I know this is going to sound incredibly goofy, but I made a really
nifty rump rug this past week out of---are you ready for this--a foal
blanket. I got a 48" blanket from the Wiese catalog last year and
hardly used it at all because, as it turns out, there was miraculously
no blizzard in Los Angeles that spring. OK, so I was overcompensating.
Anyway, the chest was a continuous solid piece, no buckles or straps,
so I cut it open down the center of the chest and sewed the exposed
edges. It fits perfectly over Cato's butt, already has a light strap
that goes loosely under the tail, is shaped to fit around the cantle
of the saddle and because I added two snaps on either side, it snaps to
the D-rings of my saddle and stays perfectly centered.
OK, this is more hassle than buying one out of a catalog, but it took me
almost no time at all and it's absolutely perfect. I've had a bunch of
people ask where it came from, so I just had to post this. I don't know
what ready-made rump rugs cost, but if they're more than $45, it might
be worth getting a foal blanket and re-working it a bit, I promise
you'll love it. For that matter, we have used foal blankets at the
local tack consignment store all the time---I don't think I've ever seen
one over $15-20.
Good luck!
Susan
>
> 2) Any recommendations on a helmet light? (Not something I worried about
> in CTR!) I have heard that there are lightweight ones and waterproof ones,
> and that you must sacrifice one for the other. Any good compromises?
>
> Thanks for any & all help!
>
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> |_|__| Kathy & "Shane"
> Camp Hill, PA
> kashank@worldnet.att.net