#Blogtober Day 6: Handling the season change - top tips

Changing seasons can bring about potential problems for horses and their owners. Autumn months bring a variety of weather conditions that affect horse, their owners and riders, but whilst autumn weather often brings pleasant conditions (e.g. it's not so hot!!), it can also bring conditions that are frustrating and create extra work for both horses and riders.

It's been a long, hot, dry summer and at least our place here in Wiltshire is well over due some rain. I will happily take a bit of mud and colder temperatures after this summer! But my top tip for handling the season change when riding is to have longer warm ups: in the colder weather, especially when it’s a sudden drop in one day, it can decrease not only skin temperature but also muscle temperature. Be sure to give your horse plenty of time to warm up at the start of exercise, make sure the horses stay warm and dry. When it's around +10C during the day, I start using fleece rugs and keep it on during the warm up and cool down walk just to help my horses' muscles stay warm.

For the riders, autumn is here so embrace it. I feel that some people see autumn arrive and automatically go into a panic about winter. Stop! Take a breath, and enjoy the the charm and calmness of autumn, the beauty of nature during this in-between season before the proper darkness and colder temperatures arrive. I am an autumn baby (born in October!) so this is my favourite season but for those who aren't enjoying the season changes, dig out those jumpers and gillets to help you stay warm in the mornings and evenings but sunset views like these make it so much better 🌅⤵️ 

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