196 STABLES. 



There is no actual need of any form of drainage inside the 

 building ; for all the urine, dung, etc., can be removed along 

 with the soiled portions of the bedding, as is done in racing 

 and other stables that of the London Road Car Omnibus 

 Company for instance. The use of peat moss as bedding 

 will greatly facilitate the work of keeping the place clean. 

 Under this system, which is the one I prefer for every kind of 

 horse, the flooring of the stalls and boxes can be made level. 



There can be no objection to a small open drain placed 

 along the rear of a line of stalls, so as to carry away fluid. A 

 slope of i in. in 5 ft. will suffice for this drain, arid a similar 

 slope given to the floors of the stalls will enable them to drain 

 into it. If the stalls thus drained are numerous, and are on 

 the same level, the lower end of the drain will be of a con- 

 siderable depth, and it may consequently be necessary to 

 provide a portion of it with a covering, so as to enable the 

 horses to go in and out of the stalls without catching their 

 feet in the drain. This covering should be removable for 

 purposes of cleanliness. Drains on this plan are made by 

 manufacturers of stable fittings. 



A receptacle for urine in the form of an iron bucket, 

 earthenware pot, or other similar contrivance, placed under a 

 grating in the centre of a box or stall, so as to serve as a 

 substitute for a drain, is such a dirty and unsanitary arrange- 

 ment, that it should not be allowed in any stable. 



Any decided slope say, more than I in 50 given to the 

 floor of a stall for purposes of drainage is objectionable ; 

 because a horse needs for the comfort and health of his feet 

 and legs a more or less level bearing on which to stand. A slope 

 of I in. in 5 ft. will be a fair compromise between comfort to 

 the horse and efficiency of drainage. There is less objection 

 to a slope being given to the floor of a loose-box than to that 

 of a stall ; for in a box the animal can readily change his 

 position, supposing that he is not tied up ; but in a stall he 



