THE STABLE 33 



Light is another essential. Without it, horses' 

 eyesight becomes affected, and a dark 



Light 



stable is nearly always a dirty, and there- 

 fore a foul, stable. 



* Veterinary Hygiene ' says : ' Light is as neces- 

 sary for horses as pure air ; this point must be 

 attended to, and a sufficiency of windows provided — 

 one large one in the wall behind every two horses, and 

 one to every horse, overhead, will be found ample.' 



In writing of a hunting stable, it is fair to assume 



that nothing but loose boxes will be used. To tie 



a hunter up in a stall is false economy, 



Boxes 



and cruel. He cannot rest comfortably, 

 undue strain is thrown on the back tendons, 

 through the horse being compelled to stand (as he 

 is in nearly all stalls) on a slope, and the animal, 

 when tired after a day's hunting, cannot restore 

 his circulation by gentle exercise, as he does 

 moving about a loose box. 



The dimensions of these should be 14 x 14 x 14 

 feet, giving 2,744 cubic feet per horse, rather more 

 than twice as much as is allowed in the newest 

 military stables, where, of course, horses stand in 

 stalls with bales as partitions. I have, however, 

 kept hunters in good condition for man}^ years in 

 boxes 14 X 9 X 10 feet (high), giving only 1,260 cubic 

 feet per horse ; but, were I building, I w^ould not 

 have them less than the larger dimensions given. 



