STABLES 119 



is very Important. It should be as slight as possible, 

 not more than one inch in eighty inches. In fact, it is 

 better to have the stall absolutely level, although this 

 may be inconvenient on account of drainage. If a 

 stall slopes too much it is very uncomfortable for the 

 horse, and is apt to result in sprung knees. 



The ideal stall has an underflooring of cement or 

 other like material which slopes back from the head 

 of the stall to the gutter behind it, and upon this is laid 

 a removable floor of slatted wood, which is absolutely 

 level. ' 



The upper part of the partitions between stalls 

 should be of network. Iron or wooden, so as to permit 

 the free passage of air, only so much of the partition 

 being made solid as is necessary to protect the horse 

 from annoyance by his neighbors when he is eating. 

 This matter Is very important for a stall boxed in at 

 the forward end Is hot and close In summer. On the 

 other hand, the horse being essentially a nervous, even 

 irritable animal. It Is equally Important that he should 

 be allowed to eat his meals in peace. 



CASTING 



There is a rather common impression that In fairly 

 wide stalls, say, five feet wide, horses are more apt to 

 become cast than In more narrow stalls, but this seems 

 to be a mistake. Some years ago the Boston Work 

 Horse Relief Association made an investigation upon 

 this point. Inspecting for the purpose stables containing 

 hundreds of horses, and they found that the wider the 

 stall the less the likelihood of being cast, and that the 



