r.EDDIX'G AND REST. 



There were twenty-five horses in a stable 

 not far from T.oston that was visited one 

 Sundav mornino-. The horses were a fair, 

 averao-e lot of the kind used in delivery 

 wagons and in general business. Most of 

 them were in reasonably good working or- 

 der, and the stable had the appearance of 

 i e'Pg well-kept. 



Of the twenty-five horses in the stable, 

 twentv-four were standing up and just one 

 was Iving down. In twenty-four stalls 

 there was no bedding; in one there was a 

 good supply. One doesn't have to be a 

 wizard to guess that the horse that was 

 getting a needed rest was in the same stall 

 with the bedding. All the other horses 

 were being deprived of what might be the 

 best part of their Sunday, namely, the op- 

 portunity of taking their weight off legs 

 and feet that usually have all, and more 

 than they can do to stand the strain of the 

 week-day wear and tear. 



In another stable there is a horse that 

 works in a single grocery wagon. He is be- 

 tween the shafts three days, but every 

 fourth day remains in the stable. Each 

 morning brings him exactly the same 

 breakfast, and there is absolutely nothing in 

 the care given that tells him wdiether he is 

 to go out or stay in. But he knows how 

 to keep his own calendar, and every fourth 

 morning, just as soon as he has finished 

 eating, he lies down in comfort on the plen- 

 tiful supply of bedding which is kept under 

 every horse in that stable at all times ; and 

 he frequently stays down the better part of 

 the day. 



In still another stable there are pairs of 

 horses that are used half a day and rested 

 the other half. Encouraged by plenty of 

 bedding, they have formed habits of resting 

 their legs and feet at every possible oppor- 

 tunity. 



There is an old saying that a good city 

 horse could use up four sets of legs and 

 feet. This means that a large part of his 

 bodily strength and endurance is wasted 



because lameness and suft'ering wear out 

 the unfortunate animal long before his 

 time. "His shoulders is all gone savin' his 

 legs," was the way one stableman described 

 the condition of a horse who had worked 

 his body muscles to pieces in trying to ease 

 the strain on his battered legs and feet. 



As in the case of watering at night, the 

 extra expense of giving a day-time bed to 

 a horse is slight, compared with the great 

 benefit gained from the rest and chance for 

 repairs given the legs. The good that 

 comes out of this is reflected in the condi- 

 tion of the whole body; and all who own 

 horses should see that this chance for 

 needed rest is given their horses whenever 

 they are in the stable. A horse will not lie 

 down on stable planks unless worn and 

 weary beyond the point where it is right to- 

 use any animal. 



STATISTICS. 



Stables in which the horses are both 

 watered at night, after eating their 

 hay, and are also bedded in the day- 

 time 30- 



Stables in which they are watered at 

 night, but not bedded in the day- 

 time 42- 



Stables in which they are bedded by 

 dav, but not watered during the 

 night 27 



Stables in which they are neither 

 watered at night nor bedded during 

 the da}' 3^ 



Stables as to which the information 

 was untrustworthy 22 



Total 157 



GILBERT TOMPKIXS, 



Agent. 



The Directors of this Association earn- 

 estly submit the foregoing facts and obser- 

 vations to owners of work-horses and to 

 keepers of boarding and livery stables, 

 partly as a matter of economy, but still 

 more as a matter of humanity. 



