STABLE NECESSARIES 117 



should be removed to a spare stall, and the 

 stable thoroughly washed down and the manger 

 scrubbed out once or twice a week and this is 

 certainly desirable when it can be managed. 

 But sometimes, especially in towns, stable room 

 is scanty. In large establishments however there 

 is often an ' odd man ' who can do a little job 

 of this kind when the horses are at exercise. It 

 is essential for the health of the horses that it 

 should be done, and it cannot be too strongly 

 impressed upon the reader that the greater the 

 cleanliness in the manger etc. the less waste of 

 food there will be. 



Horses that are being well worked regularly 

 will not require any strong exercise. Most of 

 it should be done at a walking pace and when 

 this is exceeded it should be a very slow trot. 

 Under such circumstances there is no difficulty 

 about one man exercising three horses, for when 

 they are well sheeted and are in regular work 

 horses are quiet enough at exercise. Some 

 grooms are very fond of exercising without a 

 saddle. They think it looks clever, I suppose, 

 and it saves them a little trouble. It should 

 never be permitted when leading other horses, 

 but it is a matter of little moment when a horse 

 that has been hard hunted the previous day is 

 taken out for a few minutes just ' to stretch 

 his legs.' I have known this done as soon as 

 the horse had been watered and had a bite of 

 hay. Then he has been brought in, made 

 comfortable, and his corn given him and left to 



