Autumn Equestrian Checklist
The season’s decision points, not a shopping list.
What to adjust for horse, yard and rider between late September and November on Mallorca, in the order it tends to matter.
Work through it in September, not the week the weather turns.
Most items are routine, not purchases. Buy last.
Light & Routine
- ✓Move two rides a week to the morning now, while it is still a choice
- ✓Yard and arena lights checked and bulbs replaced while it is easy to see
- ✓Hay nets and water checked before dark, not after
- ✓Turnout times rethought around a shorter day rather than squeezed
- ✓A headtorch that works, in the car, not in a drawer at home
Coat, Clip & Rug
- ✓Winter coat coming through? Normal. It follows daylight, not temperature
- ✓Unclipped, living out, light work: usually no rug through autumn
- ✓Sweating heavily in work? Plan a clip for later in the season, and a rug to go with it
- ✓One light waterproof (0g) ready for the wet, windy weeks, nothing heavier yet
- ✓Grooming lighter on the coat, more thorough on feet, legs and tack areas
Feet & Ground
- ✓Feet picked out daily as ground shifts from hard to wet and back
- ✓Farrier cycle kept tight. October is when summer-dry feet start to show cracks
- ✓Drainage at gateways, troughs and shelters sorted while the ground is workable
- ✓A dry, firm standing area if fields turn deep
- ✓Sudden rain after a dry spell: check for thrush and softened soles in the days after
Flies & Sun
- ✓Fly mask and repellent stay in use on warm, still days into October
- ✓Sweet-itch horses: protection continues until nights are genuinely cool
- ✓Sun cream still on pink noses through September and often October
- ✓Horses in work still sweating: electrolytes only for those sweating noticeably, not by default
- ✓Water intake watched as temperatures fall. Drinking often drops before it should
Rider Kit
- ✓A light, stretchy mid-layer you can ride in
- ✓A genuinely waterproof shell for the wet weeks, sized to go over the mid-layer
- ✓Thin, grippy gloves for wet reins and cold early mornings
- ✓A waterproof yard or country boot for chores, so the riding boots only ride
- ✓Helmet checked: strap, lining, purchase date, any knock you have not written down
What Can Wait
- ✓Can wait: a heavy rug until the horse is clipped or a cold, wet week is forecast
- ✓Can wait: winter feed changes until the grass has actually stopped
- ✓Can wait: an insulated jacket until the first morning you wanted one
- ✓Cannot wait: the earlier routine, the lights, the farrier, the drainage
- ✓Cannot wait: reading the forecast for rain and wind, not the calendar for a date
Autumn is a change of routine before it is a change of kit. Do the routine first.
Adjust the routine for shorter days in September, before the clocks force it.
Rain and wind, not temperature, decide when a light rug earns its place.
Feet, drainage and insect protection need attention before the mud and after the flies would normally have gone.
General guidance for a Mediterranean autumn. Rugging, clipping and feeding decisions for an old, clipped, underweight or unwell horse belong with your vet.
