General Arrangement of Stables. 201 



floor behind the stalls consisted also of a similar 

 arrangement, and when each part was in its place, 

 110 drains were to be seen. Water thrown down 

 found its way readily and carried the filth effec- 

 tually,, by which the stables were rendered sweet 

 and wholesome, while little trouble was required 

 to keep them so. If the spaces between the 

 planks become blocked up, a piece of hoop iron, 

 or an old knife, is used to clear them. 



Loose boxes are invaluable where horses arc 

 kept. No stable where there are more than one 

 horse should be without them. They are far 

 preferable to stalls under most circumstances, 

 but are not always admissible, on account of 

 deficiency of room. 



A loose box is a great advantage to a sick 

 horse. For that purpose it should be situate at 

 a distance from the usual stable, as a guard 

 against infectious or contagious diseases. It 

 should be well lighted and ventilated by the wall 

 below or door, and above by the roof, as already 

 described at page 140. The dimensions should be 

 not less than twelve feet square, with twelve feet 

 space in a perpendicular direction also. The 

 floor composed of hard impervious material, 

 slightly falling to the centre, so as to cause 

 urine, &c., to flow off by means of a .very shallow 

 and wide open drain to the outside. 



The doors should slide along the wall on the 

 outside if possible ; an arrangement which is 

 more approved than their being hung upon 



