STABLES AND STABLE MANAGEMENT 99 



and so the movable partition enables the owner to gain 

 a multum in parvo. The pillar reins should be made 

 of stout leather, and always looped up when not in 

 use. Many people prefer chains, because they wear 

 for ever. Our objection to them is that they make a 

 noise. If a restless horse is fastened to chain pillar 

 reins he rattles them, makes himself more restless, and 

 disturbs the other horses. Besides, there should be 

 as little noise as possible in a stable. Also, there 

 should never be any hard, unnecessary fittings in a 

 stable against which a horse could, by any possibility, 

 knock himself. Other people prefer the white eight- 

 plaited cord pillar reins, but they require constant 

 pipe- claying, and then do not look as smart and 

 sportsmanlike as the leather ones. We may add 

 that the preference for the former is chiefly among 

 military men ; perhaps there is some subtle attraction 

 in pipe-clay. 



We believe that the mangers should be made of 

 enamelled iron, not wood. Wooden mangers are apt 

 to make horses crib biters. Besides, they are not so 

 easy to keep clean as those made of enamelled iron. 

 But whether made of wood or enamelled iron, they 

 should be constantly scrubbed with salt and water, 

 for the manger is to the horse what the plate is to 

 the human being. The rack should be as close to 

 the manger as possible, and not above the horse, for 

 a horse should be able to eat his food in a comfort- 

 able position, and not be obliged to stretch his neck 

 like a giraffe when he wants to eat. Many men 

 have discarded racks and let their horses eat their 

 hay from the ground; but we do not agree with 



