64 ON THE STABLES, ETC. 



wainscotting should again commence, and be con- 

 tinued along the walls behind the horses, to the cor- 

 responding stall post at the other side of the stables ; 

 and in height, the wainscotting should be even with 

 the lower edge of the stable windows. 



After every stable hour during the day, still more 

 particularly at night when the horses are fed, dressed, 

 and their beds set fair, wooden bails are put up in the 

 back part of the stable, between each of the horses. 

 Cavities to receive the ends of the bails are made in 

 the stall posts, and in the wall at the back part of the 

 stable, into which the bails are put, and secured at the 

 end in the wall. Chains were formerly used instead 

 of bails ; but the latter I think preferable. Ash is the 

 best sort of wood to use in making these bails. The 

 use of the bails is to prevent accidents, in case of 

 any horse getting loose ; he cannot then get into the 

 stalls of those that are tied up. In some stables 

 there are two bails thus fixed, one above the other. 

 Some grooms give the preference to one: I think 

 there is an objection to two, for a horse, when loose, 

 may easily put his leg over the lower one, and injure 

 himself. 



The common method of fixing these bails is as I 

 have above stated; but as they are unwieldy to handle 

 in the stable, an improvement is practicable in arrang- 

 ing them. For instance, I see no objection to the 

 boards of the stall being, as they sometimes are, 

 double; in which case, they might be set a couple or 

 three inches apart, and boxes with rollers might be 



