84 STABLE ECONOMY. 



six feet, and for horses about fifteen, or fifteen and a half 

 hands high, it may be two or three inches narrower. When 

 too broad, the horse stands across it, or turns round with his 

 head out and his tail in. When too narrow, he can not lie in 

 that position which is most favorable to repose, and he is apt 

 to have his loins injured when rashly or improperly turned 

 round. The horse should always be backed out, not turned, 

 when the stall is too little for him. 



Rest, in the recumbent position, is of more importance to 

 working-horses than many stablemen appear to be aware of. 

 They seem not to regard a narrow stall as a great evil. Some 

 even lodge two horses all night, after a day of hard work, in 

 one stall, only six feet wide ; and, as if it were a matter of 

 indifference whether the horse stand or lie, they expect to 

 find him in condition for work next day. It should always 

 be remembered that a horse can not do full work, unless he 

 have a good bed. He may be cramped in a narrow stall, 

 where he is never permitted to stretch his limbs, or he may 

 be compelled to stand all night, and still he may continue to 

 do a good deal of work ; but sooner or later, abuse of this kind 

 tells its own tale. It ruins the legs and the feet, it shortens 

 the horse's pace by at least a mile in the hour ; and though 

 he may do his work, yet that work would be done with more 

 ease were he better treated in the stable. In addition to all 

 this, much standing produces gourdy legs and greasy heels. 



Hay-Racks. — Ordinary hay-racks are made of wood ; they 

 are wide as the stall, have the front sloping, and the back 

 perpendicular. Racks of this kind are giving way to others 

 made of cast-iron, and much smaller. As far as the horse is 

 concerned, it matters little whether iron or wood be used. It 

 is said that his lips are apt to receive injury from splinters 

 which occasionally start on the wood ; but this happens very 

 rarely. Iron racks are at first more costly ; but in the end 

 they are the cheapest. They require no repairs ; at the ex- 

 piration of ten years they are nearly as valuable as at the 

 beginning, and they are easily made clean, a matter of con- 

 siderable importance when infectious diseases prevail. They 

 are never well made. The spars are placed too far apart, and 

 they all slope too much in the front. It would be easy to 

 make them closer and of a more suitable form. 



The face of the rack ought to be perpendicular ; in order 

 that the hay may always lie within the horse's reach, the 

 back of the rack ought to form an inclined plane. The spars 

 ought to be round, and two inches apart. For fast- working 



