28 STABLE ECONOMY. 



the horse, who seems to care little about them. Hellebore 

 or arsenic, it is said, will kill them in great numbers when 

 mingled with a warm malt mash and placed in the manger. 

 The horse of course must not partake of this. He must be 

 in the stall with his head tied securely to the rack. Soap 

 waste is sometimes laid around the foundations of the outside 

 walls. They are unwilling to burrow through this, but they 

 will, if very anxious to get in. Some rough or sharp material 

 should be laid under the pavement, and around the walls on 

 the outside. 



Partitions between the Horses. — In some parts of 

 England horses are permitted to stand two and two, without 

 any partition between them. This rarely happens in Scot- 

 land. He is " poor indeed" who can not afford a stall to 

 each horse. When two are standing together, the one is 

 always doing the other some mischief, either accidentally or 

 intentionally. The strongest robs the weakest both of his 

 food and of his rest ; while one is lying the other will tram- 

 ple or lie dow^n on his companion ; and marcs, while standing 

 double, seldom or never urinate till one is removed. Two 

 that have toiled together for many a day, have fed from the 

 same manger, and crouched under the lash of the same driver, 

 are generally good friends, forbearing, and sympathizing. 

 Still accidents will happen in the dark, or when strangers are 

 put together, or one will fall oft', become dull or irritable when 

 separated from an old companion. Each ought to have a 

 stall to himself. Cows do well enough in pairs, or in rows 

 without any separation. But they have no work demanding 

 full and uninterrupted repose. They lie straight, upon their 

 breast, with their legs bent under them ; not like the horse, 

 who seeks repose in various positions, often lying on his side 

 with his legs stretched, and his body across the stall, keeping 

 his neighbor standing, lest he should do an injury in lying 

 down. 



Separation is eftTected by means of standing bales, gang- 

 way bales, and travises. The latter form the best, the most 

 complete partition, but in certain situations bales are to be 

 preferred. 



Standing Bales are round bars or posts of wood, about three 

 inches in diameter, and eight feet long. Each extremity is 

 furnished with a few iron links, by which the bale is sus- 

 pended to the head and to the heel-posts. 



Sometimes the bales are of cast-iron. They arc more 

 durable, but they are costly, easily broken, and apt to do in- 



