The Stable Handbook 



ventilators were placed, so that there was a 

 current of air overhead, but quite clear of the 

 horse when he was lying down or feeding. 



One or two of the boxes were rather smaller 

 than I could have wished, but one has to make the 

 best of what one has, and in practice the horses did 

 very well in these stables. The cost was very 

 small, and I provided accommodation for seven 

 horses and a pony, which proved very satisfactory 

 throughout two hard hunting seasons. 



In this case, ornaments and fittings were reduced 

 to a minimum because money was an object ; but 

 the air and cleanliness were, in fact, perfect, and 

 the space, if not ample, was sufficient. This is 

 reducing the items of ornament to the lowest, no 

 doubt, but we had everything we wanted, and 

 even a spare stall in which the horses were done 

 up on their return from work, so that each box 

 was clean and fresh when the horse was placed in 

 it for the night. 



Supposing, however, I had not found the boxes 

 ready made, but had succeeded to a stable with a 

 row of stalls, what should I have done or advised? 

 If possible, I should have made the stalls into 

 boxes. I think for hard-worked horses a box is 

 practically indispensable. It is, perhaps, a luxury 

 for the rich man's stud ; for that of the poor man, 

 a necessity. But it is often possible to turn a row 

 of stalls into boxes by the sacrifice of a single 

 stall and by shifting the partitions so as to give 



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