74 STABLE BUILDING AND STABLE EITTING. 



Loose box 

 doors. 



Door frames. 



Swing doors. 



Latches and 

 locks. 



Fig. 41. 



The doors of loose boxes are made to roll back upon small 

 wheels, as shown in Fig. 41, or they are hung to open outwards, 

 or to swing both ways, but should never be constructed to open 

 inwards, as a horse often takes up his position immediately 

 inside the door, and would effectually prevent 

 its being opened. The door should not be less 

 than 3 feet 8 inches in width, the posts being 

 fixed at 3 feet 8J inches, thus giving a quarter 

 of an inch play on either side. A consider- 

 able amount of stiffness is added to the door- 

 way by a wrought-iron bar connecting the posts 

 at the top, and forming an arch, as illustrated 

 on Plate 17 (Fig. i). 



The framework of the door may be made of 

 iron, or have a partial mounting only of that material, as shown 

 on Plate 17 (Figs. 4 and 5). 



An example of a swing door manufactured by Messrs. 

 Denning & Cook will be found on Plate 17 (Figs, i and 2), 

 which has also the advantage of being taken down without the 

 removal of any bolts or screws, simply by being lifted off the 

 pivots. 



The position of the doors depends upon the plan of the 

 stable. On Plate i the doors are all placed in front, and they 

 can be hinged or made to slide. On Plate 16 (Fig. 3) will be 

 found the elevation of a loose box with the door in this position, 

 whilst on Plate 17 (Fig. 3) a loose box is shown, supposed to 

 occupy a corner of a stable (as on Plates 10 and 11), the 

 position of the door being at an angle of 45° with the parti- 

 tions. 



Considerable attention has been given to the latches, locks, 

 and handles of loose box doors, with the view of avoiding injury 

 to the horses in passing in and out, and also to prevent their 

 opening the door from the inside, as they have been often known 

 to do with the tongue. A section and front view of a mortise 

 safety latch which falls into a recess when the door is open, is 



