Besides these, they have a kind of armour something like a coat of mail, which is formed by a great many folds of dressed antelope skins, united by means of a mixture of glue and sand.  With this they cover their own bodies and those of their horses, and find it impervious to the arrow.

The caparison of their horses is a halter and a saddle:  the first is either a rope of six or seven strands of buffaloe hair platted or twisted together, about the size of a man’s finger and of great strength; or merely a thong of raw hide, made pliant by pounding and rubbing; though the first kind is much preferred.  The halter is very long, and is never taken from the neck of the horse when in constant use.  One end of it is first tied round the neck in a knot and then brought down to the under jaw, round which it is formed into a simple noose, passing through the mouth:  it is then drawn up on the right side and held by the rider in his left hand, while the rest trails after him to some distance.  At other times the knot is formed at a little distance from one of the ends, so as to let that end serve as a bridle, while the other trails on the ground.  With these cords dangling along side of them the horse is put to his full speed without fear of falling, and when he is turned to graze the noose is merely taken from his mouth.  The saddle in formed like the pack-saddles used by the French and Spaniards, of two flat thin boards which fit the sides of the horse, and are kept together by two cross pieces, one before and the other behind, which rise to a considerable height, ending sometimes in a flat point extending outwards, and always making the saddle deep and narrow.  Under this a piece of buffaloe skin, with the hair on, is placed so as to prevent the rubbing of the boards, and when they mount they throw a piece of skin or robe over the saddle, which has no permanent cover.  When stirrups are used, they consist of wood covered with leather; but stirrups and saddles are conveniences reserved for old men and women.  The young warriors rarely use any thing except a small leather pad stuffed with hair, and secured by a girth made of a leathern thong.  In this way they ride with great expertness, and they have a particular dexterity in catching the horse when he is running at large.  If he will not immediately submit when they wish to take him, they make a noose in the rope, and although the horse may be at a distance, or even running, rarely fail to fix it on his neck; and such is the docility of the animal, that however unruly he may seem, he surrenders as soon as he feels the rope on him.  This cord is so useful in this way that it is never dispensed with, even when they use the Spanish bridle, which they prefer, and always procure when they have it in their power.  The horse becomes almost an object of attachment:  a favourite is frequently painted and his ears cut into various shapes:  the mane and tail, which are never drawn nor trimmed, are decorated with feathers of birds, and sometimes a warrior suspends at the breast of his horse the finest ornaments he possesses.