yo STABLE BUILDING AND STABLE FITTING. 



former is more easily affected by oxidation is not sufficient to 

 outweigh the advantages gained where strength is required, as, 

 for instance, in the heel-post ; and the ironwork in a private 

 gentleman's stables, where the best designs are used, and where 

 they are not likely to suffer from neglect in the matter of clean- 

 ing and painting. On the other hand, there is less opportunity 

 for ornamental detail in wrought iron than in cast, and it is 

 impracticable to execute much of the work, such as name- 

 plates and numbers, the bosses of head-stall fastenings, and the 

 heads of posts in wrought iron. All iron, when used in stables, 

 is largely affected by the salts of ammonia, and breaks out in a 

 sort of tubercular eruption, the injury to the fittings by oxidation 

 being only a question of time or neglect. This is considerably 

 modified if the iron is galvanised — an expensive process, which 

 renders wood, where it can be used, as in roofs, a more desir- 

 able material. 



Stall divisions. Examples of a simple description of stall-divisions will be 

 found severally on Plates i6 (Figs, i and 2), and Plate 18 

 (Fig. i), consisting of the ordinary boarding only, with a top 

 and bottom rail. In the latter illustration the deficiency of a 

 ventilating ramp is partially supplied by spaces beneath the sill ; 

 but this is not so good as the through ventilation afforded at a 

 higher level in the partition, shown in Fig. 2 on the same 

 Plate. 



Ramp panels. The maximum height of the middle rail in a stall being only 

 4 feet 6 inches (though it is often a foot lower) brings the horse 

 into more immediate companionship with its neighbour by the 

 use of an open ramp. This is not, however, always desired, and 

 panels or solid ends, shown on Plate 18 (Fig. 4), are often fitted 

 into the head of the partition. It is supposed that the horses 

 are irritated by seeing each other whilst feeding, and if the 

 particular combination of hayrack and manger illustrated on 

 Plate 22 (Figs. 3 and 4), now considered to be the best for 

 feeding, are used, it becomes a necessity, as a horse, having 

 eaten his own allowance, may endeavour to obtain through the 



