The horse barn is the home for your horses. Just like humans want well-lit houses so does these majestic animals. Horses are beautiful animals; they help in providing a lot of work support and are used in sport like polo and horse race, they also form important part of armed forces in many countries. For those who know what it means to have a horse barn, they must know how important it is to keep it well-lit and ventilated.
Lighting is paramount for horses to stay in their places comfortably and for humans to work in and around them. It is essential to keep the stalls, the aisle, walkways and the storage well-lit in the horse barn. Also, the place where the hay is kept for horses must be adequately illuminated to avoid any other rodents or bugs from contaminating it.
Why is it essential to light horse barns?
A close study by Veterinarians and other horse breeding experts have revealed that a light period of sixteen hours is essential for breeding healthy horses. Now this means that you need to supply artificial light after sunset for the horses to get 16 hours of light time. Sixteen hours of light and 8 hours of dark are considered most apt for horse barn that breed horses.
All this is directly linked to the health of the horses that live in the barns. Horses that do not get an adequate amount of light each day, have unstable growth and may face many health issues that can cause low breeding especially during the ovulation time. Those barns that breed horses are required to supply 16 hours of light time to the horses at least two months before they start to ovulate and are ready for breeding.
Important things you should know about lighting horse barns
1. Type of lights
The type of lights used in horse barns is different from those that are used in households. There are special commercial grade lights specially designed to meet the light requirement of a barn that should be used.
2. Heat generation of lights
Avoid use of halogen lights or focused light in the barn. The halogen lights can get very hot and may cause a fire. While fluorescent lights are more commonly used as that provides equally distributed lights in the barn.
Special care must be taken in places that have an extreme temperature. Too hot or too cold, both temperatures must be considered while planning the lighting of horse barns.
3. Installation
All light bulbs must be placed at a proper distance and must be adequately enclosed using a metal frame or cage. It will help to provide both lights and restrict the animals from tampering with the light and hurting themselves.
Electrical switches must be of industrial grade quality and moisture proof to prevent shocks and other hazards. Such switches should be installed where they are easy to reach by the keepers rather than the horses.
4. Proper power supply
The lights used must be of adequate voltage. Not high to cause glare or shadows but enough to provide proper lighting and visibility.
Safety of horses is paramount when it comes to lighting. All light bulbs must be of an industrial grade and must be installed out of reach of horses.
5. Better lighting for horse
For those, you breed horses they must be aware of the light conditions that are required for horses but for those who keep horses as pets on farms must take due care of these instructions. No matter you keep a single horse or a few as pet, proper lighting of stalls and safety of these animals are essential.
6. How lighting affect the horse’ behavior in the barn
Animal experts have revealed through a study that horses cannot judge shadows and glares and they quickly get distracted by it; leading to unbalanced and violent behavior due to anxiety. If not checked it may cause harm to animals and injury to people working around them. You must have noticed horses wearing eye shields; this is to prevent them from looking at their shadows or light glares and getting distracted.
To breed healthy horses, barns pay a lot of attention to the quality of light and ventilation. Those that can afford have automatic control panels and lighting systems that tend to maintain the amount of light and control the light timing uninterruptedly. But for those who cannot afford such expensive panels may use proper placing of lights and manage light time accordingly.