REPORT OF CAPT. GEORGE B. M'CLELLAN. 



215 



With the consent of the minister of war, the ration as given ahove may be changed, as follows : 

 the oats may be replaced by rye, barley, biscuit, hay, or straw, at the following rates : for each, 

 quart of oats 0.5G quart rye, or 0.8 quart barley, or f pound biscuit, or 2f pounds hay, or 5^ 

 pounds straw ; hay may be replaced by straw at the rate of 2 pounds of straw for 1 pound of hay 



The straw, as given above in the garrison ration, is one-half fed, the rest used for litter. 



The heavy ration is issued to the cavalry of the guard, the horses of the riding school, the 

 horse artillery of the guard, the draught horses of all the artillery, and the cuirassier regiments. 



The light ration is issued to all other horses, except that the lancers receive | quart of oats 

 more than the quantity specified above for the light ration. 



From the day of their purchase until joining their regiments, the remount horses receive from 

 7^ to 9 quarts of oats, 7 pounds of hay, and 4 pounds of straw per diem. 



STABLES. 



The new and best stables are of brick, of one story, with a loft above. They have a central 

 passage way, with a row of stalls on each side ; and usually accommodate the horses of an entire 

 regiment. 



In some cases, the stables are built on three sides of a rectangle ; each of the short sides for 1 

 squadron ; the long side for 2 squadrons, and having a riding house in the middle ; the barracks, 

 detached, form the fourth side. In other cases, the long side is for 1 squadron and the riding 

 house, while there is a perpendicular wing for each of the other squadrons. 



The stalls are 5' 2" wide, 9' 6" long to the heel post, 1' thence to the drain ; the central passage 

 way is 12' 4" wide ; the ceiling 15' high. The interior of the stables is plastered, and the com- 

 munication with the loft is by means of trap-doors in convenient places for throwing down the- hay. 



The passage way is paved with cubical blocks of stone ; the stalls with bricks set on the long 

 edge. 



The stalls are separated by swinging bars suspended by a hook at the head of the stall and 

 by a stem and socket in rear, as shown in the annexed sketch, in which A is the heel post. 



•^^v^ 





feTT^ 



1 B the swinging bar. 



For every third stall there is a window 3' square, the sill be- 

 ing 8' 6" above the floor ; above the other stalls are ventilators, 

 10" square, that can be opened and closed by means of iron rods. 

 The mangers are of cast iron, 2' long, 11" wide, 8" deep ; the 

 top 4' above the floor. They are supported by two iron stan- 

 chions imder the middle ; to the one nearest the horse he is 

 attached by a sliding ring. 

 Each horse has a separate iron rack, the bottom of which is 2' above the manger ; it is 2' 6' 

 long and 18" deep. The hay is put in from below, after being sorted and cleaned from dust. 

 There are pumps and vats in the stables. 



From 1 to 4 days' forage is kept in the loft, there being forage magazines close at hand. 

 A board is nailed across from one heel post to another about 7' above the floor ; on this is 

 painted in large figures the number of the stall, and on a black board as follows : 



Private John Smith. — Equipment j\'o. 162. 



Name of horse. 



Ziethen . 



Year of remount. 



1853 



Sex. 



Male 



Height. 



i' 11" 



Age. 



