RE: Artificial light

["Field, Shannon" <Shannon.Field@alliedsignal.com>]

Karen,
I live in Tucson, AZ and have the same problem with my gray Arab.  He is
starting already, and it's absolutely miserable for him and me to try
and work with a winter coat coming in with 98-degree days.  For all show
horses and those whose owners don't want them to grow a coat, the barn I
board at puts lights in individual stalls.  We start about Sept. 15, at
which time the heat and monsoon humidity should not be so oppressive
that we no longer need the stall fans (we can't do both, as using that
much electricity is a fire hazard in the barn).
The lights stay on until 10 p.m., which ensures enough light during the
day even when the mornings get darker.  I used to think you had to use
only full-spectrum lights, but this is not the case.  Our barn uses
regular light (a good intensity bulb), and starts blanketing about
November.  Until then, it is plenty warm.  You must be prepared to
blanket whenever nighttime temps drop significantly if you want to
continue with the short coat, as your horse will not have the
protection.  I plan to do this because it is just too hard for me to dry
out a woolly, sweaty horse.  I hate the thick coats.  Hope this helps.
I don't know of your article, but I can attest that this works.  A
blanket along would do nothing for my horse but make him more miserable.
 Obviously, temp has no effect on his coat.  It's very hot here, and
he's already growing one.  Can't wait for the lights!  Good luck!

Shannon Field
"He who loves me must love my horse."