Quirt is an important accessory among the Indian tribes of the Plains, Prairies and Plateau. It was used not only in it's main function - to control the horse, but also to count "coups" (war exploits) by touching the body of the foe. It consists of a rigid haft (handle), a wrist strap of beaded/quilled buckskin or trade cloth, and a narrow lash (sometimes twisted or doubled). The haft was made mostly of elk antlers, horn or wood and in many cases was decorated with an abstract geometric pattern of brass studs or carvings telling about the military exploits of the owner.