BEDDING AND REST 



There were twenty-five horses in a stable 

 not far from Boston that was visited one 

 Sunday morning. The horses were a fair, 

 average lot of the kind used in delivery 

 wagons and in general business. Most of 

 them were in reasonably good working 

 order, and the stable had the appearance 

 of being well-kept. 



Of the twenty-five horses in the stable 

 tw^enty-four were standing up, and just one 

 was lying 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 

 between 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 whether 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 suffering 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. 



GILBERT TOMPKINS, 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. 



Postscript. During the past winter four or five 

 owners of work-horses, with large stables, have, at our 

 suggestion, given their horses a good bed through the 

 day on Sundays ; and in each case they report that the 

 horses take advantagre of it, and are the better for it. 



109 



