Proper management of your horse’s exposure to artificial light is crucial for maintaining healthy circadian rhythms and overall wellbeing. Fortunately, aligning your horsekeeping practices with your equine circadian rhythms doesn’t require expensive technology—simple adjustments to your routine can make a significant difference in your horse’s wellbeing.

DO: Prioritize exposure to natural light.

Establish a turnout schedule that maximizes your horse’s access to natural light, during daytime hours.

DON’T: Leave on overhead lights at the barn at night. 

Instead, use red-light options that won’t disrupt melatonin production and sleep patterns.

DO: Use red lights after dark. 

Install supplemental red lights in your barn for nighttime use or at least replace some of your regular bulbs with red ones in barn light fixtures. Also, consider using a headlamp with a red-light option for night checks.

DON’T: Forget that outdoor illumination has an impact. 

Be mindful that security illumination and other outdoor lighting can disrupt a horse’s cicadian rhythms, even if they are only activated by motion sensors.

DO: Implement gradual lighting transitions. 

For competition horses, consider installing programmable stable lights that gradually transition between natural light and dark periods.

DO: Support natural circannual rhythms. 

For stabled horses, use lighting that simulates seasonal changes in day length—fixtures that mimic sunlight during the day and turn off (or switch to red light) at night.