Boulty
Well-Known Member
I have recently purchased a fal chieftain rug off ebay and tried it on my pony today and it seemed a decent fit in most ways apart from being a tad tight around the chest (can do it up, just, but wouldn't be happy using it as it is esp as pony is prone to getting rubbed on his chest). If the rug just had normal, adjustable buckles across the front of it doubt I'd have a problem as it is really the equivalent of letting it out a few holes and it would be fine. I'd quite like to keep the rug if possible as apart from that it seems quite a nice rug so have been having a look at chest expanders and was wondering if anyone had experience of using the horsewear ones with fal rugs and if they seem to fit ok? I was also wondering what people's experiences were of chest expanders in general (ie do they create a weak point in the rug, do they stay in place, do they make the rug more likely to rub?) Other thing I was considering if seeing if a rug repair place might just be able to lengthen the straps on the front fastening a bit as it really is only a few inches either side that needs doing. I'm also a bit worried that if I get a proper expander that I might wind up with the chest being too big. Just goes to show how much different rug manufacturers can differ as I'm usually having to make extra holes because the chest's too big! Just to add that I can't really go up a size as the cross surcingles will be too long (they're ok done up to the shortest they'll go but I think if I went up a size they'd be too long) and I'm already going to have to replace the fillet string because it's dangling down below his hocks (again pretty common for him, he's only got little legs and most rug manufacturers seem determined that horses in 5'9" rugs ought to have freakishly long legs for some reason!)