I 



41B AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



possible to compute. Many stables are but sinks of filth and 

 rottenness — perfect lazarettoes — haunts of disease and death. 

 The aggregate amount of disease and debility flowing from 

 this source is absolutely incalculable. 



It is not so much the farmer's stables that are in fault as 

 some of those of the towns and cities. There, many a home 

 provided for the horse is located in some back alley, in some 

 low, damp, dark situation, where there is little room and 

 still less light and air, and where great piles of manure are 

 suffered to accumulate within and without, filling the whole 

 atmosphere with their reeking fumes. There are a great 

 many exceptions to this description, of course, and most of 

 our city livery stables, especially, must be exempted from 

 these charges. These are generally well built, conveniently 

 arranged, and managed with a judicious carefulness that at 

 once removes every thing ofi*ensive. 



From the nuisance of the farmer's stables, his horse is 

 each year allowed a considerable respite in the pasture. A 

 great many stables in the country are neither built nor: man- 

 aged better than those pest-houses for the horse which we 

 described in the last paragraph ; but the surroundings are 

 much .more favorable. There are generally no other build- 

 ings close at hand to obstruct the free circulation of the air 

 outside of the stable, and thus the dung dries up rapidly, 

 while much of the unwholespme effluvia is carried away by 

 the wind. 



The construction of the stable — its size, form, etc. — is a 

 matter of no small moment. Every ^prse should have his 

 stall, which should be sufficiently large for him to turn round 

 in it, and so arranged that he can lie down. INTot only is it 

 exceedingly tiresome to the horse to be compelled to stand 

 continually upon his feet, but it often proves very injurious. 

 Soreness and swelling of the joints often result from it, and 

 not unfrequently these are aggravated into permanent stiff- 

 ness. In many instances, a hurt of the leg or joint, received 

 in his daily labor, would pass away without serious conse- 

 quences were the animal allowed to rest his limbs by lying 



