ON STABLE MANAGEMENT. 75 



in length, with a declivity of one or two inches, so as to 

 allow the urine to run off. Too many should not be kept in 

 the same apartment : not only is the air thereby vitiated, but 

 the rest and sleep, so necessary to invigorate the animal, are 

 thus prevented or disturbed. Some horses will not lie down ; 

 in fact, there is not room for them to do so in many stables. 

 Some men actually believe that a horse is as insensible as a 

 stone, and that any thing is good enough for him ; that he is 

 not entitled to any consideration or mercy ; and he stands in 

 a narrow-contracted, filthy stall, until the muscles and liga- 

 ments around the joints become so stiff and callous, that the 

 poor brute is unable to rest his weary limbs. Some horses 

 will not sleep, or lie down, unless perfectly at their ease j 

 hence the frequent entrance of stablemen and other persons, 

 with lights, must be a great disturbance to horses that are 

 fatigued and irritable. 



A large manger will be preferable to the rack ; it will pre- 

 vent the hay seeds and dust from falling on the head, to the 

 frequent injury of the eyes. The length of the halter should 

 be sufficient to allow the animal to lie down. 



The floors of stalls are made of various materials : hard 

 pine planks are the best, as they preserve an equal tempera- 

 ture. A small quantity of dry straw is absolutely necessary, 

 as it prevents many diseases of the feet ; but the feet need not 

 sink so deep in it that their temperature should be affected. 



On Ventilation and the Admission of Light into the Stable. 

 — In a close stable the air is not only hot, but loaded with 

 impurities ; the breath of the animal corrupts it, and renders 

 it unwholesome. The author has often visited stables early 

 in the morning, and found the atmosphere very oppressive, 

 and the smell intolerable. From this hotbed of corruption 

 the animals were brought forth to their daily work : the natu- 

 ral consequence of such sudden transitions must sooner or 

 later be disease. The effluvia of animal bodies are constantly 

 running into a putrefactive state, and this must point out very 

 forcibly the necessity of a proper ventilation in stables, espe- 

 cially when it is considered that the dung and urine add to 



