Sam Ski Area Management - Index

Sam Ski Area Management - stable_management - Index

Walking into a well-lit barn is a wonderful
experience. The mood is light,
the horses are content and the workspaces
are easy to see. But this effect
doesn’t just happen by itself. You
need to carefully plan your barn’s
lighting to achieve that bright, comfortable
atmosphere.
You can provide good lighting for
your barn in two ways. First, you can
go with a barn design that lends itself
to adequate natural light. Or, if your
barn is already built, you can change
your lighting style and fixtures to
make the most of what good manmade
lighting has to offer.
CHOOSING NATURE
The most important type of light you
can provide in your barn is natural
light. Not only is it cost efficient, it’s
the most pleasant kind of lighting for
both you and your horses.
“For the past 25 years, we have
stressed the importance of natural
light whenever possible in lieu of
man-made electric lights of whatever
type and design,” says John Blackburn
with Blackburn Architects, a
Washington, D.C., firm specializing
in equestrian architecture. “Natural
lighting is far superior to electric
lights for the quality of the light, and
for its impact on the health and safety
of the horse. It’s also important for
energy concerns, which have recently
become much more of an issue for
owners than in the past.”
Blackburn points out that unfiltered
natural light provides vitamin
D, which is good for the horse’s coat.
It allows horses a more natural existence
as well. “The horse is intended
to live in the outdoors, and as soon
as you bring it indoors, you are asking
for trouble,” he says. “Therefore,
a barn should be designed for the
health and safety of the animal. The
owner has to manipulate the horse’s
environment to protect his health and
safety. Lighting is just one of those
elements, and a major one at that.”
The best way to utilize natural
light in your barn is to take advantage
of sunlight wherever you can. One
way you can do this is by using
“THE MOST IMPORTANT TYPE OF LIGHT YOU CAN
PROVIDE IN YOUR BARN IS NATURAL LIGHT.
NOT ONLY IS IT COST EFFICIENT, IT’S THE MOST
PLEASANT KIND OF LIGHTING FOR BOTH YOU AND
YOUR HORSES.”
translucent materials instead of solid
paneling wherever possible.
“Natural lighting is a pleasure,
and with various clear panel products
available, there's no reason not to
design or retrofit your walls and roof
with sections of clear or lightly
shaded material,” says Nancy
Ambrosiano of Los Alamos, N.M.,
author of Complete Plans for Building
Horse Barns Big & Small (Breakthrough
Publications).
Whether you add acrylic panels to
the upper part of your barn's aisle
doors, run a section along all the walls
under the eaves, or add transparent
roofing options such as skylights, you
will decrease the amount of artificial
lighting you need except on the cloudiest
days, says Ambrosiano.
Natural lighting can have one
downfall, however. Remember that
with natural light, heat buildup can be
an issue in many climates.
“Be prepared to either have
shades or shutters you can close
against the hot sun, or place your light
panels where they will be under shade
during the most intense parts of the
afternoon or morning,” says
Ambrosiano. “Midday is less of an
issue for wall-mounted panels and
windows, but that's when your skylights
will take the brunt of the rays.”
Panels made from polycarbonate,
a plastic material often used with metal
roofing, is a good choice for creating
natural lighting, according to Randy
Kear of Randy Kear Barn and Pole
Construction in Maple Valley, Wash.
“These panels are very tough and
resistant to UV rays so they won't
cloud up and become brittle,” he says.
“They are also clear so that they allow
direct sunlight into the building.”
Kear notes that the downside to
these panels is that they can make
bright spots on the floor, which may
prove distracting to younger horses in
training.
GOOD PLANNING
Although experts in barn lighting recommend
that barn owners use as
much natural light as possible, they
recognize electric lighting is also
essential.
Ambrosiano says that owners
sometimes plan barn lighting poorly,
ending up with shadows throughout
the workspace. “Planning for barn
lighting is different from regular
work-surface lighting, since you have
a big, equine body in the way of
things,” she says. Lighting straight
down from above is blocked by the
horse's torso, throwing the stall floor
and the horse's legs and feet into
shadow. “Rather than centering a fluorescent
fixture over the middle of the
stall or grooming area, place lighting
at the corners or wall edges, shining
inward to light lower-leg focus
areas,” she says. “A farrier, for example,
is going to benefit far more from
lighting that comes in from the side.”
When considering the type of
electrical lighting you will provide in
your barn, Blackburn suggests looking
closely at the different types of
bulbs available on the market.
“Incandescent, halogen, energy
efficient compact fluorescent, fluorescent
tubes, metal halide, and mercury
vapor are the types we are most
familiar with, and each has its advantages
and disadvantages or preferred
use,” he says. “We use compact flu-
33 / October 2008