42 



THE FAMILY HORSE, 



asphaltum break up under the tramping of the iron-shod feet ; 

 brick is liable to the same objection, and the additional one of 

 absorbing the offensive fluids, and a dirt floor very soon becomes a 

 quagmire. The material almost universally employed in this coun- 

 try is sound pine or spruce planks, properly laid. The floor should 

 be double, the lower planks lying transversely of the stall, and the 

 upper ones, two inches thick, are laid lengthwise, and only as long 

 as the stall itself. There must be a slight slope to the rear for drain- 

 age, but this should never exceed one inch in six feet. If any great- 

 er, it compels the horse to stand in an unnatural position, with a 

 constant strain upon the tendons of the legs. It is no wonder 

 that a horse standing on a rapidly sloping floor, seeks temporary 

 relief by tm-ning crosswise of the stall. A thin coat of melted pitch 

 or coal tar upon the lower course of planks, before the upper course 

 is laid, will protect it from moisture and decay. If the entire floor 

 is given repeated coats of crude petroleum, until thoroughly satura- 



Fig. 28 — HAT-RACK AND FEED-TROUGH. 



ted, it will not only act as a preservative, but also prevent to a large 

 extent the absorption of offensive liquids. A horse-stall should 

 be five-a-half feet wide in the clear, and six is better, and there 

 should be at least fifteen feet of space from the head of the stall to 

 the wall in the rear, to allow for backing out the horse. 



There should never be less than eight feet of clear space above 

 the floor, and ten feet is much better. If hay or other forage is 

 kept in the loft, the upper floor should be matched and lined or other- 

 wise made perfectly tight, to keep out the breath and odors of the 

 stable. A shute, extending from the manger to the roof, with doors 

 on one or more sides, may be made to sei*ve the double purpose of 

 ventilating the stable, and passing down hay and straw. It 

 should be made flaring towards the bottom to allow free passage of 



