The fur is patchwork, believe it or not, and came from an old fur coat. I'm pretty sure its rabbit. All I know is that I have about $5 and 2 hours invested in it, so I cannot complain. For a temporary closure I am using a stretched out black hair tie which is pinned to the back. The hair tie flips over the top of the cantle, and around the pin. It's just temporary til I finish it.