A type of carrier drawn by a dog or horse, much used by the Plains Indians. The travois consisted of two trailing poles which served as shafts, sometimes bearing a platform of rawhide or wood, or a wickerwork basket for the load.
While special poles were used, often lodge or tepee poles served the purpose. The poles were fastened at their smaller ends by a rope or heavy rawhide thong,. They were then passed over the withers of the horse or shoulders of the dog, one pole on each side so the large ends of the poles would drag on the ground. The poles acted as shafts and the load was fastened onto them just behind the animal.
Small children, puppies, and perhaps the more fragile and cherished family effects were usually placed in a wickerwork basket fastened to the poles. For transporting the sick and wounded, a piece of rawhide or rope was fastened to the poles forming a bed upon which the person reclined.
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