4 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



required ; the sun poured into the building without 

 hindrance, reflecting from the glazed tiles which 

 decorated (?) the walls, to the detriment of the 

 horses' eyes, and at every corner you met a 

 draught. Needless to say that the gentleman 

 who had these stables erected had frequent 

 necessity to be ' doctoring ' and that the numerous 

 horses he sheltered in these fine buildings — for 

 they were fine buildings if bad stables — ^were 

 seldom all right together. 



It should not be necessary to insist that the 

 requisite conditions for a healthy stable are 

 space, light, air, and the absence of any noxious 

 fumes. All these conditions can be obtained as 

 well, or nearly as well, in stalls as in boxes. 

 Indeed though I personally prefer boxes I must 

 admit that I have known horses thrive quite 

 as well in stalls. Col. Meysey Thompson who 

 has had a wide experience of horses, in the army 

 and in the training stables as well as with hunters, 

 is of opinion that it is advisable to have stalls 

 as well as loose boxes. Perhaps this may be so 

 in a large establishment ; but the only advan- 

 tages which stalls possess is that they economise 

 space and labour. A greater number of horses 

 can be stabled in stalls than boxes as will be 

 readily seen when we come to discuss the question 

 of dimensions, and in some places that is a 

 serious consideration. The economy in labour 

 is obvious. A horse in a loose box is not only 

 apt but certain, to mess his litter about more 

 than he would if tied up in a stall. 



