no elec in stables? ideas for lighting?

Bowen4Horses

Bowen4Horses

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Joined
23 March 2009
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South Lincs/North Cambs
www.poppywebber.co.uk
hey y'all

hope you're having a fine evening. i'm suffering from post-lorry-buying-blues... but, let's forget about that...
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anyhoo, my lovely OH built me some stables, but, for now, we can't put elec in them. so... what does everyone else use? i've been looking at rechargable lanterns... are they any good? any recommendations?
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i mucked out this evening in the dark...
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x
 
When I had stables in my rented fields, my dad rigged up some car headlights on a bracket in each stable, and wired them up to a 12v car battery. They actually didnt look too heath robinson and only needed charging occasionally
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Generator: You can pick a 3kw 'Powercraft' one up at Aldi for about £160-£175. I won't be the quietest around but it should give you all the power you'll need.
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battery powered lights. they are great, provide a strong light and are easily recharged.
either that or rig some lights up to a leisure battery. my friend did this and works well.
or rig some up to a generator
 
you can get a small solar panel from yachting or caravaning shops that will power your electric lights even in winter. About £70. So cheaper than a generator and doesn't need any fuel. A radio ham I know has one and he powers all his kit from his when he is volunteering at horsey events.
 
I agree generator is your best bet, that was what we used until our lights were finished. We also tried those touch light things but I left one in a stable one night with a very inquisitive horse and I can just imagine her face when she touched it and the light came on!! By the next morning there was nothing left to show for the light, she had smashed it into hundreds of pieces in her bed!! It was a night mare as obviously the whole bed had to come out!
 
We use those rechargeable camping lanterns. They are OK, but if you can use 2 lanterns in the stable, you get a much better effect. Generator would be far better though...
 
I use a generator & have flourescent tubes in my stables. I keep it in plastic garden storage cupboard. I'd spend a bit more & get one with a decent engine. The first one I got was a DIY shops own brand & it was useless. Now have Briggs & Straton engine & (touches wood) it's on it's 3rd winter. Provides 2000 Watts which is sufficient for lighting, clipping etc. Last winter it cost me about £20 a month for fuel when run for about 45min a day.
 
I used to rent a field shelter/stables with no electric. I went to a car garage which replaced worn out car batteries and they gave me two for free. If you go into any motor shop you can buy lights that connect to the car batteries and are in casings so you can hang them wherever you like safetly (have long leads). Worked wonders and didn't cost the earth....... in fact the two 'useless' car batteries might not have been good enough to run a car....but they got me through winter!
 
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