STABLE INSPECTION 



The most important activity of this Association, next to the Parade, 

 and perhaps not second to that, is the system of Stable Inspection. 



Entries for this ma\- be made at any time, and by stables of all kinds, 

 including livery, hack and boarding stables. There is no entry fee. The 

 stables are judged, not in competition with one another, but accordingly 

 as they satisfy the standard fixed by the Association. The prizes are un- 

 limited in number, and consist mainly of silver medals, awarded to the 

 proprietors and to foremen and nightmen. The stables and the foremen 

 are not always graded alike. Sometimes a foreman makes poor use of the 

 facilities at his command, and, more often, a good foreman has to struggle 

 against poor facilities and bad drivers. The Inspectors are the most 

 expert and impartial men that we can find in Boston or elsewhere. Their 

 reports are confidential, and are communicated only to the proprietor of 

 the stable. The number of horses in the stables inspected every year is 

 about 4,000. 



FAULTS IN STABLES 



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

 stables to be as follow^s: — 



(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. 



STABLE INSPECTION REPORT 



The following 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 heatetl 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? 



6. Examine the horses for galls or other sores, and state how many, 

 if any, are galled. 



7. Is the harness clean and well oiled; and especially are the insides 

 of the collars clean? 



8. Ventilation of stable and hay loft. 



