4© ON THE CECONOMY OF THE STABLE. 



no meafure within their reach, would fo much 

 reUeve the cramped fmews, and furbated feet 

 of labouring horfes, as that of fuffering them to 

 fland loofe in their flails, narrow and confined 

 even as they are; and that every opportunity 

 ihould be taken to put it in pra61ice. 



What follows will be found applicable to the 

 general fubjeft, but more immediately to the 

 liable concerns of perfons of property in the 

 country, who love the horfe, and are emulous 

 of keeping him in the bed flyle of accommo- 

 dation. 



It was the- opinion of the ancients, that the 

 walls of a ftable ought to be^df confiderable 

 fubflance, in order to defend the horfe, natu- 

 rally fenfible of cold, from the finenefs of his 

 coat, during the winter feafon ; and that brick 

 was to be preferred to flone, as lefs liable to 

 retain the moiflure and damps of the atmof- 

 phere. But Vegetius gives a caution, and in 

 my opinion a very rational one, againfi en- 

 couraging too high a degree of heat in fla- 

 bles, both on account of the relaxing effe6l it 

 muft needs have upon the bodies of horfes, 

 and of rendering them liable to the rifk of 

 obftru6led perfpiration upon expofure to the 

 external air. 



Columella recommends planches of heart of 

 oak for the horfe to ftand upon, and herein he 

 V7as followed by our early Englifh writers, and 



perhaps 



