THE STABLE 21 



less force against the bottom of the manger. 

 When this is made of iron a very nasty cut is 

 sometimes the result and I have a lively recollec- 

 tion of a valuable mare of my own being seriously 

 damaged by this means. After the accident I 

 of course took care to prevent one, on something 

 like the same principle as that on which a man 

 locks the stable door after the horse is stolen. 

 The mangers should be about 3 ft. 6 in. from 

 the floor. This is quite high enough. It is 

 natural for a horse to eat from a low level ^ 

 and I have heard it said that the overhead rack 

 caused roaring and kindred diseases on account 

 of the undue strains put upon the muscles of 

 the larynx. I should scarcely like to subscribe 

 to that theory myself although it has been held 

 that diseases of the respiratory organs have been 

 caused by tight reining up. But then in tight 

 reining up the head is fixed as it were and con- 

 sequently the larynx becomes distorted. 



All stables should have a wash house and a 

 house for provender conveniently placed. The 

 house for provender should be provided with a 

 winnowing machine, a mill for crushing oats and 

 a chopping machine. The winnowing machine 

 is very necessary if you get your oats in in large 

 quantities, for oats gather dirt and dust in a 

 remarkable manner, and it is essential that all 

 food for horses should be clean. Oats should 



^ Some authorities would have the mangers still lower, insisting 

 that with a low manger the risk of cribbing is minimised. This may- 

 be the case but the manger is not the only thing the horse seizes hold 

 of when indulging in this vice. 



