6 The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



every corner of the stable. The front of the stall before 

 the horse's head should never be white, but stone or 

 dark colour, white having as bad an effect upon the eye 

 as a dark stable. If anyone doubt this let him look 

 upon a piece of white paper when the sun is shining, and 

 judge for himself. Again, look upon any bright 

 colour in a strong light for a lew seconds, and then turn 

 and look at the blue sky or any other object, and the eye 

 will reflect in a different form the object first looked upon* 

 and show it distinctly upon the second substance. If 

 looking upon white or any bright colour in a strong 

 light for a few seconds has such an effect upon the optic 

 nerve of the human being, what effect has it upon the 

 horse, that is compelled to look upon it for hours 

 together day after day ? I have no doubt that a great 

 many of the horses suffering from " cloudy eye " and im- 

 perfect vision is caused by dark stables and also white 

 walls before their heads. Horses kept in a dark stable, 

 and brought suddenly to the light, will wink their eyes 

 and look about with a startled expression, being unable 

 to distinguish the surrounding objects. Dealers will 

 keep horses dark to make them look spirited when 

 brought out for sale, often sowing the germs of disease, 

 which will end either in partial or total blindness. 



VENTILATION. 



Upon this subject reason and common sense teach 

 us that without fresh air nothing in animal or vegetable 

 life can be healthy. Place a plant in a hot room without 

 plenty of fresh air, and see how soon the most robust 

 plant becomes sickly and pale. Then what can we think 



