How Horses See the Start of Fall

Fall is officially here. While we’re sipping cider, digging out fleece layers, and snapping barn pics with golden leaves in the background, our horses are noticing something else entirely.

The breeze feels different. Shadows stretch earlier. Acorns fall like warning bells. For them, fall isn’t aesthetic, it’s sensory.

And sometimes, it’s overwhelming.

To really understand our horses this time of year, we have to shift perspective. Not just as riders or owners, but as observers. As partners. As people are willing to slow down and notice what they’re noticing.

The World Looks Different to a Horse in Fall

A horse’s eyesight is built for survival. They’re not scanning the world in sharp detail like we do. Instead, their vision is tuned to detect movement—especially in their wide peripheral range.

That’s why one fluttering leaf or a sudden gust of wind through the trees can send a horse sideways. It’s not stubbornness or “spookiness.” It’s instinct.

As the seasons shift, so does their visual environment:

• Leaves flicker and fall at random

• Shadows stretch and move across familiar paths

• The sun hits objects differently than it did a week ago

• That jacket hanging on the gate? It wasn’t there 

When your horse suddenly hesitates at something they walked past all summer, it’s not because they’re being difficult. It’s because their brain is saying, check again, it looks different 

Smell and Sound: Fall in the Horse’s Ears and 

Fall air is full of information. Horses have an excellent sense of smell—far better than ours—and that matters more than ever this time of year. As plant life breaks down, as grasses shift from green to gold, the scent landscape changes.

Cooler temperatures also carry sound differently. The same tree rustling in July might sound sharper and more sudden in late September.

Add in:

• Acorns dropping

• Small animals moving through dead leaves

• Squirrels sprinting up fences

• Distant engine noise from farm equipment

And you’ve got a recipe for sensory overload. Horses don’t miss any of it. They’re not just hearing more, they’re trying to figure out what it all means, and whether it’s safe.

Fall “Spookiness” Isn’t Just a Mood

There’s a reason even the calmest horses seem just a little more alert in September. It’s not a coincidence, it’s biology.

Your horse isn’t plotting to be dramatic. They’re noticing the world change, and instinct tells them to be on high alert.

That spook at a blowing leaf? That stop at the gate they’ve passed all summer? It’s their brain saying: “Just in case.”

The good news is, we can support them through this transition without overreacting.

Let them look.

Don’t punish curiosity.

Give a longer warm-up when things feel tense.

Stay steady, calm, and confident.

Fall doesn’t have to mean spooky rides; it can mean a deeper connection. You just have to meet them where they are.

What I Try to Remember This Time of Year

• Horses don’t see fall the way we do.

• They don’t know it’s the first day of a new season.

• They don’t feel cozy when the air gets crisp.

They feel change, and to their instincts, change means caution.

So when my horse stops mid-ride to stare into the woods, or tenses at a leaf that wasn’t there yesterday, I try to remember:

• He’s not being reactive.

• He’s being aware.

• And the more I respect that awareness, the more he learns to trust me through it.

This fall, you’re not just reaching for the cooler and the curry comb.

You’re watching your  horse watch the world and trying to see it through his eyes, too.