MODER^T FARRIER. 145 



where this is freely admitted, than in the dark and 

 dismal hovels that we sometimes find attached to 

 inns and farm-houses. There is one bad conse- 

 quence that follows keeping horses in a dark stable, 

 which does not appear to be sufficiently attended to. 

 By being kept so long excluded from the light, the 

 horses' eyes become weak, and unable to support 

 the full glare of open day. The pupils being so 

 long habituated to an unusual degree of dilatation, 

 do not readily contract when the animal is brought 

 out into the open air; hence his eyes being offended 

 with the strong light, to which he is so little accus- 

 tomed, are perpetually winking and watering: the 

 horse appears as if half blind, and starts and stum- 

 bles at almost every step. 



The stable should, therefore, be furnished with 

 glazed windows, in number proportioned to the size 

 of the building. In general, no stables should have 

 fewer than two windows ; and they should be placed 

 in such a situation, as that the horses m.ay not re- 

 ceive the rays of light too directly on their eyes. 

 Where the stable has only one range of stalls, this 

 point can be easily effected, and in such stables, the 

 windows should always be placed at the back of the 

 horses. But in double stables it is not easy to place 

 the windows so as not to incommode some of the 

 horses, since, on whichever side of the stable they 

 are made, the horses on that side are exposed to the 

 full glare of the light ; another argument against 

 double stables. The windows should by all means 

 be sashed, and should be made to draw down from 

 the top, as well as to be thrown up from below. 

 They should not be made too small, and should be 

 carried up as near the ceiling of the stables as is 

 compatible with the strength and symmetry of the 

 building. 



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