It is September! We made it! If you are like me and live in Florida, or some other miserable hot and humid place, you might be doing a happy dance because you made it through another summer and cooler weather is coming. For me, making it to Labor Day means that I can see light at the end of the tunnel. It is still hot, but not as horrible as the last 3 months have been, and the nights are getting cooler, while the morning air has a bit of a crispness to it that I have missed. Sadly though, if you live in the north, you are probably mourning the passing of summer, as you know that cold and shorter days are around the corner, which means less time in the saddle. Here in Florida, I treat our summers like northern winters and my riding tapers off. Hopefully you read my last blog, so you will know that I spent all summer just riding Gabe down our dirt road and easements, turning him into a nice trail horse and building his confidence.

Hurricane season is just ramping up for the southern and gulf states, there is flooding on the east coast and wildfires in the west, so don’t put away your disaster kits yet. Don't think you are safe from disasters because you are eating pumpkin muffins and putting out the fall decorations.

Regardless of where you live, it is time to start preparing your barn and pastures for the coming autumn months. So, without further ado, here is your autumn checklist!

Autumn Pasture Maintenance:

Re-seed pastures in early fall for cool-season grasses. The month you reseed will depend upon your climate and rainfall. Continue to mow when you see seed heads forming. Removing the stem and seed head will stimulate new growth.

Weeds can be sprayed with an herbicide at this time and another application of nitrogen in September will enable more growth during the cooler weather. Now is a good time to spread composted manure.

Continue to check fencing for broken boards or rotted posts, which may need to be replaced before a winter storm knocks it down.

If you have not had your agriculture agent out in more than a year, this is a good time to have them out and test your soil and develop a plan, especially if you think your pastures need a fall fertilizer. 

Autumn Barn Maintenance:

· Clean out areas where manure and other organic material have accumulated, particularly in high-traffic areas. This will reduce the chance of these areas becoming muddy in winter and Spring

· Freshen up the footing in high-traffic areas to reduce muddy conditions later in the seasons

· Clean barn gutters

· Check electrical wiring for rodent damage

· Remove cobwebs from ceilings and rafters

· Blankets and sheets should be taken from storage and be ready to use

· Plans should be in place to care for your senior horses in the coming winter months

· If you live in a climate where you can purchase and store hay and grain for the winter, this should be completed by the end of September

· Any necessary barn and fence repairs should be wrapped up before the first snowfall

· Pipes should be wrapped in preparation for freezing temperatures

· The cooler weather means this is a good time to work on projects you could not tackle due to rain or heat! Constructing your manure compost pile, addressing the muddy areas, constructing a sacrifice paddock, or removing weeds or dead branches are best addressed before winter arrives

In other Common Sense Horse Keeping news:

Wednesday, September 11, Lilith House Press will be hosting a virtual live event for the release of Common Sense Horse Keeping! Join myself and my publishers, Crissi, and Anna for a celebratory conversation about my book. The event will take place at 7:00 PM, EST and there will be give-aways, including a copy of the book! You can find the event details on my FaceBook pages, at both Common Sense Horse Keeping or Lori Tankel, Author (direct links are available via my website, www.commonsensehorsekeeping.com.)

If you are in the Ocala area, the Juniper General Store will be having a Meet the Author and Book Signing for yours truly on Thursday, September 12, from 5 to 7. If you have never been to this adorable coffe/tea/cocktail/local artist boutique & market, you have to check it out! Owner Polly Benson has created a unique place to unwind, drink your favorite libations, nosh on some gourmet food, and shop the mostly horse and dog-related merchandise from local crafters, as well as items from your favorite small businesses, such as shampoo from Dapple Up and stationary from Hunt Seat Paper Company.

On Saturday, September 14, I will be a guest speaker on the topic of Disaster Planning at the Equine Education Day, put on by the local OPRC (Old Peoples Riding Club) chapter, the Mane Event. The event will be held in Sorrento, Florida, just north of Orlando. If you are interested, email me for more information and address. It runs all day, with topics such as pasture management, saddle fitting, ground work exercises, hoof care and a Dover rep will speak about safety vests and helmets. There will be vendors and raffle items.

If you have yet to purchase my book, Common Sense Horse Keeping, you can go to my website and click on the Buy Now button at the top of the page. You can also order my laminated reference sheets from the barn on the SHOP page.

And for those of you who have purchased my book, Thank You! It is still ranked as the #1 book on IngramSparks in the pet/horse category! I ask a favor though, and that is if you would take a few minutes to leave a review! Even if you bought the book in a brick and mortar store, you can still leave a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and GoodReads! Reviews are so important for authors!

Don’t forget to hug your horse!

Lori