THE IMPORTANCE OF HORSELIGHT
The horse's body, like many mammals, prefers the summer months. They put and keep on body condition, their coat and skin glows, they have the high amounts of Vitamin D required to help the body's internal processes, they are much happier and they decide it's time to breed!
Studies have shown that HorseLight optimise the biological performance of all horses and ponies including:
- Enhanced health & well-being
- Improved sports performance
- Faster recovery times
- Improved breeding
- Reducing pathogens in the stable
- Reduced electricity costs compared to standard florescent lighting
HOW IT WORKS
BUILT IN BODY CLOCKS & TYPES
OF LIGHT
Research over the last decade has identified that specific light can affect and regulate the Circadian Rhythm and in turn melatonin secretion and its effect on all mammals.
Horselight delivers an optimized spectrum of light, at the right intensity to have a maximum effect on the Circadian Rhythm of the horse by regulating the secretion of melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone.
Blue light within the short-wavelength blue light spectrum (465–485 nm) is the most effective at inhibiting melatonin secretion, as Melanopsin production, its precursor is particularly sensitive to short wavelength, Blue Light.
Normal white LED or fluorescent lights do not deliver Blue Light at the level of intensity required to have any real effect on Melatonin suppression.
RED LIGHT FUNCTION
It has been shown that Red Light therapy aids recovery and helps to wind down before bed. This colour signals that it's night and encourages the body to produce melatonin.
The HorseLight Advanced system includes this option to switch to red during the ‘off’ phase automatically by the controller. The red light is also useful for allowing sufficient observational light at night which can be useful for foaling and not disturbing other horses when arriving home late from competition/racing.
Exposure to White Light at night suppresses Melatonin production, impacts Circadian Rhythms and contributes to ill-health in humans. Human interaction with horses frequently occurs at night.
Studies have shown that dim Red Light would not suppress the nightly rise in Serum Melatonin levels in horses. In one study, six horses were maintained for consecutive 48 hour periods under a Light: Red (LR) and a Light: Dark (LD) photo-schedule. Transitions from light (>200lux, polychromatic white light) to red (5lux, peak wavelength 625nm) or dark (<0.5lux), and vice versa, coincided with ambient sunset and sunrise times.
Blood was collected at 2 hour intervals for 24 hours during each treatment via indwelling jugular catheters. Samples were harvested for serum and stored at -20°C until assayed for Melatonin by radioimmunoassay. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA and t-tests analysed for differences in LR and LD Melatonin profiles and their circadian rhythm parameters. No time×treatment interaction or effect of treatment on serum Melatonin levels were demonstrated (P>0.05). A robust main effect of time (P<0.0001) predominated, with melatonin levels rising at night under both treatments. Statistically significant differences were not observed when LR and LD were compared for circadian rhythm measures of night time peak, area under the curve (AUC), or for times of onset (evening rise), offset (morning decline), or peak duration. Low intensity red light at night did not impact the pattern of Melatonin secretion in this study and is, therefore, unlikely to impact the physiology of circadian or seasonal regulation.
Source - Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
DURATION OF LIGHT EXPOSURE
The natural circadian rhythm
In the northern hemisphere the daylight hours vary greatly between the summer months and the winter. For example in December we have 8 hours of daylight and 16 hours of darkness. March to September there is equal day and night (Equinox). June has the longest day (summer solstice).
