Why Light Is Bad For Horses - Understanding Horse Vision & Importance Of Darkness

HAHA my mom JUST went to my property a couple weeks ago and put these damn solar lights that activate by movement on one of my pastures by the lean to. So every time my horses go by the lean to they get blasted... I'm slowly starting to see your barn witch issues aren't just comic relief lol. To her defense she doesn't know anything about horses and was trying to do it for security purposes, i'll just flip them around so it activates at people walking by not horses...

You don't hate women, you just like doing your female voice!

i'm so sick of humans, not understanding a crap about horses, babying them to death.
"i gotta take care of my horse"...gee i wonder how they would feel if someone left a freaking spotlight right above theire beds, thats gonna freaking save them, just in case they have to take a pee at night - that would be so thoughtful....
that blinded horses wouldn't have run into each other, if they had a big bit. Evereyone knows, that big bits prevent horses from running and spooking.
some people just drive me nuts: i gotta stall up my horse, because i need to work with him on some stuff i need to fix, but now that he is stalled up, i can't work with him, because he will sweat and then he will catch a cold. what i can do to keep him from getting hot?....that is the RIGHT question, honey! great job! you just created even more problems! that poor horse has 99 problems and that b...brilliant magnificent horsewoman is one! she should just breed a horse that doesn't sweat...

This is also why if you ride a horse into a barn they often spook...because their eyes don't adjust quickly and if the light difference is significant, they will be dazzled (if it's lighter) or not have their night vision (if it's darker).

Also, women are socialized to be afraid of the dark - and what we're afraid of is, I hate to say it, men. That's why women do this more :/.

I hate when people leave the lights on in the barn at night so the "horses aren't scared" it's at big H/J barns here

I love the fluffy look on Mr T.... he's got a nice winter coat coming in! Buddy LOL He's such a youngster.. bugging MR T like he does then turns and say WHAT I didn't do it!

You would think people would know all prey animals like the cover of darkness..

Rick,
Do you know if dim red lights act like it does with humans when it comes to night vision?
A dim red light is used to help preserve night vision in humans I wonder if it would have similar benefit around horses?
If it does, that may be of benefit to the horse if a stupid human needs light to get around at night near horses a red flashlight may not cause as much night blindness to the horses as a regular white light flashlight? Just a thought....

Is Buddy responding to your agitation? Or he just being a pain to Mr. T?

didn't even realize. I have a night light. in their barn and they prefer to stand outside. it could be a hurricane and they will stand outside. Gonna unplug it tonight and see if it changes. Stupid human. thank you.

Too bad u can't tel ur neighbor about the light.

Hey Rick ,
You have told us alot of your later years in life and your service in the military and the police force which was very interesting. What I and I am sure other subscribers would like to hear is how you first became involved with horses ? Did you ride when you were young kid or did you start later on . Its just that you have told us about the boys and I thought it would be interesting hearing how your love of horses started .

thank you very much for a great video! what would be a safe for horses option to use for me if I were to check on my horses at night and I am nightblind? can I for instance walk with a dim flashlight down to just shed some light on my feet and not ahead of me or is it still not safe for horses' eyes?

Thank you for enlightening me to the eyes of a Horse.

Is that why Buddy's ears are so fuzzy? Winter's coming to Texas? They are lucky boys to have you for their dad.

Rick, I noticed that a lot of people ask you questions that get asked by everyone BUT you. Why is that? I thought this was YOUR channel. LOL ok, that was me trying to cause trouble, or a big u-tube argument, so disregard this. ROTFL.

Whoops I meant that get ANSWERED by everyone BUT you. Darn stiff arthritic fingers.

Hey rick this is really off topic of the video but when ever people go to catch my horse he (90% of the time) runs off but every time with me he sees me, walks up to me and whinnies without any problems at all ever and walked beside me into the barn. Why can't other people do this too? Is it trust or something else?

And I just wanted to say that Buddy and Mr.T are real sweet :)

Very good information. I learn tons from your channel and cringe at my old self and how I used to be around horses when I was around them. I'll be sure to take this information for when I get horses of my own in the future. :)

Also I think people shouldn't even be trying to do whatever to their horses in the dark. Like do it before the sun goes down if you're gonna complain of darkness lol.

I think it's totally insane that in the decade I spent as a kid riding horses NO ONE ever taught me that. This seems like pretty basic, important information to know!!! Thanks for the informative video!

Hi Rick :) Where does all your knowledge of horses come from? Was it from observation of them? Because your knowledge of horses and their behavior is remarkable!

I don't agree with lights either. It takes a long time to horse to adjust to lights. Great videos Rick. I get sick of barn witches too! Always trying to confuse people and tell them what they are doing wrong.

Hi Rick,my neighbor has his barn lit up like Yankee Stadium,what a dumb ass,I bought his horse for Christmas an armored blanket with military head gear, LMAO!!!! ,but you are right about horse sensitivity to light after dark,if all fails in the meaning "think like a horse",try common sense!

this is the reason I like your video's. you bring things like this up. I never pointed the light directly at the horse but I also never realised how long it takes for their eyes to readjust to the dark. so you cured a little more ignorance today my horse thanks you.

