10 Things That Will Spook Riders This Halloween

It’s that spooky time of year — when things go bump in the night, horses spook at invisible demons, and riders are haunted by the scariest monsters of all: vet bills, mystery lameness, and their post–show season bank statements.

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1. The Slight Head Bob That Wasn’t There Yesterday
You swear they were sound yesterday. You swear. But now there’s a wobble in that trot and the vet’s number is already glowing red on your phone like a cursed beacon.

2. The Vet Bill That Arrives Before the Diagnosis
You don’t even open it — you just feel its presence. The paper crinkles on its own. Somewhere in the distance, a card reader screams.

3. The Trailer Interior at the End of Show Season
There’s hay in places hay shouldn’t be. The smell defies science. You find one lone boot sock, a melted peppermint, and what might’ve once been a banana. It’s a horror show in three stalls and a tack trunk.

4. Your Bank Account After the Last Fall Show
“Available balance: $12.47.”
::cries in show fees and diesel receipts::

5. That Moment Your Horse Sees… Absolutely Nothing
No ghosts, no goblins, not even a leaf moving — and yet suddenly, you’re airborne.

6. When the Blanket Bin Starts Whispering “You Need to Wash Us”
You open the lid and immediately close it again. The stench alone could raise the dead.

7. The Tack Room Scale of Cleanliness
Somewhere between “disaster zone” and “archaeological dig.” You find a hoof pick you lost in 2019 and a half-eaten granola bar that might now be alive.

8. The Farrier Text That Starts With “Hey…”
Nothing good follows “Hey.” It’s either “your horse pulled a shoe,” “it’s time to reset,” or “my truck’s in the shop again.”

9. The Mystery Charge on Your Credit Card Labeled ‘Feed Store’
You can’t remember what you bought, but it cost more than your first car.

10. The Ghost of Soundness Past
It appears at night, shimmering faintly in the arena lights, whispering: “Just a little bit off on the right hind…”

Happy Halloween, Horse Nation! May your horses stay sound, your blankets stay dry, and your vet only visit socially.