FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



on each end. They may be painted, stained, 

 brass-mounted, or straw-decorated, and are sus- 

 pended at the head by a hook fastening into a 

 ring in the wall, and at the heel by a rope, brass 

 chain, or pipe-clayed cord, hanging either directly 

 from a ring in the ceiling, or running through a 

 pulley there which allows hoisting out of the way, 

 a needless provision, since, by merely unhook- 

 ing it "fore and aft," it may be put away anywhere. 

 Its lower side is about eighteen inches from the 

 floor, and its top about four feet, six inches, 

 from the same point, and the partitions are 

 hung about four feet apart, although horses 

 do well in even three feet, six inches space, so 

 elastic is this accommodation from its freedom to 

 swing aside. A kicker will abandon his attempts 

 at mischief when he finds that his efforts produce 

 no other effect than to swing the obstacle gently 

 to and fro. 



The animals were tethered by ropes about 

 eighteen inches long, spliced into a ring running 

 upon a "traveller" which runs up and down the 

 wall from about twenty inches above the ground 

 surface, to about four feet, six inches ; the free end 

 being provided with a hook which snaps into the 

 head-stall ring, the regular halter-shank (also pro- 



44 



