200 GENERAL TREATMENT OF HORSES. 



feet square. The saddle-room, well fitted up with 

 saddle-cupboards, boiler, &;c., should be in the 

 centre of the building ; in the front of which there 

 should be a passage, under cover, for horses to 

 stand in when their legs are washed. Of ventila- 

 tion I say nothing, that being a matter of course ; 

 but I would have the sides of the stalls nine feet 

 high at the head, with small iron racks, and pillar- 

 reins for each horse to be dressed in. I should be 

 very particular about the stall-posts, for these are 

 frequently the cause of severe injury. When I 

 went to see the King's stables at the palace at 

 Pimlico, I was astonished to see almost every other 

 horse in them, with capped hocks. On inspecting 

 the stall-posts, I perceived the cause. They were 

 of fluted stone, and with angles, which proved that 

 Mr. Nash (the architect) knew nothing about the 

 inside of stables. Stall-posts should be made of 

 wood, quite smooth and circular ; and they should 

 extend to the ceiling, or be at least ten feet high.'' 



Paddocks. — Some persons turn their hunters 

 into the fields in the summer, because they have 

 no small paddocks, or any outlets to their build- 

 ings, and are averse to their horses remaining all 

 the year round in the house. Nothing, however, 

 is easier than making temporary paddocks," or out- 

 lets that will restrain stallions, or any horse that 

 may be put into them, without the chance of their 

 breaking out of them. Let a small space, say 

 thirty or forty yards, be hurdled around, and the 

 hurdles lined with faggots reared up from seven to 



