240 STABLES. 



lying down prior to his being taken out for exercise or work. 

 The rack-chain is attached by one end to a ring fixed to the 

 centre of the wall above the manger at a height of about 6 ft. 

 from the ground, is passed through the headstall worn by the 

 horse, and is brought back to the ring in the wall. For pur- 

 poses of attachment, the ends of the rack-chain may be pro- 

 vided with cross bars or spring hooks ; the former being 

 preferable to the latter by reason of their being more simple 

 in action and not being so liable to accidentally injure the 

 horse. To admit of the chain being readily shortened, it may 

 have a ring or two, instead of links, at convenient distances 

 from the ends. 



Each of the pillars at the entrance of a stall should be 

 furnished with a ring to give attachment to the pillar reins, 

 which are of cord, leather or chain, and are respectively 

 fixed to the rings of the snaffle, when it is required, as might 

 happen in the case of a saddle horse, to keep the animal 

 in the stall ready to be brought out at any moment. For 

 a stall, pillar reins are practically a necessity ; for it is always 

 undesirable to saddle a horse especially if the stall is narrow 

 and if a side saddle has to be put on with the animal's head 

 towards the manger. The choice of the material for the pillar 

 reins is a matter of fancy. Steel chain is strongest and lasts 

 a long life time, but does not look well, unless kept bright by 

 constant burnishing. The appearance of a galvanised iron 

 or " never rust " steel chain in a stable suggests the not always 

 pleasant idea of studied economy of labour. White cord, 

 so long as it is kept clean and nicely pipe-clayed, looks 

 " smarter " than leather, which is fairly neat and gives but 

 little trouble to keep clean. Spring hooks are generally used 

 with chain or cord, and billets and buckles with leather pillar 

 reins. When not in use, pillar reins should be looped up out 

 of the way of horses, which have often an unhappy knack 

 of entangling and injuring themselves with loose chains, ropes, 



