BUILDING CONSTRUCTION 163 



having the head-rope just sufficiently long to enable the horse to 

 lie down in the stall with his head resting on the ground. The 

 rope should have a counterpoise weight attached to its free end, 

 so that when the animal rises the rope shortens with his movements 

 and does not hang in bights, being always in a sufficient state of 

 tension to prevent its getting over the horse's head or under his legs. 

 A one-pound weight is heavy enough for the purpose. The neces- 

 sary length may be ascertained by allowing the horse to stand 

 naturally in the stall well up to the manger, and letting the counter- 

 poise just rest on the ground. Ropes, chains or leather straps, or 

 two of these in combination, are variously used. Chains are 

 economical in wear, but are noisy and are difficult to release in cases 

 of emergency. Ropes are not noisy, and are quickly cut in the 

 event of fire or a horse getting hung up during the night. 



In some stables the free end of the rope passes through a ring 

 attached to the front of the manger at its centre, and hangs directly 

 under the manger, being kept taut by its counterpoise. As horses, 

 especially idle or lightly worked ones, frequently acquire the habit 

 of picking up the rope with their teeth and tossing the weight into 

 the manger, or getting it twisted round the rope, it is an advantage 

 to have both weight and rope enclosed under the manger with the 

 rope running through a slot in the manger-plate. In order to keep 

 all weight off the horse's head when feeding or standing up in its 

 stall, a stop ring placed on the rope about a foot from the head- 

 collar is useful. Noiseless-running head-ropes are supplied by some 

 firms, and are excellent. 



Harness Room. Every stable, however small, should be pro- 

 vided with a room in which to keep harness, clothing and grooming 

 kit. It should be used for no other purpose, and on no account 

 should harness be hung in the stable. The size of the harness room 

 will naturally depend upon the number of horses for which the 

 stable is designed. It must be dry and well ventilated. The walls 

 require to be boarded all round with match-boarding so as to protect 

 the harness as it hangs against the wall. Artificial heat, such as a 

 fire, stove or radiator, is necessary so that the harness may be dried 

 and kept from rotting when put away from every-day use. For 

 commercial stables lockers placed round the wall are almost indis- 

 pensable. A locker should be allocated to each horseman so that he 

 can keep in it his own grooming tools, &c. When closed, the lockers 

 serve as seats on which the men can sit when polishing up their 

 harness. The harness can be hung above the lockers on a saddle- 

 bracket, bridle-bracket and collar-hook. A suitable height for the 

 saddle-bracket is 5 feet, and for the collar-hook 7 feet above the 



