Monday Barn Chores & Fuzzy Horse Coats

It’s the first Monday of October, and if you’re anything like us, you spent the weekend half in a hoodie, half in a tank top, fully confused what season it was. Fall is definitely creeping in—but not before giving us one last blast of sweaty grooming sessions and muddy turnout fields.

Let’s be honest, though: horse girls (and guys) don’t need a calendar to know it’s fall. The signs are all around us…

What We Were Up To This Weekend 🍁

Let’s just say it was one of those “blanket on at 8am, fly mask back on by noon” kinds of weekends. The kind where the horses roll so hard in the mud that you're questioning your life choices by the third curry session.

Here’s what most of us were doing instead of relaxing:

• Swapping out summer gear: Fly sheets and masks are starting to disappear, and the lightweights and coolers are coming out of hiding (and probably still covered in horse hair from last March).

• Testing blankets like it’s a runway show: Will it fit? Will it rub? Why are there three identical ones and only one has working clips?

• Scrubbing water troughs like we’re on a reality show: You haven’t lived until you’ve fought off green slime in 50-degree wind with a toilet brush.

• Fall-proofing the tack room: That one fan from July? Unplugged. All the fly spray bottles? Down to 1%. One lonely pair of gloves you’ll definitely lose again by Halloween? Found.

• Catching horses who suddenly think wind = danger: Because obviously, leaves blowing across the driveway = code red.

Our Horses Are in Fall Mode Too 🐎

Even if they’re still sweating through their girths by noon, your horse knows what’s coming.

You’ll see it in the little things:

• That extra fluff popping up on their flanks

• The way they lean into a good curry comb session like it’s the spa

• The suspicious side-eye they give you when the cooler comes out (again)

• The third roll of the day because their back itches “just right” in the leaf pile

• They might not be checking the calendar, but they’re definitely in on the season shift.

Rolling Into October

There’s something satisfying about this stretch of fall. It’s calm, a little chaotic, and full of those “I meant to do that last week” kind of chores.

It’s also one of the best times to just be in the barn. The light’s golden, the flies are fewer, and the horses are fuzzy enough to hide your questionable clip job from last year.

So if your Monday is moving a little slower today, don’t worry—you’re not behind. You’re just doing it like a seasoned barn pro: one mud boot at a time.

For the rest of Fall…

Bring on the cinnamon coffee, the cooler temps, and the absolute chaos of blanketing debates. We're ready(ish). 🧡