The Stable. y 



moment the cold air caught the horse, his coat 

 would be up on end, and looking like a monster 

 porcupine. It is an easy thing for a man to pnt 

 on a great coat on a cold day ; then, if the weather 

 is cold, why not put extra clothing on the horse 

 to keep him warm ? Never resort to the false 

 economy of keeping the stable hot at the expense 

 of the* health of your animal, or you will find 

 yourself in the position of many grooms, who 

 have their horses always delicate feeders, and for 

 ever coughing with any change of the wind. 

 Then they commence to put their arms down 

 their horse's throat every morning to give him 

 a cough ball, made of linseed meal and treacle, 

 and enough nitre and camphor to make a taste 

 and smell, and possessing the same virtues as the 

 old woman's bread pills, which she warranted to 

 do neither good nor harm. 



I went to look over some stables not 100 miles 

 from Hitchin, which their owner considered a 

 marvel of perfection. He had no doubt spent 

 a large amount upon them, and I am sure I never 

 saw a more miserable failure. The stables were 

 lofty, with traps into the small roof to let the hot 

 air out, but the roof was 14 inches thick of thatch, 

 and no air shaft to convey the foul air through 

 the roof, consequently the air got in through the 

 false roof, and no further. The architect had for- 

 gotten that pure air was required in the winter 

 as well as the summer, and there was no way 

 of obtaining it, only through the windows, which 

 were high up, and very small, close under the 

 roof, giving no light into the stable, and if they 



