The Stable Handbook 



and trembling I rigged up two rough boxes in a 

 barn which was nearly as big as a church, and 

 thus, to put it mildly, had a good deal of ventila- 

 tion. Even the flooring was brick and I had no 

 time to have any change made. Of course I knew 

 that as it was a barn, and had always been used as 

 such, the brick floor at least could not be foul. I 

 picked out the two horses I cared least about and 

 put them in there. Of the whole stud none did 

 better than these. It was the winter of 1901-2, 

 when, as everyone will recollect, we had plenty of 

 frost and snow. The temperature could have 

 been little or no higher than the air outside, and, 

 except that they were sheltered from the rain and 

 wind, the horses might almost as well have been 

 outside. Yet they throve, and although I gave 

 them each an extra rug I am not sure I should do 

 this now. 



Next to plenty of ventilation dryness is a matter 

 of great importance. No horse will flourish in 

 a damp stable. This is one of the advantages of 

 concrete floors, that damp is unlikely to work up. 

 Stables which have the sun morning and evening, 

 or at any rate for part of the day, are the best, 

 because it is easier to dry them, and also because 

 the generally inefficient windows of stables give 

 more light. A stable cannot be too light, though 

 there are very few stables belonging to small 

 houses that are at all sufficiently cheerful and well 

 lighted. How important light and ventilation are 

 8 



