ON THE STABLES, ETC. 23 



SO well convinced of the very great benefit derived' 

 from the former, as well in regard to the health of the 

 horses, as to the advantages obtained in favor of the 

 trainer in the carrying on of his business, that I shall here 

 endeavour to describe how a range of stables may be 

 planned, suitable in all respects for race-horses to stand 

 in at all times. 



If the stables, house, and offices I am about to pro- 

 pose, cannot be conveniently built on the downs, 

 where the horses are to be trained, they should not 

 be at any great distance from them. A mile, for 

 example, is a distance that would be sometimes at- 

 tended with inconvenience, from the uncertainty of 

 the weather at some periods. Should the horses be on 

 the downs at such a distance from the stables, and 

 heavy rain come on suddenly, they would not, in all 

 probability, be able to reach the stables (in a walk) 

 before their clothes would be nearly, or, perhaps quite 

 wet through; an occurrence which, for various reasons, 

 should, if possible, be avoided. Another great objec- 

 tion to this distance, is, that some race-horses, although 

 excellent runners, are, at times, found to be but very 

 indifferent travellers on the road. Accidents might, 

 therefore, happen ; a careless horse might tumble down 

 and break his knees, and this I have known to occur 

 more than once. It would be running too great a 

 risk, with valuable horses in training, to allow them to 

 walk even half a mile twice a day in summer, over a 

 dry hot road, particularly with horses that may have 

 engagements of great importance to their owners. A 



