SOFT REPOSE. 87 



thus diminishing, by many degrees, his standing 

 up hill. In good and well laid stables horses are 

 not found to acquire this habit ; so the cause of it 

 speaks for itself, and ought to be immediately 

 remedied, which any common bricklayer may do 

 if he pleases in half a day. 



Five feet eight, in the clear, I consider wide 

 enough for any horse's stall. If he is so fatigued 

 as to want to lie at full length, he ought to be 

 put in a box. This is, however, a position in 

 which horses never lie long together, unless 

 under very peculiar circumstances; for it is, in 

 fact, a painful one to them, unless they have an 

 unusual quantity of soft straw under them, the 

 rotundity of their ribs creating an unpleasant 

 pressure. 



It is a most mistaken idea that a wearied body 

 can rest comfortably on anything but a soft, yield- 

 ing substance. Rest it will, and sleep will come, 

 for jaded nature will rest any where, and almost 

 any how ; but if we lie on any unyielding surface, 

 it is only the most prominent parts of the body 

 that find support. These begin to ache from 

 undue pressure on them; the other parts from 

 having no support at all. Some foreign horses 

 sleep on bare boards. They live, and perhaps do 

 well ; but they would certainly be more comfort- 

 able with a good bed under them. And it must 

 be borne in mind, that these occupiers of bare 

 G 4 



