198 General Arrangement of Stables. 



either in scientific theory or practice. Drain 

 traps are likely to prove a greater nuisance 

 than that which they were intended originally to 

 set aside. On account of the drain becoming 

 plugged up below by breaking, damage, or 

 stoppage of solid matters, all the gases which 

 result midway find their outlet back through the 

 trap. 



To remedy this, we now recommend all stench 

 traps to be placed outside the building. The 

 drains inside are to be made very wide and shallow, 

 having a moderate fall to carry off the water. 

 By this arrangement there is less danger from 

 horses slipping, and no possibility of getting feet 

 or shoes fast in them. 



The declivity of the stable floor is frequently 

 very injurious to horses' legs. For the purpose 

 of carrying off the urine, or water during wash- 

 ing, the stall floor falls considerably from head to 

 heel, as much as one inch to the foot being no 

 uncommon estimate. This causes the animals 

 to suffer great pain in the back tendons, and lays 

 the foundation of lameness in that region. 

 They are also found to stand back from the 

 stall as far as the chain or halter will allow, 

 and mischievous grooms strike with the first 

 weapon they lay hold of, and are apt to cause 

 injuries to the shoulder by the force with which 

 the horse strikes the munger in rushing forward 

 to avoid the blow. Sometimes he stands across 

 the stall, and thus also irritates his attendants by 



