Menage Floodlights - Avoiding Light Pollution
Having a horse riding arena constructed is a major undertaking and represents a considerable investment too. One key consideration when designing your ménage is lighting. Good floodlights allow you to ride before or after work when it's dark or during the summer months before the sun rises and it gets too hot. But you must be wary of causing light pollution to your neighbours. But what defines light pollution and how can it be avoided when constructing your horse riding arena?
Light pollution
Light pollution is basically defined as the emission of light where it is not wanted. So although you might want your riding arena to be well-lit, your next door neighbours might not appreciate bright floodlights shining directly into their living room or dazzling dinner guests on their patio.
Ways to avoid causing light pollution
It can be tricky to avoid causing light pollution when installing suitable lighting for a riding arena. Horses can easily be spooked by shadows and setting up lighting in order to prevent spillage can create problems with shadowing and uneven distribution. Excessive shadowing can also cause problems for show jumpers as it can present a false ground line in front of the fences and interfere with the horse's perception of height and spread.
Light directed onto the arena surface can make the area around the perimeter fencing appear super-dark. Therefore, anything emerging suddenly from that darkness can be extremely frightening to a horse; even a curious possum jumping up onto the fence from the darkness outside the ménage could lead to an accident!
One effective way of solving both problems is to erect some form of physical shielding around the perimeter fencing of the ménage. A good solution is Leylandii trees. These are fast-growing conifers that quickly reach a sufficient height to prevent light from spilling out of the ménage whilst forming a physical barrier that gives horses exercising inside it a feeling of security.
Contrary to what you might think, floodlights that are mounted lower tend to cause more spill and glare than those on higher mountings. You should also look for shielded lights that emit a narrow beam. This allows you to focus the light distribution rather than allowing it to spread randomly.
Lighting is a very important consideration when designing your riding arena. Be sure to discuss the above issues with your construction contractor to make sure that horse arena construction is perfectly suited for you as well as for any potential neighbours.