Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses loi 



erected all over his farm where required, and simply consisted of 

 a framework of scantling attached to posts set in the ground, the 

 walls thickly interlaced with gorse, the roof thatched with straw or 

 heather, and the floor thickly laid with dried peat-moss litter. A 

 strongly made sparred gate, about 6 ft. wide, formed the door and 

 shut in the horse when he was wanted in. The sheds were com- 

 fortable, convenient, inexpensive, and very healthy. They were 

 cool in summer and warm in winter, free from draughts, and easily 

 repaired. The straw-thatched roof is the most comfortable, but in 

 many districts straw is scarce and too expensive to use as thatch. 

 This is the case now, especially on the western side of England and 

 Scotland, and in all Wales. The larger portion of the land being 

 in grass, what little straw is grown is utilized for stock feeding. In 

 these districts useful, inexpensive sheds are erected with timber, and 

 galvanized corrugated iron for roofing. As the iron roofing is cold 

 in the winter and hot in the summer, it is found the better plan to 

 erect these sheds high enough to admit of a loft overhead, being 

 careful to leave plenty of head room for the horse underneath. The 

 loft keeps the shed at a more equable temperature, cool in summer, 

 and cosily warm in winter; besides, it comes in useful for storing 

 a load or two of hay for the use of the horse, saving a lot of labour 

 carrying hay if the haystack is some distance away. 



When two horses have to be run in adjoining paddocks, a little 

 expense is saved in building and material by making a double shed 

 with a partition in the middle, one end with entrance on one side 

 being used for the one paddock, the other end with the entrance on 

 the other side available for the other paddock. A typical shed of 

 this construction may be 30 ft. long, 15 ft. wide, divided in the 

 middle, and forming two boxes each 15 ft. by 15. The loft should 

 be 10 ft. from the ground, and should have at least 4 ft. of wall 

 under the circular corrugated -iron roof. A hayrack and corner 

 manger should be fixed in each shed, and although the shed is 

 usually left open so that the horse may go in or out as he likes, it 

 is advantageous to have a door fixed so that he may be shut in if 

 required. A door of open framework, admitting light and air, may 

 be made by bolting together strong rails about 4 in. by 3. A good 

 layer of moss litter should be spread on the floor. A substantial 

 building of this sort without any architectural pretensions may be 

 erected for a little over £20. 



When the travelling season is over the horse can go back into 

 the paddock for the rest of the year. If the paddock is large he 

 will require nothing besides grass till Christmas, and all being well, 

 will require very little attention. His feet must be watched and 



