This blog post is all about a bright and easy-to-adjust lighting solution for horse show groom stalls and client dressing rooms.
The Problem
If you travel for horse shows and know the struggle of getting dressed in a curtained off empty stall, then you know how dark and dreary they can be. Or maybe you use those awful round clamp lights in the corners…good luck packing those awkward shaped things in an organized way! Either way, let me change your life! These LED Lighting Kits are the best way to brighten up client dressing rooms and groom stalls. They are perfect for every horse show venue. Plus, they are easy to pack, put together, adjust, and are very affordable. They are also very lightweight and made of plastic so they do not shatter.
A Little Background
When we are at a horse show, we allocate a couple of stalls for grooming and tacking up the horses. We also have a couple of stalls that we keep all of our tack in, and another hand full of stalls in the front that we curtain off and turn into client dressing rooms. The stalls and setup always vary show to show depending on how many horses/clients we have and if it is a local show versus a regional show. Once these stalls are curtained off, they become very dark and need to be lit from the inside.
How To Light Up The Groom stalls
At the horse show our grooming stalls house all of the grooming supplies. We place mats on the ground for the horses to stand on and install some quick release crossties. There are no, or very little, direct overhead lights over these stalls. So we bring in our lighting solution to brighten them up. This way we can see all of the dirt and dust on our horses and tack. This ensures everything is clean and tidy when the horse trots into the show ring.
To do this yourself in the groom stalls, hang the lights in the front and on both sides. You only need one strand in each place. These lights are small, but they are bright! Be mindful of the direction you hang them so that the on switches are easily accessible.
In this photo we didn’t use hooks. We simply zip tied them to the stall.
How to light Up The Dressing Rooms
The stalls we allocate for dressing rooms get wrapped in curtains for privacy. This removes any of the little bit of light from them. Because of this, we add lights to every wall in these rooms. That is four lights total at minimum.
Our clients love having one of two above or on the sides of our mirrors as well. This helps light up their faces properly so that they can do their makeup without being full of shadows.
In the dressing room stalls, hang one set of lights on each wall, but at the top. Like in the photo here. We usually use L hooks to hold them up, but in this case since we built individual dressing rooms out of pvs tubing, so we just zip tied them to it. Be sure to connect them in such a way that they all plug into one another and then to the front, allowing one master on and off switch.
Storing the Light System
Sometimes the simplest and silliest things become the best packing hacks. This is the case for these lights. We pack these lights into Christmas tree bags. The lights fit into them perfectly and they have a punch on the outside that holds the cords. They could also hold the cords and the hooks. Then the bag goes into one of our bigger rubber maids with other items. Keep in mind…we can light up to eight rooms with the lights inside of one Christmas bag.
Where to buy the Light System
The best place to purchase these lights are from Amazon. Here are links for the lights, hooks, and cords we use.