Mystery Item 2.0

I've had this item for quite a while. It was owned by General George C. Marshall and I think it's a horse blanket but I don't know what those letters stand for: RWB. Any help would be great!

 

As you seem assured this horse blanket was owned by Marshall, the initials might be for some type of Army group, institution, etc... I have seen horse names on blankets and I guess names of stables on blankets also. I've searched around for any horse related RWB to Marshall with no luck. Marshall certainly enjoyed riding. I believe he did it everyday. It was a form of relaxation for him. He was getting his riding exercise when word reached him of Pearl Harbor.

--- Susan

 

I have now seen sport type of teams on military bases called RWB Teams. It stands for Red White & Blue. Here is one at Ft. Benning, GA.
https://www.army.mil/article/150647/Team_Red__White_and_Blue_aims_for_veteran_community_interaction

This horse blanket looks in pretty good sharp to have been owned and used by the General back whenever, 1940s, '50s...

 

Thank you so much!

 

How large is it? It doesn't look large enough to be a blanket from the photographs? Blankets cover the entire horse from the withers to the tail. I think it's a saddle pad that goes under the saddle but over the thicker fuzzy pad. These are usually used in shows or parades. I will see if I can find a photograph to post an example.

 

may of had more than one....?

 

Here is a website that makes custom saddle pads. For photographic purposes only.

http://www.r9chc.com/Calvary.htm

 

Scroll down on this page & there is a photograph of a horse with this type of saddle pad.

http://www.tcsoa.org/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=487050

 

The VMI museum and Geo. C. Marshall museums at VMI would be able to tell u if GCM was connected to the object, or may know for sure what RWB stands for. I'm not sure the RWB teams existed back then, but I'm not smart in that area. I'm thinking the way the initials appear, they more likely represented a person. COL. Keith Gibson at VMI is the right person to talk to and send photos to.

 

I actually work at Marshall's home, Dodona Manor, in Leesburg, VA and helped in the restoration of the house in the early 2000s. As a thank you, the family gave me some items and this is one that I got. I actually forgot about it until now