Wood Flooring for Stables. 147 



American, from his place of security, fixed his hobbles on 

 the horse's fore-legs. But we must remember that Rarey was 

 a showman who studied how best to impress his audience. 

 As a cart and load of hay were too bulky * properties ' to 

 find a place either in my breaking bag or Gladstone, I made a 

 rule in all cases of reputed man-eaters who were brought to 

 me, to turn them loose in the ring and then to catch and 

 halter them unaided by anyone ; a process which occupied 

 only a few minutes. Up to the present, I have described 

 the breaking only of horses which, though difficult and 

 dangerous to handle, had been subjected to a certain amount 

 of discipline. When I come to the account of my travels in 

 South Africa, I shall have plenty to say about the breaking-in 

 of horses which, until they had been driven into the en- 

 closure round which my class used to congregate to see 

 the fun, had never been approached, let alone been touched, by 

 man. I beg my readers to understand that I give the 

 unvarnished tale of my adventures, without any attempt 

 to claim the possession of any peculiar power over horses 

 (which I certainly have not), or of pluck superior to that of 

 other people. Wherever I went, I left behind pupils who, 

 after having been taught by me, were quite as capable of 

 successfully handling vicious horses, as I am. The whole 

 question is one of knowledge and experience. 



At the Strait's Settlement, I saw, for the first time, boards 

 used for the flooring of stables. This plan, which I have 

 subsequently seen practised in China, Japan, and Natal, 

 appears to me excellent. Wood, from the fact of its being 

 a bad conductor of heat, protects from chill the horse's feet, 

 while he is standing ; and his body, when he is lying down. 

 Besides this, the interstices between the boards provide an 

 efficient surface drainage. I may remark that a damp place 

 for standing horses causes thrush and cracked heels ; and a 

 cold one, various foot troubles. Chill, as we all know, gives 

 rise to coughs, colds and chest affections. Those of us who 

 have travelled much are well aware of the great difference as 



