The Stable 



and one's nose are fair tests of the state of the 

 stable. That is, as one comes out of the air the 

 atmosphere of the stable should not strike warm 

 upon one's face, nor should any odour at all, other 

 than that of clean hay and straw assail one's nostrils. 

 I regard, however, 12x9 ^^ ^^^ minimum space 

 allowable for a box, nor can a stable be really 

 wholesome with a ceiling less than 10 feet high. 

 In one case where I found a low ceiling there was 

 a loft over the stable. This is always a bad plan, 

 and I secured a fine additional space by removing 

 the flooring of the part of the loft that was over 

 the stalls and loose boxes. This gave plenty of air 

 and made up for the rather too limited area of the 

 boxes below. There is, however, a great dis- 

 advantage in a small box, and it is greater in a 

 small establishment than a large one, for a horse 

 takes a certain amount of gentle exercise moving 

 about a roomy box, and though this does not 

 altogether make up for the outdoor work every 

 horse ought to do each day, yet it is better than 

 nothing if, as often happens, there is no one to 

 exercise the horse on any given day. Again, 

 however, we cannot always do what we will and 

 must make the best of things as they are. 



To show for how many of the comforts of the 

 stable ample space makes up, I can give an in- 

 stance. On one occasion I had two horses more 

 than the number provided for. Accordingly I 

 sent for the village carpenter, and with some fear 



7 



