Fall Grooming Survival Guide: Fuzzy Coats, Mud Legs, and a Lot of Hair Everywhere

It might still feel like late summer in the afternoons, but September mornings don’t lie. Fall is here, and your horse knows it.

One minute you’re brushing off fly spray, the next you’re wearing a jacket, and your horse looks like he’s sprouting a new wool sweater. Between early coat changes, dew-soaked bellies, and mud that somehow reaches under the saddle, fall grooming season is officially in full swing.

Before the cooler days get ahead of us, here are a few tools and habits worth adding to your daily barn routine.

1. Curry Like a Pro (Yes, Again)

Most people expect heavy shedding in the spring, but fall? It’s sneaky. You’ll start to see soft hairs floating off their barrel and sticking to your lip balm like you signed up for it.

Our go-to: Soft rubber curries, Betty’s Best Strip Hair tool and Epona’s Sed Flower. They loosen up the fluff, stimulate circulation, and give you a front-row seat to any weird skin stuff before it gets gnarly. 

2. Mud Season? Already?

Look, we love a good fall ride, but mud on the legs + belly = an hour of brushing just to start the grooming session. And somehow, it’s always in that one impossible-to-reach armpit zone.

Fix it fast: A stiff-bristled brush does a better job on dried mud than your soft finishing brush. Bonus points if you keep a separate one for legs, it’s like not using your kitchen sponge to clean the toilet. Just… don’t.

3. Fall is Basically Skin Funk Season

Add fuzzy coats, sweat under tack, and just the right amount of humidity, and bam rain rot, scurf, and all the usual suspects.

What helps: Daily brushing, even on your “I’m just here to say hi” barn days. Light leave-in sprays or conditioners (Eqyss Marigold Spray is Brooke’s favorite) help, too—especially if your horse wears a blanket and starts to rub.

4. Pick Hooves Like It's a Sport

Thrush doesn’t take days off. Wet weather and squishy footing make it even easier for bacteria to throw a party in and around your horse’s frog.

Stay ahead of it: Clean hooves daily. Check for soft spots, bruising, or flare. And don’t be afraid to spritz a little treatment in those grooves if it smells… suspicious.  Groom’s Hand is one of our favorite products for thrush.

5. Cooler? Yes. Clipping? Not Even Yet.

Your horse doesn’t need a full body clip to benefit from a good post-ride cooler. If they’re sweating even a little, cool air can slow drying and leave them chilled, cranky, or itchy.

Keep it easy: Toss a basic fleece cooler or even a clean towel in your tack box. Just enough to help wick off that moisture and keep ‘em cozy while they dry.

Our Fall Grooming Reality Checklist:

• Curry daily (and wear chapstick at your own risk)

• Have a stiff brush locked and loaded for mud season

• Spot skin funk before it turns into full-on horse acne

• Pick hooves like you’re prepping for a competition

• Dry off sweaty spots before they become science experiments

• Wash your brushes once a week… or at least before Halloween

Fall is one of the best times to hang out in the barn. The air is crisp, the flies are finally gone, and your horse is extra cuddly with that fresh coat coming in.

Take a few extra minutes in your grooming routine this month. It’s worth it for their health, and honestly? There’s nothing better than stepping back from a clean horse who just rolled and ruined it anyway.

See you out there, fuzz and all.