Why DIY horse arena lighting?
1. Save cost
Setting up a riding arena lighting can be quite expensive! Just think about a dressage arena and its judges’ needs to evaluate each test. Of course, you can avoid making a contract with the lighting contractors to save money. But you still need to have basic knowledge about lighting. Or at least an idea of the overall project.
Luckily, you can get free lighting advice on this site. So, it is only natural to begin a discussion about the reasons why you better make your DIY horse arena lighting by presenting the obvious reason first. That is, making your own DIY roping arena lighting setup is cheaper. To specify, this applies to a rodeo arena or any indoor and outdoor enclosure for equestrian events.
No matter what equine enclosure you want to light up, you can expect to save between 10% and 40% on standard installation expenses. In fact, you can buy the lights during discount periods and save big. Most solar LED floodlight models do not even require complex installations anyway.
2. Personal style
If you are the type of person who likes to decorate the horse barn and customize the rodeo equipment, you will love making your DIY lighting layout! You get to think about the riding arena in a new way.
Light stops being just the means by which you check the billets and put your foot in the stirrup. For example, you can place a spotlight to highlight the starting gate. Or to create a luminous path for unique group lessons. By all means, you can opt for several colored lights for your horse-riding business or any equestrian activity in the equine industry.
Most horse shows run for more days, so you might want to add an extra touch of finesse. On the market, you find so many light fixture models that you can establish a theme or even an outdoor light pole style.
3. Customized lighting
Each horse arena has a different size and shape. When you are in charge of the installation process, you choose the type of fitting you want every time. Plus, you do not have to wait for the contractor to say that the item is not available. If you cannot get the light fixture you want, you can start immediately to search for a replacement.
A DIY horse arena lighting project could also mean experimenting with something new. While it might be a daunting task at first, you might come up with something unique as you proceed to build the next fitting. All sorts of new ideas might pop up after a good night sleep. For instance, an intelligent way to illuminate the dressage arena border with LED strip lights.
Equitation classes might benefit from customized DIY riding arena lights. For example, you can provide the teachers with the tools to show the correct form of the rider by choosing products with remote light control.
4. Horse wellness
You can add as many lights as you want to make your intruder alarm system. Sometimes, a security camera is not enough to discourage malicious people. But a few floodlights with light sensors might help you protect the stables or loose boxes from theft and tampering attempts.
Dimmable LED lights with lights sensor could help your horses see the horse trough. Or you could install red lights to stimulate their melatonin production. Basically, you can set up a low-intensity lighting system to check the horses at night without causing them any problem. In fact, red light ensures visibility without disrupting their sleep-wake cycle. This allows you to create a dedicated box stall for medication purposes during nighttime.
Equestrian riders can look after young stock without causing trouble if you place the right lights at different points. With a DIY horse arena lighting truss, you can lead the horse herd toward a position.
5. Prevent stress
Having strangers poking around the rodeo arena could make your horses nervous or spooky. But if you install the lighting system yourself, you will always know how to fix any issue quickly. Even if you need to learn a few tricks beforehand.
In the construction of stables, nowadays, a minimum level of light shall be taken into account. Holes allow natural light entry and extra boards or frames for the installation of artificial lighting. This design is customary for horses that do not have the opportunity of spending time outside and enjoying natural light. So, you should not have any trouble placing the light fixture yourself.
You can easily make use of the following riding arena DIY lighting ideas without any support. Then again, if you go through the purchase and planning phase, all you might need could be an electrician to wire the fixtures up. So, in the end, you do it your way.
Top 5 Riding arena DIY lighting ideas
1. Floodlights for large horse arena
LED floodlights with a large beam angle are the best option for a large horse arena. For one thing, they let you start the equestrian activity immediately. You do not have to wait for the lights to warm up and reach full brightness.
If you plan to host horse shows such as show jumping in the evening, your equine quadruped will appreciate the large beam. In fact, these fixtures allow for the best light distribution.
Last but certainly not least, you need to follow the recommended lighting requirement. Especially if you want to compete at the Grand Prix level. Depending on your association, you need to provide at least 200 to 300 lux across the arena for indoor dressage or show jumping training.
In detail, the adequate lighting level also depends on the level of competition. So, in short, you need:
- 300 lux for indoor dressage and 550 lux for show jumping competitions at the Intermediate level
- 200 lux for outdoor dressage and 300 lux for show jumping competitions at the Intermediate level
- 500 lux for indoor dressage and 700 lux for show jumping competitions at the top level
- 500 lux for outdoor dressage and 500 lux for show jumping competitions at the top level
2. String lights for a small roping arena
Here is a classy and inexpensive idea to ride in the dark with style. With less than 20 feet string lights, you can illuminate a small riding arena. Every lighting strip with a socket spaced less than 2 feet apart will do just fine. Then, screw in several LED light bulbs and let the strip hang from above the fence. You can even create your DIY light poles by nailing pieces of wood and the fence posts together.
