BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 155 



to be provided nightly with " sitting-ropes " tied to the heel-posts. 

 Part of the stables is fitted with bails and part with stall partitions. 

 Young horses which have been put in the bail stables have been so 

 frightened by having their feet and legs tramped on when lying 

 down that they have become afraid to do so and have never regained 

 confidence even when put into proper stalls or loose-boxes. Horses 

 need rest and comfort when in the stable ; with bails they get neither. 



Mangers. The manger fittings in common use range from the 

 plain wooden trough for holding the grain and chaffed fodder with 

 a wood sparred hay rack to the cast-iron mangers and racks 

 designed on hygienic lines. Wood mangers and hay racks are 

 cheaper at first cost than those made of iron, and for that reason 

 they will continue to be used where the initial outlay has to be 

 considered. They are not hygienic, and are most unsatisfactory 

 owing to the constant repairs necessary. It is impossible to keep 

 wooden mangers clean, and if bran in the form of a mash is used in 

 them they soon become sour and offensive, objectionable to the 

 horse which has to feed from them and to the attendant who is 

 supposed to endeavour to keep them in a usable state. 



If wood mangers are used they should be made of elm or oak 

 If to 2 inches thick, and be about 18 inches wide at the top, 9 inches 

 wide at the bottom, and about 30 inches long. The front board 

 should slope inwards to reduce the chance of horses bumping their 

 knees. Twelve inches is a sufficient depth for a manger. This will 

 hold a feed of grain and chopped fodder without chance of its 

 being tumbled out by the animal searching for the grain portion of 

 the feed. The front or breast board of wood mangers ought to 

 be protected by a carefully formed iron or mild steel plate fixed 

 as shown in the illustration. This bent plate is for the protection 

 of the woodwork against " crib - biting." Zinc is often recom- 

 mended as a covering for woodwork, but unless the zinc is un- 

 usually thick it will soon become bitten through by crib-biting horses 

 and present a source of injury by reason of the sharp, jagged edges. 

 Unless zinc again becomes a cheap commodity, the thickness neces- 

 sary to resist the attentions of a crib-biter would be an expensive 

 item of upkeep. The method shown in figure 62 is suitable for 

 the construction of wood mangers. 



Iron is undoubtedly the most suitable material for all manger 

 fittings. If properly made they are easily cleaned, are practically 

 everlasting, and seldom, if ever, need repairing. There are many 

 excellent makes on the market, designed with a view to utility and 

 hygienic requirements. They must be large enough to hold with 

 ease a full feed of grain and chopped fodder. 