Think Like A Horse Hi Rick, I don't have lights installed in my horse barn or around my pastures but when it's dark at 4pm (in winter) and I feed hay I point a small flashlight at the ground to see where I'm walking. Is that ok?

I personally hate any kind of lightning too. If there's enough natural light from either the sun, moon, or stars to be able to see what your doing then I see no purpose with having any lights on

we live in a built up area. so what about street lights? here horses don't go into barns at night.

Rick you should have lied and said they need light. Then you could have sold these women "Rick's Horsey Headlights." If Sold in pink Buddy and Mr. T would be grazing on the finest of grasses on The King Ranch with you as owner and CEO.

Thank you for posting this. I didn't know it took that long for their eyes to adjust (I'm just learning horsemanship-don't hate) I'm planning some acres for pasture for my new house, so when I get horses it'll be done right. Looks like I'm taking out the light poles in the far corners and adding additional room for a tree buffer by the driveway so headlights don't bother the horses if I come home after dark. THANK YOU RICK for saving my (soon to be) horses night vision!

what about red filter light?

hahaha, I have terrible night vision, once it turns dark everything becomes fuzzy and hard to see, bright lights that shine in my eyes makes it even harder to see. I don't blame the horses for not want to be in that type of light in the middle of the night and not seeing anything when something is shone into their eyes especially if they see well at night

At my barn the pastures or padlocks have no lights nothing there's lights in the barn but there not to bright but we turn them off at night

Do people really put a light above the water bowl?! Jeez, even I can find my water in the pitch dark!

continuous light exposure is actually a stress coercion technique.

I believe horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal.

This is so logical when you think about it but i feel the humas, me included, forgot about natural nature. How everything really are suppose to work before we fucked everything up. I do think women are afraid of darkness due to rape or being attacked..but then ...if we feel that ,then we really should understand how a horse must feel in bright light. Isane...i´m a full grwon woman knowing nothing about this...smh. So Thank You for showing me the light of nature.

I never used a torch to find my horse in a field because it was rarely so dark that I couldn't see something and on those occasions when it was unusually dark I figured that he would find me first anyway. What I didn't know was the length of time it took for a horse's eyes to adjust. I live in hope that one day I'll be around horses again so thank you Rick for this invaluable information.

The worst crap I’ve heard from owners reasoning they stable their horses at night so they don’t get hurt in the field because it’s dark. Blaming the darkness for a horse breaking fences. Never mind the fact their in a field with no grass next to a field with frazzled. I think you dumb asses they got hurt on the fence trying to get to the grass . Where I work unfortunately the horses are stabled at night well some are because the owners are so scared they will get hurt in the dark. They moan the stable lights are low energy dim lights. They fail to realise what you’ve just pointed out that light is bad. Our yard is dark then when a couple of ignorant owners changed the bulbs to bright ones they wonder why their horses are now objecting to walk into their stables. The same when they been out in the bright sun and they expect the horses to walk straight into a dark stable. It effects my eyes and I’ve always wondered how much worse it is for horses and wether they can suffer eye pain like it does to myself with the drastic light change. Cheers for that info rick . I can try to explain this to them but so often it’s like banging my head against a brick wall. It’s true the biggest cause of horse problems are people but by Christ they attack u for saying it. Then say that I have no clue what I’m talking about. If I’m so wrong then why it’s it I can get positive results with horses that others can’t achieve. because they have no understanding of pressure and release and horses natural behaviour/body language and communications. I’m far from a pro in horsemanship but at least through you the more I learn the more I put it into practice with the horses and owners comment on how better their horse is with me and over time over all better. Then they start asking the boss if I can be the sole handler of their horses. Too many people stuck in their ways of Humanising horses and expecting them to understand us with no effort of trying to present their body language and direction in their way that horses understand. I’m starting to call it they want a robot horse who understands English and expects them to understand our human ways. Then theyvpunishment the horse for doing wrong because they’ve confused the horse. Instead of correction. I don’t know how u manage to keep your sanity on the scale of stupidity you get shown to review and see in person/ exposed to. Dam shame horses can’t choose their owners.

Why do Pirates wear an Eye patch?

CLUE #1 cones and rods

CLUE #2 above deck and Below deck,

I hate it when I'm at the barn early and it's just getting dawn and I'm walking around checking on my horses and they come in because they hear me and someone else shows up and flips all the lights in the barn on, and says "There now you can see." No I was enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning, But Not Now! I always wondered why my horses got spooky when people turned on the lights! My horses go blind. They'd all hover real close to me and bump into one another. This video explains a lot Thank You. I always assumed that horses eyes adjusted like ours!

Omg those poor horses dying because of a stupid human being. Once again I have learned something new that may save a horse. Thanks Rick. Buddy looks like he has been rolling in the mud again, what a cutie pie he is. Hugs to the boys and mokey. 😊

I agree about lights and horses, but I would carry flashlight so I don't step on or near snakes and holes, just don't aim light down unless it's a full moon...then you might run into barn witch..lol

Mr T's legs are lovely and chunky, hugs to all n mokie-moke x

Mr T’s got his leg warmers on again. 🥰

Wow

Yep, you are right.

Thank you for the info

Couple’ a good horses right here❤❤