome lodge cover onto a pack-saddle required neat and careful folding. A parfleche would also be strapped to the horse’s side. It was stuffed with dried food. Clothes and small utensils went into a saddle bag.
