Seasonal Clean Out: Swapping from Summer to Winter Gear
Fall is one of the best seasons to be a horse owner, at least in New England! The cooler temperatures have moved us out of fly season, but we’re not fully into a winter wonderland. There are beautiful trees out on the trails, you’re not melting while riding, and it’s the perfect time to bring a warm pumpkin spice coffee to the barn. Fall is a nice relaxing treat between the heavy show season summer and the chill of winter. Between all those great crisp days however, there are some seasonal things I always like to tackle before winter fully hits.
The End of Summer
With the bugs fading away but the snow not fully here yet, fall is a great time to review your summer gear that’s currently at the barn. If your fly sheet has been hanging up on the blanket bar for long enough that there’s a little layer of dust on it, it’s probably ok to take that home. Each fall I gather up all of my horse’s fly gear and check it over for damage. Sometimes this damage is obvious, or sometimes it’s more subtle. For example, my horse Winona absolutely ruined her fly mask this year. Granted, it already was a few years old and got more use this summer than it usually does. When I went over all my fly gear, I noticed that the mask had holes in the top of the ears. So much so that the tips of her ears were poking out! Additionally, the fabric over the bridge of her nose had worn away and the mesh that came through was beginning to fray. These damages are something I would consider beyond a simple at home repair, and the mask had to be discarded. Whenever something is discarded I make sure to write it down so I can purchase a new one before the next fly season.
Winona also uses fly boots during the summer. These are a little tricky to review. I like to lay them over a flat surface or a fence rail to see if there is any immediate damage to the mesh. If not, I then check the reinforcements that help the boot stand up. Often times if these are damaged it’s hard to tell when they’re on the horse but easy to tell when flat, as it will make the reinforced piece stand up to hold it’s shape. Winona has a few fly boots that have stitching coming undone, which is typical for how much use they get during the summer. In this example picture, the binding is coming off of the boot. This damage is a little trickier to decide on. I have a sewing machine and sewing experience, so I could feel comfortable making this repair at home. However, if you don’t have that experience it would be best to find someone locally who does or to buy new fly boots to ensure your horse’s safety.
Finally, Winona also has a fly sheet. Luckily this year her fly sheet managed to survive the whole season without damage! When I review a fly sheet, I lay it flat on the ground to start. From there I check all buckles, snaps, and other hardware to make sure that it is still in proper condition. After that, I review the sheet itself for any tears to the mesh or binding. For smaller tears and rips around 2” or so, I will repair these and keep using the sheet. Repairing a fly sheet is fairly easy if you have sewing experience! I recommend repairing these by hand using a ladder stitch. However, if you’re not confident in your sewing it would be best to bring that to someone locally who can help you. Alternatively, I have used patches in the past to repair sheets and find that they work just as well!
Fall Task List
Once all my fly gear is reviewed, I then clean and repair or discard items as needed. Again, anything that is discarded I write down so I make sure to order some before fly season comes around again! I always make sure to clean my gear before making any repairs, this gives me an additional chance to review and damage and make sure that it can be repaired. Also, clean fabric is much nicer to work with and will help with making repairs stronger than if there was dirt or debris remaining on the equipment.
Any remaining fly gear then needs to be stored properly. I like to designate storage bins specifically for fly gear. All the gear that will be kept is folded and added to a bin carefully. On top of the gear inside the bin I leave a note with the details of what is inside, then snap the lid on and store it inside in a garage or basement until the next time it is needed. This way when fly season rolls around next year the gear is clean and ready to go, and I’m not scrambling to find what I need and make sure it doesn’t have dirt from last year on it!
Winter Is Coming
With all the fly gear cleaned and stored, it’s time to bring out the winter gear! If you board your horses like I do, I recommend checking with your barn manager first before bringing blankets to the barn. Some barns have a specific time when they like to start blanketing and may use the interim between fly season and winter to clean any storage spaces for blankets or do maintenance. When I put away winter gear, I follow the same process as I do for fly gear, so it’s tucked away in storage drawers and ready to go. This makes it much easier to bring nice clean blankets to the barn ready to go, rather than struggling with cleaning blankets in the cool fall air and hoping it dries before I have to go to the barn that evening. My whole review, clean, and store method developed from years of battling with cleaning blankets in the driveway in chilly temps. It definitely is a much better plan in my experience now!
With winter blankets at the barn, and fly gear clean and stored until it’s needed again, I can make the most of the wonderful fall weather. I know that the fly gear I need for summer is taken care of and won’t be a hassle, and that my winter blankets are ready to go for when the cold really starts to creep in. Also, by getting this done early I know if I need to buy any new fly equipment there are some holiday shopping discounts coming! I always enjoy fall riding just a touch more knowing that my horses have what they need at the barn when they need it, and my fly sheet isn’t becoming a loving home to spiders in the meantime. There’s just cozy weather, warm coffee, and great views on the trails ahead!