44 THE HORSE 



referred to by those who decide upon ensuring that 

 the ventilation of their stables is to be complete. 

 It may, nevertheless, be stated that horses^ if well 

 clothed, can stand a good amount of fresh air, pro- 

 vided always they are kept out of draughts, and that 

 few things can be more prejudicial to their health 

 than long confinement in a vitiated atmosphere. 

 About twelve hundred cubic feet is a fair allowance 

 of air for an ordinary sized horse, but if the figures 

 could be extended by a quarter or a half, it would be 

 greatly to the advantage of the occupants of the 

 stable. The question of drainage is also one that 

 should attract the attention of an owner, be he rich 

 or poor, that desires to keep his animals in health 

 and up to their work, and in this respect many 

 stables are lamentably deficient. Fortunately, how- 

 ever, the horrible old-fashioned gulleys, in which 

 the urine would remain for days contaminating the 

 atmosphere, are falling out of use, their places being 

 occupied by a more satisfactory arrangement, in 

 which gratings and properly constructed drain-pipes 

 form an important feature. It is, nevertheless, very 

 frequently the case that these gratings and drains 

 are permitted to become choked, so that the fluid 

 which they are expected to carry away floods the 

 stable floor, whilst in other instances there is a 

 woeful disregard to all attempts at trapping the 

 drains, the result being that noxious gases are freely 

 admitted into the stables, to the great danger of the 

 horses' lives. The prevention of such risks should 

 unquestionably be the care of the owner of the 

 animals, and the poorer he is the more reason it will 

 be for him to endeavour to save himself from certain 

 loss. The paving of the floor is, of course, a subject 

 for careful consideration, and efforts should be made 

 to ensure the horses getting a good foothold when 

 passing to and fro between their stalls and the 

 door, as well as to arrange for a durable substance 



