6o STABLE BUILDING AND STABLE FITTING. 



CHAPTER VI. 



VENTILATION. 



General considerations — Temperature — Cubic contents of stables — Re- 

 quirements of various horses — Admission of air — Fanlights and louvres 

 — Construction of louvres — Lantern ventilation — Stables at Poplar 

 — Ventilating tiles — Down-cast ventilation — Through ventilation — 

 Ceilings and Lofts — Perforated pipes — Head-post ventilators — Boyle's 

 ventilators — Ventilation of upper floors — Glazed ventilators — The 

 Sheringham ventilator — Loose boxes — Cubic contents — Examples. 



General con- The natural tendency of heated vitiated air to rise to the 

 sideration. highest point in a chamber affords the greatest facility for ven- 

 tilating a stable, if means are provided in the roof, or at the 

 ceiling level, for its immediate escape : when this is not afforded, 

 it cools and descends, and, mixing- with the atmosphere, is 

 breathed over again by the horses ; and as in this state it is 

 largely impregnated with carbonic acid gas (which when heated 

 is lighter than pure air), it is hardly necessary to point out its 

 evil effect upon the health and working capacity of the horse. 



Before so much attention was paid to the subject of ventila- 

 tion it was no uncommon thing for those who had the charge 

 of horses to shut off, as much as possible, the admission of fresh 

 air by stuffing the openings in their stables with straw and even 

 nailing sacking over the windows ; and a great deal of super- 

 stition still exists, which results in the sacrifice of free ventilation 

 and light for the sake of warmth, in the endeavour to exclude 

 what are supposed to be injurious draughts. 



There is a great advantage, where the position of the build- 

 ing allows it, in having the windows at a sufficient height and 



