168 THE HORSE OWNEr's 



of contraction of the foot. Stalls of this kind certainly do 

 best for mares; but for horses we much prefer those with 

 a grating in the center, and a slight inclination of the 

 floor on every side, towards the middle, and a short 

 branch may communicate with a larger drain, by means 

 of which the urine may be carried off to a reservoir out- 

 side the stable. Traps are now contrived, and may be 

 procured at a little expense, by means of which neither 

 any offensive smell nor current of air can pass through 

 the grating. Humanity and interest, as well as the ap- 

 pearance of the stable, should induce the proprietor of 

 the horse to place a moderate quantity of litter under 

 him during the day. 



LIGHT. 

 This neglected branch of stable management is of far 

 more consequence than is generally imagined ; and it is 

 particularly neglected by those for whom these treatises 

 are principally designed. The farmer's stable is frequent- 

 ly destitute of any glazed window, and has only a shutter, 

 which is raised in warm weather and closed when the weath- 

 er becomes cold. When the horse is in the stable on- 

 ly during a few hours in the day, this is not of so much 

 consequence, with regard to horses of slow work : but to 

 carriage horses and hackne3''s, so far at least, as the eyes 

 are concerned, a dark stable is little less injurious than a 

 foul and heated one. In order to illustrate this refer- 

 ence may be made to the unpleasant feeling, and the ut- 

 ter impossibility of seeing distinctly, when a man suddenly 

 emerges from a dark place into the full blaze of day. The 

 sensation of mingled pain and giddiness is not soon forgot- 

 ten ; and some minutes pass before the eye can accommo- 

 date itself to the increased light. If this were to happen 



