66 TREATMENT OF HORSES 



again into training, that is, they should be 

 hearty, sound, and lusty. 



Let us now make such remarks with regard 

 to the attention necessary to be observed in re- 

 gard to the loose box, in which a race horse has 

 to stand, as will suffice for the arrangement of 

 such loose boxes or stables generally. As to the 

 size of them, they should be thirteen feet by 

 twenty, (for the manner of ventilating it, see 

 Vol. 1, Chap. 3); the box being thoroughly dry, 

 it should be plentifully supplied with good clean 

 wheat straw; and be it observed, that, as, when 

 a horse lies down in his box to rest himself, he 

 mostly does it in the centre of his bed, it should 

 therefore be made of good substance in this 

 part. But, as horses get fresh from rest and good 

 feeding, there are at times some among them, 

 who, to amuse themselves, get into little tricks 

 and habits which are annoying to a trainer ; they 

 stand back close to the sides of the box, and 

 here rub their tails and tops of their quarters, 

 and they knock, and kick, and bruise their 

 hocks and feet, by kicking against the boards 

 or walls. With a view to prevent a horse as 

 much as possible from practising those habits, 

 every time his bed is set fair, the sides of the 

 box should, as it were, be banked up wide and 



