THE FITTINGS 



327 



made a little wider. Granolithic paving composed of Portland cement 

 and granite chippings, and laid on a foundation of brick or stone rubble, 

 forms an excellent floor when properly laid by experienced men, and 

 has the great advantage of being in one mass without joints. It can 

 be grooved in any way, the surface figured as desired, and channels can 

 be formed in it to any width and slope. Ordinary cement paving is, 

 however, quite unsuitable for stables, as it is soon damaged by the 

 horses' shoes. 



The fitting up of racks and mangers has received great attention. 

 The chief desiderata are: 

 nothing that could injure 

 a horse, or that a horse 

 could injure, perfect clean- 

 liness, and economy in the 

 use of food by the horse. 

 In many stables there are 

 in every stall or loose-box 

 three articles — a hay -rack, 

 manger, and water-pot, but 

 the last is often omitted. 

 All these are best made of 

 iron, with enamelled lining 

 to the manger and water- 

 pot. The hay-rack answers 

 best when on a level with 

 the manger, theold-fashioned 

 overhead rack allowing dust 

 and particles of hay to fall 



into the horse's eyes, besides often allowing the food to be wasted. Tlie 

 low or trough rack is not open to these objections, as hay dropped l)y the 

 horse generally falls again into the rack. This may be fitted with a sliding 

 grid, which lies loosely on the top of the hay. The horse eats through the 

 bars of this grid, which follows the hay as it diminishes, and prevents the 

 waste occasioned by the horse pulling out too large mouthfuls at a time. 

 Another form often recommended has the bottom of the rack on a level 

 with the manger, and in this case it should be fitted with a sloping 

 perforated bottom, which allows the seed to drop through, and always 

 keeps the hay close to the front of the rack and within reach of the 

 horse. 



The front of the manger should be of considerable strength, and rounded 

 so that the horse cannot grasp it for " crib-biting ". It is a great advan- 



Fig. 575. — Manger, H.iy-rack, &c. 



