STABLES 117 



well-bedded, for the bedding Is likely to slip or be 

 kicked oft more or less, and, moreover, there Is con- 

 tinual danger of horses slipping upon such a floor. The 

 flooring of the stalls should be of wood. Wood may 

 not be quite so sanitary as the non-porous materials, but 

 Its use is perfectly compatible with a clean, wholesome 

 stable. For the passageways, either wood or else 

 asphalt or cement mixed with some substance which 

 will give a rough surface should be used. 



CONSTRUCTION OF STALLS 



Stalls should be ten feet long. If possible, though nine 

 feet will do fairly well, and no stall should be less than 

 four feet six inches wide. Any width less than this 

 will not make a comfortable stall even for a small 

 horse. A width of five feet is vastly better, and big 

 horses, say horses weighing over 1,400 pounds, should 

 always have stalls at least five feet wide, and six feet 

 would be better. The advantages of a long stall are 

 three: first. It protects a horse from being kicked by 

 his neighbor; secondly. It prevents the horse from get- 

 ting one foot caught around the partition between the 

 two stalls, a frequent accident; and thirdly, it protects 

 the hind legs of the horse from cold draughts. This 

 last consideration is much more important than is 

 commonly supposed, for a horse coming in with wet 

 fetlocks and legs, especially In winter, is likely to get 

 scratches and mud fever if his legs and heels are ex- 

 posed to a draught. 



Of course, a box stall is the best for every horse, both 

 because he can lie down in it much more comfortably, 



