THE STABLE.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[the stable. 



head of each stall partition. They should 

 be seven or eight feet long, so as to avoid a 

 draught on the horse's eyes, and open at 

 their tops like chimney-tops, and should stand 

 out two feet from the wall. The rarefied state 

 of the air in the stable, will cause a constant 

 flow of cool air through this main tunnel, 

 and up these chimneys ; and will equalise the 

 temperature of the stable, and entirely obviate 

 the draught of wind that blows in at the 

 horizontal holes in the walls of our stables 

 as at present ventilated. These perpendicular 

 chimneys may have one or two other apertures 

 in them besides the one at their tops, at 

 diiferent heights, that may be opened or closed 

 at pleasure, to admit air by means of a door 

 with a hinge and button, opening on that side 

 next the wall, whereby a direct current of air 

 upon the horse will be averted. If these air 

 passages should not be thought sufficient, other 

 horizontal tunnels branching from the main 

 one, might run from it at right angles under 

 each stall partition, and terminate in a per- 

 pendicular wooden chimney, six feet high at 

 each heel-post." 



The window of the stable should be at the 

 south-east end, and the door at the opposite 

 end. The window should be as high as the 

 ceiling will admit of, and in size proportionate 

 to that of the stable. In a stable of twelve feet 

 high, it need not come down more than four 

 feet, and will then be eight feet from the 

 ground, and out of the way of being broken. 

 The frame of the window should be movable 

 upon a pivot in the centre, and opened by 

 means of a cord running over a pulley in the 

 ceiling, and fastened by means of another cord. 

 With a window of this kind, in a stable with 

 three or four horses, no other ventilation will 

 be required. A person never need be solicitous 

 ibout finding openings for the air to enter, 

 when there is sufficient room above, and means 

 tor it to escape. 



It is unnecessary to enlarge on this branch 

 of our subject, as enough has been said to 

 show the absolute necessity of keeping up 

 a supply of pure air in the stable. That its 

 temperature may be known, no gentleman's 

 stable should be without a thermometer, which 

 should never be allowed to sink below forty 

 or fifty degrees in the winter, or ascend above 

 seventy in the summer. 

 106 



LIGHT. 



This is another of the most important 

 elements in a well-constructed stable. 



Where much light is admitted, the walls of 

 a stable should not be white, but of a stucco, 

 or lead colour, and better if painted ; for then 

 they may always be washed clean with soap 

 and water, as well as the stalls, rack, and 

 manger. This should be done once in two or 

 three weeks, or a month at furthest. If the 

 walls are boarded up to the height of about 

 five feet, and this, as well aa the stalls, painted 

 of a light wainscot colour, it will look ex- 

 tremely neat, and the under part of the wall 

 will be kept drier, and appear more comfortable. 

 A stable should be lighted by means of an 

 Argand lamp, suspended from the ceiling, and 

 movable. This will give a far better light, i3 

 cheaper, and more secure than any other con- 

 trivance whatever, except gas-light; and, if 

 properly trimmed, will burn without a particle 

 of smoke. As a general rule, dark stables are 

 uncleanly ; and they are the frequent cause of 

 making the horse start, and of giving him sore 

 eyes, w hen he emerges from them. No stable, 

 however, should have too strong a light, as, 

 like the bed-room of his master, it is a place 

 of rest. The proper quantity, then, should be 

 regulated, which a little observation will very 

 soon enable every possessor of a horse to do. 



THE FLOOR. 



A stable, when properly paved, and kept 

 moderately clean, requires only a shallow wide 

 gutter, twelve inches wide, and one inch deep. 

 The best floor for a stable, by far, is hard 

 brick; and next to that, limestone, not less 

 than one foot square. The floor of the stall 

 should never incline more than one inch in a 

 yard; and the inclination should be continued 

 back to the gutter only. "If the reader," 

 says Mr. Lawrence, " will stand for a few 

 minutes with his toes higher than his heels, 

 the pain he will feel in the calves of his legs 

 will soon convince him of the truth of this 

 remark, ' that too great a slope strains the back 

 sinews, of the leg.' Hence, when a horse is 

 not eating, he always endeavours to find his 

 level, either by standing across his stall, Or- 

 el se as far back as his halter will permit, so 

 that his hind legs meet the ascent on the other 



