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Scared of Night Checks

Around The Farm
#1

I can’t believe I’m admitting to this, but here goes…I’m afraid of the dark! I just brought my horse home, and we’re all happy and doing well except for me at one point in the day - night check! I dread doing it.

My barn is a good 200+ feet from my house, and it’s so.so.so. dark and quiet out there! I get a case of the willies every time I have to stroll across the lawn to the barn, constantly glancing over my shoulder. What am I afraid of? Not entirely sure, but I just feel like anyone could be out there and attack me. Once I get close to the barn I bolt over to the light switch and flip it on. Then I feel better.

Am I crazy?! Anyone else overcome these feelings? I always pictured night checks would be my favorite part of having horses at home…the moonlight overhead, only the sound of hay chewing, the occasional sigh from my gelding. But instead I’m just looking all around and can’t wait to run back to my house.

#2

I would mount a motion light at the door of the house where you go out, and also on the barn aimed in the direction from which you are approaching. Set them to stay on a couple minutes. Between the two you should be more comfortable.

21 Likes
#3

I use a flashlight (the one on my phone) after almost stepping on a possum and getting majorly hissed at for it (we also have timber rattlers here, not something I want to encounter in the dark!) so I usually have a light with me and at least 2 dogs. So I always have company when I wander around the farm at night.

The only time I’ve been freaked out was the night I did a late night check after watching The Walking Dead the first episode:) I was jumping at everything that night!

5 Likes
#4

(I assume that you don’t live in a high crime area and that it’s unlikely that there is actually anyone out there, much less anyone who wants to hurt you.)

Not wandering around in the dark / staying close to the fire and light is what kept humans alive. :slight_smile:

This is your ‘lizard brain’ working, the same one that tries to keep you from cantering again if you’ve had a fall, etc.

While it doesn’t specifically deal with this scenario, the book “Brain Training for Riders” may help you understand what’s going on and how to deal with it.

A big farm dog can also help. They’ll notice sound and movement way before you do. (Well, sometimes this is not helpful, like when they alert on the deer out there in the dark, and you turn to look, and your head-lamp reflects in the deer’s eyes…)

11 Likes
#5

Well, here you would be scared walking in the dark with good reason.
Rattlers slither around day and night, so you have to be able to see well where you are going.
No leisure walking in the dark.

I have a pocket flashlight in every pocket and use them, plus a motion activated light coming out of the house, some on the fence on the way to the barn and a night overhead light at the barn entrance.
I also have a motion activated light when the door opens, so I can double check there is not a rattler by the door inside until I reach and turn the very bright inside lights on.

Some times, being cautious is not silly, but smart.

Each one of us has to know what they have to watch for.
As our sheriff keeps telling everyone here, situational awareness is what keeps us safe, any place, any time.
You are doing well being cautious.

3 Likes
#6

I agree with motion sensor lights. We have a motion sensor light on the house garage, a dusk to dawn light on the front and rear of our barn, and we also have solar lights lining the driveway and on our arena posts. The solar lights don’t exactly light the way, but they do at least make a path to follow. Our barn is also over 200’ from the house. Having the lights on the barn and the house do help. The dusk to dawn lights we actually got at Sam’s Club and are very bright and were not that expensive (I think like $40 each). They are LED and keep the entire barnyard well lit, front and back, as long as it’s dark outside.

I do have to say sometimes when I am bringing the horses in, the motion sensor light up at the house will turn on, and it kind of freaks me out because I think “what if someone is breaking in and I am down at the barn and won’t know until I get in the house and someone scary is in there!!”, but usually it’s either a big wind moving branches on the trees or a few times it was deer on the driveway!

3 Likes
#7

I’d be afraid in the dark too, PsyPsy. My big fear would be big spiders. Hanging from the trees over my head. And yeah, snakes on the ground.

I agree with those who suggested installing lights. Barn floodlights you can turn on and off from your house, or something similar.

But nothing is cozier than a barn at night – once you’re safe inside it! :slight_smile:

3 Likes
#8

I need lights - lots of them - and don’t care if I’m wasteful. My dog would accompany me, too. I’m not so nervous, as liking the lights.

I love the munch, munch, munch of the horses all cosied up for the night, so warm and comforting…the last nicker for thier hay … makes it worth while.

3 Likes
#9

Do you have a dog? I like having a dog with me at night! I also like having a hat with a light on the brim, so light up wherever I am looking.

Unfortunately where I am, we now have so much light pollution, I rarely deal with true dark anymore.

4 Likes
#10

I put a motion light in between the barns, set for 10min, with the sensor facing the house. So once the girl gets a few yards from the back porch it senses her and lights it all up.

Ill be honest I’m a grown man, I’ve deployed several times I’m afraid of no man big or small But my dumbass still races up the steps from the basement as fast as possible from the boogey man!
​

25 Likes
#11

Rest assured you’re not the only TWD weenie out there. I have a 4 foot piece of 2" iron pipe sitting next to my porch door. I only seem to pick it up for Sunday night checks…

2 Likes
#12

I have no electric running to my barn and use a rechargeable spotlight for barn treks in the dark. Another thing I have found is that once you do it enough and it becomes routine, your fears will ease up and you will forget all about them.

Link for a rechargeable spotlight.

https://www.stanleytools.com/products/hand-tools/flashlights-lighting/spotlight/10-watt-led-lithium-ion-rechargeable-spotlight/sl10leds

2 Likes
#13

Because you never know what’s down there when you put out the light…

5 Likes
#14

STOP it, just stop it - what are you guys trying to do - freak us all out? Boogey men, spiders -…

4 Likes
#15

You’re not alone. When I’ve had friends over at the time I happen to have to go out to the barn at night, they always want to walk with me. My barn is about 500’ from my house, and the only light is the front door light on my house. It’s very dark. It doesn’t bother me, but I’ve never had any other person go with me that hasn’t said (s)he’s afraid.

Like others have said, get yourself some good lighting. You’ll feel better and avoid the things I’d never thought of (rattlesnakes…gulp…).

Congrats on bringing yojr horse home!

1 Like
#16

I have both motion sensor lights and two dogs…that being said, the other night when I took the dogs out for a potty break, they both started barking at something by the barn…and the lights came on one at a time in my direction…their barking go more intense, and just as I was about to back away, a figure emerged …and it was my husband who went to the barn for some of his stuff!

2 Likes
#17

OP, what about installing a baby monitor or, better yet, a camera down in your barn? Then, you can make sure that everything is as it should be before it gets dark enough to feel uncomfortable.

I usually don’t mind the night check - my barn is not far from my house and the dark is not generally something that makes me nervous. There are occasions that I get the creeps though so I can sympathize.

#18

You forgot escaped homicidal convicts… :rolleyes:

OP: the motion-activated lights are fine, until a raccoon or other critter trips one & you go all “Who Dere?!” :eek:
Not that it has ever happened to me :uhoh:

Instead, a dusk-to-dawn light mounted to illuminate your barn entrance should help.
& carry a flashlight for the dark in between scary. :encouragement:

Eventually I predict you will find that last visit the most relaxing part of your day. :yes:

1 Like
#19

And rabid coyotes and bears and packs of wild dogs…

I have a mega watt spotlight/flashlight. Can easily scan my yard and surroundings – beam reaches all the way out to my back pasture. Eyes glowing in the dark! Always my resident deer herds and of course my horses.

2 Likes
#20

Put outdoor spot lights that you can turn on and turn off when you go out to the barn. Motion lights are occasionally fussy about coming on or ultra sensitive and come on too easily for everything. Carry a big rechargeable flashlight.

1 Like

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