If you string lights above a roping arena, you can create lighting solutions tailored to unique horse arena designs. So, it is also a brilliant idea to provide enough light to implement recovery strategies for equine athletes. Both for conditioning after a training session and cooling down after a horse show. Cooling down is as crucial as warming up to eliminate any dross in the horse body.
3. Color-changing lights to create astonishing lighting effects
In the show arena, you can create fantastic lighting effects before and after the equine events. Equestrian sports can benefit from color-changing lights with 16 million colors, such as DMX RGB flood lights. Their long irradiation distance makes them ideal for decorative purposes. For example, you can point a couple of DMX RGB lights to the sky, illuminate the horse barn or equine signs surrounding the dressage arena.
Lighting effects include flashes, fading, and smooth transitions from one color to the next. With a DMX controller, you can set your own profiles and timers in advance. You can also use a wireless transmitter to each light to control them singularly from a distance. Plus, they let you change the beam angle thanks to special inner lenses.
4. Solar lights for hassle-free installation
Choose solar lights to make your life easier around the horse arena. Besides, dealing with a horse’s vice is already enough to break a sweat. The least you can do is installing simple and ready to use lights that provide:
- hassle-free installation (no underground wiring)
- no electricity cost
- dusk to dawn function (they turn on/off automatically thanks to light sensors)
- minimal maintenance
- a portable lighting solution you can repurpose for many other applications
These fixtures use a solar panel to convert solar energy into electricity, which goes into a lithium battery. More importantly, the lamp shell hosts a LED light source with a light or PIR sensor. Some models may come with a lamp power switch, while others may have an inspection box or a controller. Then again, you can choose between regular solar LED flood lights and movable light towers.
5. Portable, temporary horse arena lighting
Often, leg injuries happen due to poor lighting conditions. You might be on the correct diagonal, but your mare shies and then spook. Most likely, a shadow tricked the equine into thinking an imminent threat showed up in the riding arena. But as a result, the horse overloaded the leg and strained some muscles. And now it cannot trot.
Sadly, these accidents are frequent. So, it is a good idea to have several mobile light towers on the sidelines. You just place each LED light tower where you need it most, be it the dressage arena or the horse barn. Usually, they are 6 to 12 meters tall, with a retractable light pole and a generator for temporary lighting. Because no permanent light poles are needed, you save money and time.
Common mistakes of horse arena lighting DIYers
1. Too bright
The horse’s large eyes exert a hypnotic charm on anyone who stops to look at them. In detail, the horse’s eyes are one of the largest among terrestrial mammals. But its sight is very different from that of humans. The lateral position of the eyes on the head allows a panoramic view. Moreover, the field of view is much wider than ours and is about 350°.
While horses need lights to see, too bright light sources can cause them discomfort. So, usually, a light level higher than 500 lux is unnecessary. Except for top-level show jumping events, such lux level is more wastage of electricity than anything else. Plus, too bright light might inhibit the production of melatonin, which means that the horse may have trouble sleeping at night.
2. Too dim
Your DIY horse arena lighting project should prevent any ill-lit spot in the dressage arena. When the light level is lower than 100 lux, the equine can barely see the obstacle, let alone performing equestrian activities.
You might have experienced a similar problem when taking your filly, colt, or pony into a horse trailer. Since a very young age, horses dread ill-lit places. Their survival instinct kicks in, and they turn away. In fact, the horse’s vision is unable to adapt to sudden changes in light intensity. Their vision becomes blurred and confused.
You need to provide an evenly distributed light all across the rodeo arena for safety reasons. Both for the horse’s and the rider’s sake. Otherwise, no bridle or tack will help you calm the horse down.
3. Too low lighting uniformity
When only part of the arena is illuminated, this causes eye strains. Both to the equestrians and horses. Luckily, you can use a simple formula to calculate the optimal lighting uniformity. You should have at least 0.5 light uniformity in any horse arena.
You can get a suitable uniformity value by using a professional lux meter or a lux meter app on your smartphone. For example, by sampling a roping arena every 5 feet, you will get several readings. Among these readings, a maximum and a minimum value will stand out in the end. Just divide the minimum value by the maximum to get the lighting uniformity ratio.
Better uniformity means minimal shadowing and fewer glare problems. If you get a higher value, move the brightest light sources slightly higher. Otherwise, let the weakest ones shine closer to the horse arena surface.
Conclusion
If you use even one of these five riding arena lighting ideas, your DIY horse arena lighting project will be better. Each idea takes into account the five reasons you read about why you should do your own arena lighting system. In a bigger dressage arena, flood lights let you use a larger beam. Meanwhile, you should prefer string lights for a small roping arena. Not only do they help you to cut your expenses, but they dramatically improve the aesthetics of the equine enclosure.
You can take portable, temporary light towers next to the rodeo arena. Or into the horse barn any time you need more brightness to ensure the horse’s wellbeing. Plus, use solar lights to protect your facility and any equestrian from thieves and tampering attempts.
