THE STAIL.] 



MODEEN VETERINARY PRACTICE. 



[the havokb. 



side of tbe channel." Ifc is also romarked by 

 Mr. Blaine, that — 



" In the stables of dealers in carriage horses, 

 an ascent in the standings of nearh' two inches 

 in the yard is sometimes made, to give a 

 greater appearance of height to the yet unfur- 

 nished four-year-old horses, which are thus 

 often passed upon the unwary as horses of five 

 years old. Is no strain put upon their legs ? 

 Our experience, which has been somewliat ex- 

 tensive in these matters, convinces us that the 

 inequalities in the standings of horses is a 

 fertile source of contraction of the feet. What 

 but the pain and inconvenience which follow 

 an uneven position, occasions horses, when not 

 feeding, to be so frequently found standing 

 across instead of lengthways in their stalls? 

 How frequently, also, will the horse, boxed in 

 a stall, be found with his croup turned towards 

 tbe manger ? To avert these evils, and yet to 

 prevent the retention of the urine, the smallest 

 possible slope should be allowed, which should 

 proceed uniformly to the bottom of the stall. 

 A central grating, with a cesspool, is an im- 

 perfect remedy for the evil; for there must 

 still be a general inequality of surface to carry 

 the urine to the centre. It is further injurious 

 by retaining the urine we wish to avoid ; and, 

 moreover, it promotes a draught of cold air 

 from without, if it be so constructed as to 

 carry the urine out of the doors. It may, also, 

 be remarked, that a central cesspool is utterly 

 useless for mares. It is, therefore, the best 

 plan to furnish each stall with a grating placed 

 over a small trapped drain, at tbe foot of each 

 stall, which will carry off both the urine and 

 the washings into one general cesspool out of 

 doors, and from which, being stopped by the 

 trap, nothing offensive can pass up through 

 the gratings." 



THE STALL, THE MANGER, AND THE RACK. 



The width of a stall should not be less tlian 

 six feet, clear. But when there is sufficient 

 room, it is a mucii better plan to allow each 

 horse a space of teu or twelve feet, where he 

 may be loose, and exercise himself a little. 

 This will be an effectual means of avoiding 

 swollen heels, and a great relie: to animals 

 that are worked hard. 



"With respect to the rack and mangei' — the 

 manger should never be lesa than eighleen 



inches deep ; eighteen inches from the front to 

 the back part ; and two feet in k-ngth. 



In post and waggon stables, where tiio stall 

 is made for a pair ot horses, the manger will be 

 placed at each end, and the rack in the centre. 

 It will then be necessary to put one bar in the 

 centre of the rack, on tiie top, from tlio front 

 to the back part, to prevent tlie horse from 

 throwing out the hay with his nose. 



The rack may have staves in the front 

 like a common rack ; but it is better to have 

 it partly closed in front. The back part of 

 the rack should be an inclined p'ane, made of 

 wood ; should be gradually sloped towards the 

 front, and should terminate about two feet 

 down. Such a rack will hold more hay than 

 ever ought to be put before one horse. The 

 advantages of this rack are numerous. The 

 saving in hay that may be effected by its use 

 is so apparent, that it need not be dwelt upon. 

 A greac saving also may be made in oats, by 

 so fastening the horse's head during the time 

 of feeding, that he cannot throw any of them 

 out of the manger. If a horse is allowed a 

 peck of oats a day, and has, as be may have, 

 one-eighth part of them thus saved, it will 

 amount to nearly a peck in a week. There 

 must not, however, be a diminution in bis 

 allowance on this account. A horse should 

 have one peck of oats in twenty-four hours; 

 but then he should not have more than from 

 eight to twelve pounds of the best hay in that 

 time, given at four, or three times at least. 



Tills kind of rack and manger, from being 

 boarded up in front, will effectually prevent 

 the litter from being kept constantly under 

 the horse's head and eyes, by which he is 

 compelled to breathe the vapours which arise 

 from it. It will also prevent him from getting 

 his head under the manger, as sometimes 

 happens, by whicii means, not unfrequcntly 

 the poll-evil is produced. 



The length of the halter should be only 

 four feet from the head-stall to the ring, 

 tlirougii which it passes. This will admit of 

 the horse lying down with ease, which is all 

 that is required. 



The ring sliould be placed close to that side 

 where the manger is, and not in the centre of 

 the stall. The sides of the stalls should be 

 sufficiently high and deep to prevent their 

 occupants from biting or kicking each other. 



107 



