User blog comment:Pygmy Hippo 2/Apache Warriors vs. New Kingdom Egyptian Soldiers/@comment-27358240-20190730145114/@comment-27358240-20190731011009

"Bourgmont (in Ewers 1980, 204) remarked in 1724 that the Padouca (the Apache in this case) went to war dressed in “specially tanned” buffalo skins to protect themselves from arrows and added that they also hung these skins over their war horses. Hoig observed:

"The Apaches, having procured horses from the Spanish, also adopted Spanish warring techniques. They began making protective armor of tough, overlapping leather for both themselves and their horses, imitative of the Spanish mail." "

Page 40 of the mentionned book. I think it's safe to say the Apache did use leather armor as battle armor and not for rituals.