242 STABLES. 



of boxes up to the roof or ceiling ; for by doing so, we would 

 convert them into separate rooms. At the same time, they 

 should not be so low as to admit of the horses smelling each 

 other over them, which is a practice that is apt to make 

 even geldings restless and peevish, if not actually vicious. 

 This effect is greatly intensified in the case of mares, and is 

 apt to bring on sexual excitement in them. Allowing an 

 entire to do such a thing, is of course wholly out of the 

 question. A height of 7 feet for the division of a box would 

 be amply sufficient for purposes of separation, and would 

 be compatible with free ventilation ; as the height of the 

 ceiling or roof will under ordinary circumstances be at least 

 9, if not 10 feet. As a further preventive against the horses 

 smelling each other, I would advise, even at the cost of 

 a certain amount of obstruction to ventilation, that the side 

 partitions of boxes should be solid, and not with their upper 

 portion made of rails or bars, as is often done. We shall 

 generally find that there is no necessity, except perhaps 

 in the case of entires, of having the upper part of the division 

 at the entrance of the box solid, even when the box has 

 another box or stall facing it. 



For full-sized horses, 3 feet from the ground will be a 

 convenient height for the manger and hay-holder, both of 

 which may be of the same respective shape as that advised for 

 use in stalls. To economise space, these two receptacles may 

 be placed, one in each corner, at the top of the box. It is an 

 advantage to have the manger of considerable length, say, 5 or 

 6 ft. long, so that the corn, when given, may be spread out in 

 a thin layer on the bottom of the manger, in which case the 

 horse will be obliged to eat it more slowly, and will be less 

 liable to make it foul, than he would do, if the food was 

 collected in a heap. If the horse is not inclined to soil 

 and throw his hay about, and has no infirmity that would 

 prevent him from feeding easily off the ground, there is no 



