SLOPING FLOORS. 301 



will find that the relief will be instantaneous, and 

 that he need not use one-tenth of the exertion which 

 is required in the former position. 



Instinctively the horse knows this fact as well as 

 man does by means of reason, and when the animal 

 is at liberty on sloping ground, the animal invariably 

 stands so that the fore-feet are lower than the hinder 

 pair. 



Even when the horse lies down for its night's rest, 

 matters are not mended. Let the reader try to sleep 

 on a sloping bed, and he may have some idea of the 

 feelings of a horse under similar circumstances. 



Of course there must be drainage, and the drains 

 must slope downwards. But there is not the least 

 necessity that though the drains slope, the floor 

 should slope also ; and any one who possesses the 

 least smattering of sanitary engineering can drain 

 a stable more effectually than can be done by the 

 present system, and yet can keep the floor level, so 

 as to make it a comfortable resting place for the 

 horse, whether the animal be standing or lying. 



There is one point more on which I should like 

 to touch, though it is not nearly so important as those 

 which have been already mentioned. This is the 

 position of the manger and drinking trough. For 

 many years I have felt certain that both these 



