56 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 



keep the stable clean and nice when the moss peat is used, 

 as it does when the horses are bedded down with straw. I 

 will admit the former does not look so nice as the latter. 



Referring to long straw again, the shorter it is the 

 longer it lasts, because when it is long, a part of it gets wet 

 and dirty, and it looks bad if left in the stable, therefore 

 it has to be thrown away, when not more than the ends of 

 it are just soiled. This is really a great waste. If gentle- 

 men, and others, who occasionally have their horses go 

 lame, without any apparent cause, would try an experiment, 

 they w^ould find by using moss peat in the stable a number 

 of accidents would be prevented. If they do not use it 

 entirely, I should advise them to spread a little over the 

 bottom of the stable floor, and then put the straw on the 

 top of that. It is nice and soft to the horse's knees, 

 and at the same time gives the animal a good foothold 

 when getting up. 



When a gentleman gives from ;^5o to ;£2 5o for a 

 horse, it is worth taking care of. Many stablemen object 

 to the moss peat being put under the horses, on account of 

 its being dusty, but I do not find it gets on the skin of the 

 animals at all, only on the surface of the hair. My horses' 

 coats look quite as well now I use the moss peat as they 

 did when they were bedded down entirely on straw. I am 

 very particular about my animals lying comfortably, I 

 could not sleep if I thought they were not alright. If the 

 owners of horses were to give this a moment's thought, I 

 think they would study them more in their bedding down. 



