Horse Arena Lighting
- Thread starter bigguy
- Start date
- Status
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
By "horse arena" I assume you are talking an area for either excercising, competetive events, training, etc. The horses are typically only in these areas for limited time and are not actually housed there. In my opinion this is not a Art 547 area, so nothing in that section would apply - if that is what you are after. It is a general purpose area unless some other condition changes that.
If it is an arena with enough spectator area it is probably a Place of assembly occupancy - with possible 547 areas outside the arena area.
If it is an arena with enough spectator area it is probably a Place of assembly occupancy - with possible 547 areas outside the arena area.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
No lens required.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
There are some rather large barns here that have indoor arenas. That might change the requirements if that's what the OP has.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
If 547 is what is being questioned start with 547.1.
My experience the area called the "Arena" is not nearly as severe when it comes to corrosive conditions, or even dust or water.
They have rodeos and other shows with livestock in huge civic centers. Not exactly the same, but not all that different either. The arena is a show area and the animals are not there long enough to create the conditions 547 is concerned about.
- Location
- Tennessee NEC:2017
- Occupation
- Semi-Retired Electrician
I just said it might change the conditions/requirements if it were an indoor arena, not just 547. The barns I mentioned are not civic centers, but actual barns where horses are kept. They have large arenas for training and occasional shows. Some of these horses live better than I do!
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Call me too lazy to look - but what section could conceivably require an enclosed lens?
Open Neutral
Senior Member
- Location
- Inside the Beltway
- Occupation
- Engineer
Big issue may be any possibility of broken glass falling onto the dirt. It can badly injure or ruin a hoof.
ptonsparky
Tom
- Occupation
- EC - retired
A new to me customer has 6 - lamp T5 HO fixtures in his riding arena. No guard, no lens. The horses are not stabled in this building. Better lit than some of the school gyms I have been in.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
If the 547 requirements kick in I would say 547.5(C).
Luminaires are not specifically mentioned there so there is room to debate but it doesn't help any to install raceway system that is sealed up to keep out dust, moisture, etc. then install a luminaire that doesn't provide the same - especially in areas that get washed - then the general rules for wet locations should kick in anyway.
My opinion is the typical horse arena is not a 547 area even if in same building as the horses are housed in.
It is also my opinion that horse barns are not even close to as severe of an environment as other types of livestock barns - many horses have a better environment to live in than some people.
You want to see a good example of why 547 exists go to a place where hogs only have maybe as little 10-15 square feet of floor per head as compared to at least 100 or more per horse, or into a building filled with 20,000 turkeys. When they are confined like this the environment get a lot more corrosive.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
547.5 doesn't apply to luminaires. Do you mean 547.8(A)?
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Yes, how come I missed it the first time? I knew there had to be something addressing luminaires if they were not even mentioned in 547.5
410.10 has a couple of paragraphs that at least make a person stop and scratch their head. If an incandescent lamp got broken, it could have hot particles that could fall and catch hay on fire. Or pieces of glass could fall on spectators.
Also, could the area be subject to hosedown? Doubtful, but some other 547 livestock areas might be.
And if the area is considered a corrosive location, any fixture listed for use in that type of area would probably have a lens.
But for an arena, if the fixtures are mounted out of reach of damage by a horseback rider, I agree that a lens or any type of guarding would probably not be required.
weressl
Esteemed Member
Good call, but I don't think the Code would give a hoof about that.:lol:
Taking it a step further, knowing how sensitive horses are, I would ask a vet what type lighting would be most suitable for the beasts and would select the type of lightsource and level of illumination that provides diffused light that does not create glare and sharp shadows.
buddhakii
Senior Member
- Location
- Littleton, CO
Some of these horses may be very high paid athletes that require high quality lighting.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Common sense says if performance is big issue then the practice environment should be as similar as possible to the performance environment. That would include lighting.
Open Neutral
Senior Member
- Location
- Inside the Beltway
- Occupation
- Engineer
You will, if you destroy a $100,000 horse's hoof....
And trust me, their lawyer will care.
- Status