RIDING SCHOOL. 251 



arranged stable may be utilised for a school, it is much better 

 to have the manege entirely separate from the stalls and boxes, 

 the occupants of which can hardly fail to be more or less dis- 

 turbed by the noise and presence of the horses at work in the 

 school. 



In England the floor of a school is often made by digging 

 out the surface inside to a depth of about 2 ft., and then 

 filling it up for about 18 in. with faggots of hazel or birch, 

 and the remaining 6 in. with tan, which has to be renewed 

 from time to time, according as it sinks. This plan entails 

 a 'great expenditure of tan, and is not necessary; for it is 

 just as good to dig up the ground and cover it with tan, 

 without using any faggots. To either of these methods I 

 much prefer the plan used in circuses and in riding schools 

 all over the Continent, of employing sawdust instead of tan 

 and faggots. To begin with, we may put, on a foundation 

 of clay, a layer of sawdust 2 or 3 in. thick, over which a 

 thin layer of clay is placed, and over that, another layer 

 of sawdust. The feet of the horses will work up the clay 

 and sawdust together, so as to form a soft and fairly elastic 

 surface. On a soil of clay, or of clay mixed with sand, no 

 preparation is needed beyond making the ground level ; put- 

 ting down a layer of sawdust, which should be raked up 

 with the ground underneath ; and adding more sawdust as 

 may be necessary. Any excess of sawdust can be removed 

 with a rake, or more added when required. After work, the 

 surface should be raked over, and can be sprinkled with 

 water from a rose. To keep down dust in dry weather, it 

 is well to sprinkle salt (which has a great affinity for water) 

 over the surface, thickly enough to give it the appearance of 

 hoar frost. At first, we might use a pound of powdered 

 rock salt for each square yard, and renew the salt as might 

 be needed. Tan " balls " in a horse's feet, and if left in 

 them, quickly heats and corrodes them, which are objections 



