# Amount of light needed for covered round pen



## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

It all depends on how 'well' you want to see. You can get away with low wattage bulbs if you're going to ride mostly at night as they will provide enough light to see by. this will save you money in the long run as the lower wattage bulbs can be cheaper to replace and don't eat up as much electricity. I like FarmTek for their lighting.LED Light, Light Bulbs, Barn Light Fixtures, Stable Lighting Fixture, Lighting Outdoor, Fluorescent Lamp, Fluorescent Bulbs, Outdoor Lamp, Exterior Lighting, Grow Lamps - FarmTek

They have descriptions of each light and how much area it covers. I like that they have ones designed for indoor or outdoor use. I'd probably go with ones designed for outdoor use just to be safe about moisture collection.


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## Shosadlbrd (Nov 3, 2013)

STT GUY said:


> Building a 50 foot covered round pen. Gable is 13 feet, top of the "cone" is 19 feet. How much watts of lights or how many lights of XXX wattage will we need for good riding conditions? Lights have to be mounted on roof so as not to shine out from under the cover to meet our "dark sky" rules.
> 
> Thanks


Just curious. Where are you located and what is "dark sky" rules?


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

50 foot is a little tight to ride in. Mine was 55, and OK for breaking colts, but not really comfortable for riding. Mine was lit with lights recycled off an oil rig...I think there were 4 fluorescents in each, encased in aluminum and heavy plastic.


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

Shosadlbrd said:


> Just curious. Where are you located and what is "dark sky" rules?


 
Virgin, Utah. We're just the west of Zion Natl Park. Its VERY dark here, one of the darkest places in the lower 48 states and the stars are crazy bright. We want to keep it that way so we have a "dark sky" rule which controls upward shining lights....basically they are banned.


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

greentree said:


> 50 foot is a little tight to ride in. Mine was 55, and OK for breaking colts, but not really comfortable for riding. Mine was lit with lights recycled off an oil rig...I think there were 4 fluorescents in each, encased in aluminum and heavy plastic.


Basically for ground work and training where the horse can be 100% focused.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

The height of the lights is one consideration, as is the number of lights and their field of coverage. Realize that uniformity of lighting is more important than amount of lighting. Bright and dark areas can be much more distracting than a uniform illumination at the lower intensity. A highly qualified lighting consultant would be well worth the cost. His or her charges would be made up in energy savings.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

The farm I trained at in Colorado had three enclosed round pens. They had wrap around windows.



They also had a viewing stand. This is what it looked like from the inside.


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