STABLES 249 



almost smother him in some stables. Planks or panels should 

 be horizontal, not upright, in order not to be split or shattered if 

 kicked. This arrangement brings the impression of the shoe 

 across the grain of the wood. Floors can be kept drier and be 

 more thoroughly cleaned if the partition does not come quite to 

 the floor (Fig. 130). 



Bales. — One of our most experienced American authori- 

 ties * is an ardent advocate of the bale in place of the fixed par- 

 tition to separate hoi*ses, claiming for it economy of space and 

 more latitude and comfort for the hoi*ses, with equal safety. The 

 bale consists of two planks or boards, _ironed together, to make 

 a widtli of three feet, suspended 18 inches\from the floor by a 

 hook and ring in the Avail at the head of the stall and by a rope 

 or cliain at ihe rear. Four feet is a sufficient allowance for an 

 ordinary sized horse between Ijales, and they will do well in even 

 less. 



Stall Floors. — Stall floors may be of clay, plank, or pave- 

 ment. In the selection of flooring material there are many ends 

 to be considered. Well tamped clay is noiseless, affords a firm 

 footing unless wet, and without question places the horse on the 

 most natural tread. It does very well in country stables where 

 the clay is available, straw is cheap, and manure is of value, with 

 the horse out of the stable much of the time. It is especially well 

 adapted for use in box stalls. However, it is not easily cleaned 

 and requires frequent repairing to keep the surface even and 

 free from holes and depressions. Plank floors do not tire a 

 standing horse, are warm to lie upon, and are not slippery, but 

 they are neither durable nor sanitary, being more or less pervious 

 and absorbent. Paved floors liave the advantage of durability 

 and are most sanitary, being impei-vious and easily drained, but 

 they are hard to stand upon, slippery, noisy, cold to lie upon, and 

 generally undesirable from the horse's point of view. Notwith- 

 standing, they are well-nigh indispensable in large city stables, 

 and a satisfactory compromise, in consideration of the horse's 

 personal preference in the matter, is made by supplying a well- 

 fitted rack. This is made of slats running lengthwise of the 



* Ware, " First Hand Bits of Stable Lore." 



