The Lakota men often rode their horses bareback, but sometimes used a pad saddle consisting of a pillow-like pad stuffed with buffalo wool. This pad saddle had stirrups which allowed a rider during a buffalo chase to lean far to the side in order to better shoot his bow. To bring meat home after a kill, a "prairie chicken snare saddle" was used. This saddle had curved deer horns tied to wooden side bars and covered with rawhide. The name reminded the Lakota of traps used to capture prairie chickens.

Beaded saddle blanket of Blue Thunder's oldest daughter