94 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. 



wet and the action of bacteria. The life of 

 leather is extremely short if it is deprived of its 

 fat, hence the importance of keeping leather 

 well greased. 



If leather is hung in a badly ventilated stable 

 it will rapidly deteriorate, however well it is 

 greased. Ammonia also has a bad effect on 

 polished and varnished woodwork, such as 

 carriages, because it dissolves the varnish. In 

 fact, carriage builders use ammonia to remove 

 varnish from carriages. 



As stated above, dung contains comparatively 

 few impurities if kept dry and unmixed with 

 other fluids. But if mixed with alkaline fluids, 

 as ammonia, it produces certain ferments 

 (Chapter XVII.) which have the power of dis- 

 solving albumen and mucin, of which the 

 horse's hoof is chiefly composed ; hence the 

 importance of picking out the horse's hoofs two 

 or three times a day and of keeping them dry. 

 It will be clear that the hind feet of mares will 

 be more liable to become affected, which I have 

 found to be the case. Clean alkaline water has 

 a slight action on the horse's hoof. Dung soaked 

 in ammonia is an excellent medium for en- 

 couraging the growth of bacteria. (See 

 "Tetanus," Sees. 619 and 795.) 



371. Light. — Abundant light is of the utmost 

 importance, for several reasons. If stables are 

 not well lighted with windows the horse's eyes 

 will become seriously damaged. Many shying 

 horses are made such by being kept in dark 

 stables, and, upon first coming out into the light, 

 are unable to see properly. If horses live for 

 long in such stables, their eyes will be affected 

 permanently. Light is also necessary to assist 

 in keeping the air in the stable pure ; light is 

 an enemy to most disease-producing organisms. 

 Dirt, darkness and dampness are the three 

 friends of the disease microbe. 



Light, again, is necessary to enable the groom 

 to see dirt and to see that every portion of the 

 stable is kept scrupulously clean. The owner 

 can at once discover any neglected places if 

 there is good light in the stable. While work- 

 ing at night, the stable should be lit with electric 

 incandescent light, which is the best form of 

 artificial light for night work, but this is of 

 little importance compared with daylight. 

 Light assists the groom only, but daylight is 

 necessary to maintain good health. All fittings 

 should be gas-tight stable fittings, and all wires 

 should be laid in gas-tight iron pipes to prevent 

 the ammonia from acting upon the rubber in- 

 sulation and metal work. Switches should be 

 where they will not be struck by horses that 

 pass near them. The lights should be hung 

 where they will not be knocked by the horses, 

 and should be at least 9 ft. from the floor. In 

 some places, where high buildings surround the 

 stables, skylights (windows in the roof) are 

 necessary, but these must not take the place of 



the other windows which are necessary for 

 ventilation. If, however, it is only possible to 

 have skylights, then these must be made to 

 open. The inlet in such cases must come 

 through ventilating shafts on the side of the 

 wall, 6 ft. or 7 ft. from the ground. 



372. Roofs. — Open roofs are cheaper and 

 allow more air space for the horse ; but where 

 the extra expense is not considered, it is far 

 better to have a ceiling above the stable, 12 ft. 

 from the ground. The roof can then be built 

 as low as possible above the ceiling, allowing 

 a sufficient slope for drainage off the roof, or it 

 can be built higher to give room for a hayloft 

 or room (P. 84). The advantages of a ceiling 

 are that with it the temperature of the stable is 

 more easily kept consistent. Without a ceiling, 

 the stable becomes hot in summer and cold in 

 winter. A ceiling also keeps the stable much 

 more free from dust. The ideal roof is a ferro- 

 concrete one, because it is fireproof and water- 

 proof, and lasts a long time ; but it is very 

 heavy. 



The ceiling should always be made of ferro- 

 concrete, and in this case it would be quite safe 

 to have the room above built of wood. Wooden 

 shingles should never be used on a stable, as 

 they are extremely dangerous from a fire point 

 of view. Slates, tiles, or metal shingles should 

 be used. As stated above, ferro-concrete should 

 be used wherever possible as a protection from 

 fire, and in this case the ventilating shaft would 

 be made of sheet metal ; the trap at the bottom 

 should be fireproof also. 



373. Walls. — A stable wall should be made 

 of solid brick or concrete, with air space inside 

 (P. 86) ; this is necessary to keep the stable 

 warm in winter and cool in summer, and to 

 prevent damp from reaching the inside of the 

 stable. There should be a row of ventilating 

 bricks in the outer wall, 1 ft. or 2 ft. above the 

 ground, and another row beneath the eaves of 

 the roof, thus connecting the outside air with 

 the inside space and keeping it well ventilated. 

 In Canada, where the winters are cold, the 

 total thickness of a stable wall should be 2 ft., 

 1 ft. outside the space and 8 in. or 9 in. inside, 

 which should keep the stable quite warm in the 

 coldest weather. The inside and outside walls 

 are joined at intervals by means of small iron 

 rods. 



The inside surface of the stable wall should 

 be of glazed bricks or tiles. Glazed bricks are 

 the best (P. 88). Good smooth cement must 

 be used to "point" the bricks. These walls can 

 then be scrubbed and kept absolutely sanitary. 

 If the walls are not made of glazed bricks, they 

 must be made of ordinary bricks or cement, and 

 should be whitewashed every three months with 

 chloride of lime. As bricks, especially glazed 

 bricks, are expensive, a cheaper kind of wall 

 can be made of concrete. The same air space 



