226 THE HORSE 



The first thing in all stables is to provide for the rapid removal of 

 any fluid which falls upon the litter, whether it be urine or water used 

 in washing legs or floor. Without this damp arises, and the health of 

 the inmates suffers in proportion. Foul gas such as is given off from 

 decomposing matters in sewers is no doubt prejudicial, but damp is still 

 more so; and while I would be careful to guard 

 against the former, I would still more cautiously 

 attend to the exclusion of the latter. Hence it is 

 that I would exclude all internal traps. Even the 

 old-fashioned simple plan of making the stalls to 

 fall rapidly to an open gutter, and carrying this 

 SECTION OF COMMON Straight behind the horses through an opening in 

 BELL-TRAP. the Wall to the manure hole, will answer better 



than neglected stench-traps ; and as it is always 

 wise to count upon the occasional carelessness of the men, it is expedient 

 to arrange on this basis if it is practicable, which I know by experience 

 it is, by the adoption of the catch-pit I have described. In the country 

 such a pit may be interposed between a liquid manure tank and the 

 stable, or it may simply be placed outside, taking care that the drain {/) 

 has a large ventilating pipe, to allow of the escape of any gas which 

 is generated beyond it, either in the liquid manure cistern or in the 

 drain which carries away its contents, whatever they may be. No trap 

 will prevent the passage of gas if the pressure is greater than that of the 

 atmosphere, and in many cases decomposing animal matter at a high 

 temperature evolves gas under one considerably greater. By thus doing 

 away with all internal traps, and simply using wrought-iron gutters of 

 the annexed form, which are provided with movable covers, that allow of 

 their being regularly cleaned out with a common besom, such perfect 

 drainage may be attained that the stable neither smells badly nor feels 



WROTTGHT-IRON COVERED SURFACE GUTTER. 



at all damp. Angular joints are forged so as to connect the stall drains 

 with those at the backs of the horses, and in this way there is no difficulty 

 whatever in keeping the litter perfectly dry, excepting just at the spot 

 where the urine or water first falls. If the drain at the backs of the 

 horses is a very long one it must be sunk beneath the surface and carried 

 on by means of glazed earthenware or iron pipes, with grated openings 

 behind each horse (not trapped), but the iron gutters above described are 

 quite sufficient to provide for three or four horses. A good, but rather 

 expensive, plan is to have the iron gutters made with a fall in themselves. 

 This will be more fully alluded to when the exact formation of the stalls 

 and loose boxes is entered upon. 



An open gutter, without any cover, if made of wrought-iron, sufficiently 

 large and of good shape, such as the one shown on page 227, is preferred 

 by many, as no accumulation of dirt can be concealed. 



