DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. 67 



high all round with plenty of straw, so that 

 the horse cannot so readily get back to rub 

 or kick the sides of the box ; and if a horse is 

 inclined to paw, and knock his bed about with 

 his fore-feet, the fetters can be put on him. 

 The first thing in the morning a boy has to do 

 who looks after a horse in a box, is, when he 

 goes in, to chain up his horse's head, at such a 

 length as to admit of his feeding ; he then gives 

 him his corn, and while the horse is eating it 

 the boy is to set fair his horse's bed; in com- 

 mencing this, he is first to look about on the 

 surface of the bed, to see where the horse may 

 have emptied himself; he is also to feel about 

 under the straw for the same purpose, and throw 

 towards the door all the dung he can find; he is 

 next to shake up the straw all over the box, 

 leaving the greater part of it round the sides or 

 walls; and any part of the straw in the centre 

 appearing wet, from the horse having lately 

 staled on it, should be removed ; there should be 

 nothing allowed to accumulate here in the way 

 of dung; the box, in short, to use a common 

 stable phrase, should be mucked out twice a 

 week. But on all such occasions there must be, 

 previous to the horse being dressed, a sufficient 

 portion of the bedding put back to the centre of 



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