Seasonal care

Every season brings its own jobs and its own risks, from spring grass and sycamore seedlings to heat, flies, acorns, fireworks, mud and ice. Pick a month to see what to do and what to watch for, then read the guide for each season.

Month by month

What to do and what to watch for through the year. It opens on this month; pick any other to plan ahead.

October, this month

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

Sycamore seeds, acorns and frosty grass, bringing horses in gradually, getting fields ready, and fireworks.

Autumn careCare tips for October

Jobs to do

  • Pull ragwort while it's smallRosettes appear from early spring and seedlings in autumn. Pull the whole plant, wearing gloves, and take it out of the field.Spring care
  • Worm egg countsThree or four times a year between spring and autumn, as your prescriber advises.Spring care
  • Tapeworm testTwice a year, ideally in spring and autumn.Autumn care
  • Bring horses in graduallyMove from summer turnout to stabling over 10–14 days, to reduce the risk of colic.Autumn care
  • Get fields ready for winterHardstanding around gates and troughs, ditches cleared, and trough pipes insulated.Autumn care

Watch out for

  • Hoof abscessesMore common in spring and autumn, when the ground swings between wet and dry. Sudden, severe lameness needs your farrier or vet.Common hoof problems
  • Ragwort in flowerRagwort flowers from May to October. Wear gloves and a mask to pull it, and remove every trace: dead ragwort is still poisonous.Summer care
  • Sycamore seeds and leavesMost atypical myopathy cases happen in autumn. Clear seeds and leaves, give extra forage, and limit grazing near sycamores to under six hours a day.Autumn care
  • AcornsKeep horses away from fallen acorns until they're cleared, especially after strong winds.Autumn care
  • Frosty grassGrass can be high in sugar on frosty autumn days, says Bransby Horses.Autumn care
  • FireworksFind out when local displays are, keep your horse's routine, and practise any change weeks ahead.Autumn care
  • Short daysWear hi-vis and lights when you ride, and don't ride out in the dark or in poor visibility.Winter care
  • Mud, rain scald and mud feverRain scald is often seen in autumn and winter, and wet, muddy conditions bring mud fever and thrush. Check legs, coat and feet as you groom.Winter care

Too hot? Heat illness first aid

Heat exhaustion can turn into heatstroke, which can kill. If you think your horse is overheating, call your vet and start cooling straight away.

Signs to watch for

A horse's normal temperature is about 37.5–38.5°C.

  • Fast or heavy breathing and flared nostrils
  • A temperature that stays high after rest
  • A raised or irregular heartbeat
  • Too much, or too little, sweating
  • Dullness, irritability or a change in behaviour
  • Muscle stiffness, spasms or weakness
  • Eating and drinking less
  • Unsteadiness, confusion or collapse: an emergency

What to do

  1. Stop all work and move your horse into shade with a breeze.
  2. Call your vet straight away.
  3. Start cooling at once: keep pouring cold water over the whole body, without scraping it off.
  4. Use fans if you have them, and offer water to drink.
  5. Keep cooling, and take its temperature if it's safe to.

Don't

  • Waiting for the vet before you start cooling
  • Covering your horse with rugs or towels
  • Forcing a weak or unsteady horse to move
  • Giving any medicine without your vet's advice
Summer care

Season by season

SpringSpring careSpring brings fresh grass, longer turnout and a moulting coat, but also the year's biggest laminitis worries, sycamore seedlings, grass sickness and worms on the move. What to watch for and what to do.6 min readSummerSummer careKeeping horses cool, watered and comfortable in hot weather: how much they drink, shade and stabling, flies, sunburn, dried-out and fast-growing grass, exercising in the heat, and how to spot and treat heat exhaustion.6 min readAutumnAutumn careGetting ready for winter: sycamore seeds and acorns, frosty grass, bringing horses in gradually, worm and tapeworm tests, preparing fields for the wet, fireworks, and riding as the days get shorter.6 min readWinterWinter careKeeping a horse well through the cold, wet months: forage and water, weight checks, whether to rug, mud and skin problems, feet in mud and snow, turnout and stabling, and exercising safely on frozen ground and in poor light.7 min read

By the numbers

  • 50–70 litresWhat a 500kg horse may drink a day in hot weatherSummer care
  • 3–4 bucketsWhat an average horse drinks a day, says the BHSWinter care
  • 1 in 10Horses and ponies with laminitis every yearSpring care
  • April–JuneWhen grass sickness is most commonSpring care
  • Under 6 hoursA day's grazing near sycamores in risky seasonsAutumn care
  • 56–61%Of horses with atypical myopathy die, says the BHSAutumn care
  • 10–14 daysTo move a horse from summer turnout to stablingAutumn care
  • 40.5°CA temperature above this is an emergencySummer care
  • Every 2 weeksWeigh-tape and fat score through the winterWinter care

Sources

  1. Winter care — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  2. Horse care in hot weather — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  3. Heat stroke in horses: causes, symptoms and treatment — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  4. Laminitis — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  5. Atypical myopathy — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  6. Acorn poisoning — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  7. Equine grass sickness (EGS) — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  8. Risk-based worm control in horses — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  9. Pasture management — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  10. Poisonous plants — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  11. Rain scald — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  12. Hoof abscesses in horses — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  13. Winter hoof care — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  14. Hi-vis — The British Horse Society (accessed 9 October 2026)
  15. Changing horses' routines — World Horse Welfare (accessed 9 October 2026)
  16. Ragwort: how to deal with it in a horse paddock — World Horse Welfare (accessed 9 October 2026)
  17. Fireworks: keeping your horse safe — World Horse Welfare (accessed 9 October 2026)
  18. Tips for weight management — Bransby Horses (accessed 9 October 2026)
  19. Summer management — Bransby Horses (accessed 9 October 2026)