Among the pointsconsidercd by the Inspectors are quahty and quantity 

 of hay and grain, watering, bedding, blanketing, grooming, ventilation, 

 stalls, sanitary condition of stable, and the handling of the horses by grooms 

 and drivers. 



The stable inspection is availed of more and more every year, espe- 

 cially by large concerns. We had 74 entries this year, and the total number 

 of horses in the stables inspected was about three thousand. 



Many large concerns, especially corporations, leave their stable man- 

 agement wholly to subordinates, and often do not know whether it is good 

 or bad, or how it could be improved. There are men working alone at 

 night in large stables, old employees in many cases, as to whom the question 

 is never asked whether they do their work well or ill. Most of these men 

 are faithful. A few of them have been unearthed by our stable Inspectors, 

 and it is pathetic to see how pleased and surprised they are to find that any 

 human being takes an interest in them or in their work. 



No amount of system can compensate for the want of this 

 personal interest in the horses and in the men who take care of 

 them. It should be the business of some person in authority in every 

 concern to know how the horses look and feel, whether the men in charge 

 are faithful or not, how long they have been in the service, what sugges- 

 tions they have to make, and so forth. It seems to be the policy of many 

 large corporations and firms to treat men and horses alike as if they were 

 machines. This is not good " business," to say nothing of humanity. 



Our Inspectors have found the most common faults in Work-Horse 

 stables to be as follows: — 



(1) Scanty bedding. 



(2) Failure to bed the horses on Sundays and holidays in the daytime. 



(3) Failure to water the horses at night after they have eaten their hay. 



(4) Failure to keep the horses' feet soft. 



(5) Poor grooming. 



Appended is a copy of the printed form for the Inspector's report:— 

 "The Inspectors are requested to report on the following matters and 

 any others that may occur to them : — 



1. How the horses are brought to the stable by the drivers, whether in 

 a heated condition or not. 



2. Manners and appearance of the horses, as showing whether they have 

 been handled kindly or roughly. 



3. Bodily condition of horses. 



4. Condition of horses' feet. 



5. Are the horses well groomed? 



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