158 HUNTING 



sphere. The hovel must also be so constructed as to 

 permit of every part of it being cleansed thoroughly 

 in the event of illness; therefore, as in the stable, 

 the fittings cannot be too simple. Mangers are pre- 

 ferable to racks, and the water trough should not 

 be adjacent to the manger, as mares and foals when 

 feeding are apt to deposit portions of the corn in 

 the water, but, if racks are used, the bars which 

 reach nearly to the ground should not be more than 

 an inch and a half apart, or the foals may get their 

 feet or legs entangled in them. The other fittings have 

 been already described in our chapter on " Stables 

 and Stable Management." 



A light, dry, sandy soil is evidently the most conducive 

 to the welfare of the equine race, but in any case the 

 land must be thoroughly drained. It is a mistake to 

 think that humid, rich pasture is good for horses; indeed, 

 it is not essential that any grass or pasturage should 

 be cultivated in the paddock, in which, if constantly 

 occupied, the vegetation would soon be destroyed. 

 Air and exercise are the objects of the paddock, and 

 grazing land is not in the least necessary for breed- 

 ing horses. Many farmers, who occupy arable farms 

 not capable of being made remunerative at all times 

 by the cultivation of wheat and barley, might do 

 worse than turn their attention to horse-breeding, 

 more especially as the manure of horses is far more 

 valuable for agricultural purposes than that of any 

 other class of animals. Modern science has decided 

 that the best system of rearing cattle is to keep them 

 in yards or enclosures sheltered by farm buildings, 



