340 Our Noblest Friend, The Horse 



tion, from its freedom to swing and push aside). 

 No horse can get cast in them, and they also freely 

 see each other, doing better in consequence, and get 

 all the air that stirs. A bad kicker will give up when 

 he finds that the partition not only swings away from 

 his blows and will not splinter, but also that it "cross- 

 counters " him on the recoil. The writer has had 

 thirty horses or more standing in very narrow 

 " bails " all one winter, — all of them wearing calked 

 shoes, — and not one was kicked, scratched, or 

 stepped upon, nor did they fret and paw at feeding 

 time, because each could clearly see what was going 

 on. 



There were no mangers nor hay-racks — an 

 additional measure of economy, cleanliness, and 

 healthfulness, and a great preventive of cribbing, 

 etc., if any horse has such habits. The hay was fed 

 upon the ground ; the grain was given in boxes, about 

 eighteen inches square and twelve inches deep; and 

 these boxes were filled in the feed-room, brought in 

 on a long barrow, and the food set before the animals 

 with no preliminary rattling of grain, slamming of 



