62 RIDING 



repetition. It may briefly be said that stables with level floors 

 are to be recommended, since it must strain the horse's sinews 

 and fetlock joints, and do him other injuries, to stand continually 

 in an unnatural attitude with his forelegs on a higher level 

 than his hind. The absence of drains has also been advised, 

 and in the Badminton stables it is found that no more straw is 

 used now, there not being a drain in the building, than for- 

 merly when the place was drained. A constant supply of 

 water, so that the horse may drink whenever he feels inclined to 

 do so, is another recommendation. It has been calculated that 

 the animal drinks much less if he can always help himself than 

 if supplied at set times, the difference being no less than that 

 between five gallons and eight. The troughs, it should be 

 added, are best made watertight, so that there is no drip ; 

 they are to be cleaned daily, a sponge being used for the pur- 

 pose to soak up water that remains. To prevent a horse from 

 acquiring the mischievous trick of crib-biting, an iron bar is 

 fitted to stand up about an inch above the front of the manger ; 

 this has at any rate a tendency to prevent the animal from 

 learning the habit. Manger and rack should be placed at such 

 a height that the horse can stand in a natural attitude to feed. 

 One bad consequence of the old-fashioned high rack was that 

 hay seeds fell into the horse's eyes and ears. The absolute 

 necessity of ensuring sufficient ventilation and of avoiding the 

 excessive heat, which is an evil in very many stables, may be 

 briefly mentioned before this branch of the subject is quitted. 



