I’m looking for a creative solution to not having lights in my indoor yet. Just had the idea of creating a beautiful fun space but am I crazy? Grew up riding in the dark including trotting and cantering through the woods with friends. Have LONG had the perspective that if you’re calm and not worried your horse won’t be either…mostly.
So my vision is something like this.
Am I crazy? Do any of you know of a good price on lights?
The barn where I ride did this. It’s pretty cool and fun. The lights came from garage sales.
Oh I love hearing this. Thank you for that enabling!
I have drop lights on my deck that I got 7-8 years ago. They are commercial grade and wonderful, and they throw a lot of light… but I cannot imagine riding under them. They are cool for ambiance and very small areas…
I don’t know if they have one by you but Big Lots always has sales online on solar lights just little cheap fun ones like this and when you sign up for emails they send you 15 and 20% off coupons all the time!
Just realized you said indoor I don’t know if there is a way you can run the solar panels out through the ceiling or anything like that. What color is your ceiling or how high up is it I just have that little Barn and I have a solar shed light in there, but I also throw a couple little battery powered lights from harbor freight, facing the ceiling because it is white and it reflects the light back down and I can see great even when it is Pitch Black outside.
Oh one other thing while I’m thinking about it Black Friday is coming up!! There are going to be so many Christmas lights sales! You could always just get the white ones or multicolored if you want to go that route, but you should be able to find really good deals here very soon somewhere if not everywhere!
I purchased 4 strands (30 feet each) of these from Amazon and made sure to get plastic with LED lights. They are so pretty!
The rafters are up 18ft so no small event to get this done. I’m inclined to say I want high quality lights because if they don’t work or burn out I’ll cry. 
That’s a great idea with Black Friday coming up. 
Thank you.
Party lights are so fun. I got the idea the other day arriving at a local vet office that has a big barn and paddocks and their paddock were all lit up with party lights in the trees. It looked so magical and pretty.
Where are yours hung?
(at the beach) … but I’d love to have more at home! I’m lucky in that the space where I can ride next to my barn does have outdoor lighting. My arena is far away from the barn and I’ve never figured out how to light it (although there is power there). Maybe this would work ???
Just want to add that our indoor does have regular lights. The party lights are just for fun. Kids love them! ( Adults like them too )
Just the trusses up there - no ceiling per se. Went to an event last night in a huge former indoor converted to a wedding venue place with party lights for lighting. They were all strung on wire and probably 50 strings. Realized my idea is more complicated than just throwing some string lights over the trusses. Rrrrrrr.
Put up wide angle pics…i wanna brainstorm for you!!!
Does anyone remember the article in PH forever ago about Torrence Watkins riding outside at night w car lights? I wonder about a mini version of those lights highway workers use to work at night…. Harbor Freight might have something. I’ll brainstorm, too!
Harbor Freight is a great idea. I’ll get over there. Also going to Home Depot tonight. The time change is coming and I’m about to go dark by the time I’m home from work. Maybe I bite the bullet and just pay (on a credit line) the probably $8k or so to get lights installed.
I have seen these used successfully in an indoor AND i have them in our barn - every year i mean to swap them out and move them to our backyard but I love the light and ambiance they provide for basic chores. Costco had some great solar ones, which i’ve installed on the tractor shed.
Thanks for your reply. I have decided to go the traditional route and put in low bay LEDs. Maybe someday get some fun lights in there too.
Are you saying you ride only to party lights? (You get me dreaming again for a more fun atmosphere).
@PaddockWood i haven’t ridden with the patio lights - we are riding into the dark right now as i’m in the throes of trying to light my outdoor with solars. The barn who used the lights in an indoor did it while waiting for their wired lights but as far as i know it worked well enough! I really prefer the relaxed temperature of lights for daily stuff. LEDs i have for vets / farrier stuff but daily use I turn on my “quieter” lights.
Sweet! Thank you for that link. Those look great AND shatterproof. I’m with you…soooooo prefer warm light to the LED. Got used to it in my aisles but sure do envision riding to party lights.
Unfortunately with no wiring in the arena yet and it seems prudent and practical to put in normal lights BUT I’m also planning to have plugins around a center and run party lights off a middle zone. Doesn’t that sound like fun? A carousel of lights off a center.
I just ordered two strings from your link and will decorate my stalls with those and then probably more later - Christmas is coming - my treat to ME! and get these for the indoor.
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