Lights On

[ZiaLand]

I'd like some advice from those who've had experience with putting their mares under lights. (It's getting to be about that time.) I'm going to be installing a light system for four stalls with attached 30' x 70' paddocks. Right now I'm thinking that fluorescents would be best in the stalls from an energy savings standpoint. Can anyone recommend the best type of lighting to install in the paddocks? Is there a system available specifically for this purpose? Also, is there a particular type of fluorescent lighting that works best....white light? Natural light? Soft white?

Another problem I have to address with this system is that the resulting hair loss will present some problems. I'm at 6800' elevation so it can get cold here in the winter. I don't believe in blanketing broodmares, so I am thinking I'm going to have to put in heat lamps with a temperature sensor that will come on in the stalls if the temp falls below 50 degrees. Any advice on that?

Thanks all,
Laurie

[TEXAS]

If your mares have already put on winter hair ... it is too late for the light system... don't forget the timers... 16 hours of light is the norm ... texas

[ZiaLand]

Thanks Texas. Thought I'd set them from 4am to sunup and sundown to 8pm. I don't have any "next door" neighbors, but I think running lights late into the night may create a light pollution problem.

Laurie

[Joe]

Heck Laurie, this is horse business. I know people up here who moved next to mushroom farms then went to the township and complained about the smell. Usually a light bulb will work, from my experience, if you don't have flourescents. The flourescents are cheaper to run and usually you can get them at sales. The only bad point about them is if a ballast goes bad, a light bulb usually just burns out. You are starting early though.

[Roguelet]

We put open mares under lights every year, usually starting December 1st. We have harsh winters here, but I've never had a problem with the lights stimulating premature hair loss, and I've never had to worry about blanketing. I keep mares in at night under lights and out all day in the normal weather. I don't have them in a heated area... I just want the light, not the heat. We've used different types of lights, but the general rule we use is that you should be able to read a newspaper in all corners of the stall. If you can, there's enough light. That's always worked pretty well for us. Good luck!

[ZiaLand]

Thanks Joe and Roguelet. Getting the lights at a sale is a great idea that hadn't occured to me, Joe. My husband is a general contractor too, among his many other talents. Rogue, thanks for the advice on the light intensity. I was reading about these special gauges that are needed to determine candle power, etc. Sounded pretty complicated. Seems your method is easier and just as effective.

I appreciate all the info.

Laurie

[chiggins6]

LOL! Everytime I see the title of this thread I think its the name of a horse, Lights On, then I think, sister of Lights Off, then I think how cool would be the name Wax On or Wax Off, then I think naw, that's stupid, then I think Lights Out, that'd be my filly.

[ZiaLand]

LOL Cheryl! Just for fun I had to go run those through the database query.

Nope...there's no Wax On, no Wax Off, and no Wax On Wax Off.

Laurie

[Ruffian]

I'll be putting all of my mares under lights from end of November - beginning of december. (usually around the sales time, which here is end of nov or beginning of dec) So that when the new mares come they can go straight into the routine, I usually will put ALL mares (infoal/barren/maiden) under lights as I feel it is beneficial to all, I have never had any problems with the hairloss/gain. The lights never seem to change that as they still know it is cold- they just think global warming is going the wrong way I also as a matter of course this time of year feed 3 x a day (instead of the Spring-Summer 2 x) which I feed at 8 am, 4 pm & 12 am. They get their lights on from 7am they go out. Then when they come in they get lights on until 12 am. (natural light being from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm here). Just how I do it, & touching wood I usually have quite decent results. Which keeps everyone happy

[ZiaLand]

Thanks Ruffian. I thought that seemed odd when I read about the hair loss or lack of hair growth being caused by the lights, because I thought the winter coat was triggered by the dropping temperatures, not shortening daylight. Seems more sensible when you consider horses put on a heavier coat during colder winters....not darker ones. LOL

Laurie

[chiggins6]

You know what's funny, folks, up here, new england, folks were saying their horses began their winter coats early this year, mid-august, and that sometimes it indicates a cold winter. There wern't any cold august nights, though, I don't think, but who knows how horses sense these things. I just don't hink it could be the daylight, or they would start up growing coats the same time each year, must be more of a temperature thing. Just my thinks.

[TEXAS]

ZIALAND..
A 100 WATT INCONDESCENT BULB IS MORE THAN ENOUGH AND EASY TO INSTALL... IF YOU HAVE COLD WINTERS FLORESCENTS ARE DIFFICULT TO STARTUP AND BURN OUT QUICKLY... (the gas inside the tube contracts and the ignition spark hits a dead end)

Also.. installing a timer at your light switch is easy... and then you don't forget it... or think you have to hurry home when entertaining and miss a good time. (20-30$ for a good digital one)... if you get to the barn early of a morning.. no need for a timer then... just calculate hours and have timer turn on lights for added time in the evening... easier on the brain this way... lol.. and you shoot anyone caught messing with it...

The reason you start before the tilt in the world happens ... here its at labor day..... is to keep the mares cycling right on thru until breeding time in February and then get them infoal +30 days of continued light and then let the normal sunup/down take over. Winter hair before lights is a sign mare is also shutting down... they will grow hair even with lights on because it got colder but hopefully will continue cycling.

A normal street lamp type outside light will work as long as the mare is contained in a 50 foot radius of the light.

Just expect some horses to start growing hair in the spring and not shed until june july... you have been messing with Mother Natures internal clock and she doesn't like that....

This is not a guarantee of getting earlier foals... just another of man's meddling with things that are there... lol

I use lights primarily to keep hair from growing on sale prepp yearlings and mixed stuff... like the new batch I have in my barns right now... lights and sheets are required regima right now... thru january sale time...

Everyone gets a file and check sheet filled out while the owner is present, a video of horse is made while unloading, a new halter and lead rope as they are unloaded, an iodine shampoo bath, an entire regima of shots if no actual vet sheet in their file, ... this is all done prior to their entering the barn.... and a new Baker green/blue plaid sheet is laid on their stall. I truely believe this cuts down on cross contamination of horses from a lot of different barns coming together.

Also... between sale groups when barns are empty the entire inside of the barns are sprayed down with a formula based on 2oz of ammonia 2oz of vinegar per gallon of water... including stall walls, buckets, feeders, feed rooms, wash racks, and walkers.... everything means everything... laughing texas... smells like a pickle factory...

[ZiaLand]

Texas, thanks for all the tips. Lots of good information there. I hadn't thought about the advantages of incandescent bulbs over fluorescent. I was only thinking of energy savings and not the added costs in other areas or the aggravation of a lighting system that doesn't work correctly. It can get cold here, at night especially, so incandescent lights may be a better way to go once everything is considered.

I was thinking about your disinfection routine and thought in my situation it might be a good practice anytime a stall is vacated so it's purged of any potential germs and ready for the next inhabitant.

Laurie

[ColChinn]

Joe Taylor said to use a 150 watt light bulb. Make sure it covers the entire stall. If the mare can get her head into a dark corner, then it will not work.

He also said to keep her under lights until the natural light took over in spring.

[ZiaLand]

Thank you for the information, ColChinn. And welcome to the message board.

Laurie