32 STABLE ECONOMY. 



or annoy another. It is the kind of partition generally em- 

 ployed in Scotland. We have few baled stables. The 

 travis has been made of stone, of Arbroath pavement, with 

 what intention I can not guess. They are very often too 

 slight and too low, sometimes too short and sometimes too 

 long. When oak wood is employed, the travis need not ex- 

 ceed one inch in thickness, the edges being feathered with 

 iron. Made of fir, it is usually one and a half inch thick ; 

 but this is too little. When two or two and a half, the travis 

 is stout and durable. Like all the woodwork of stables, it 

 ought to be of the best Memel timber, well seasoned. In 

 length it may vary from four to nine feet ; the latter is the 

 usual measure for a full-sized horse in a roomy stable. Under 

 eight or nine feet, the longer the travis, the less likely is the 

 horse to strike his neighbor. 



But room must be left in the gangway for turning horses 

 out, and for passing those which are in. In a narrow, and 

 especially in a double-headed stable, it is a great error to 

 make the travis too long. Horses always like to see what is 

 going on around them ; and when the travis is so long and 

 high that they can not see about them, they stand into the 

 gangway and block up the passage. When less than seven 

 feet, the travis is rather short, but a short stall is not so in- 

 convenient as a narrow gangway. Nine feet is the greatest 

 length required for any horse, but this may be abridged if the 

 stable be narrow. In general, a double-headed stable should 

 have the travises only one third the breadth of the stable ; in 

 single-headed stables they may be one half of the whole 

 breadth. In other words, the gangway should be as broad 

 as the stall is long. If the stable be much above the ordina- 

 ry breadth, of course the travis need not exceed nine feet. 



What is called the quarter travis, is a short partition about 

 four feet long. It prevents the horses from biting, and from 

 stealing each other's food, but it affords no protection against 

 the heels, nor does it permit the horse to enjoy his rest. It 

 is better than none, and better than a longer one, if the stable 

 be no more than twelve feet broad. 



In height the travis should be about seven feet at the hea» 

 and five at the heels. When lower, it permits the horses to 

 bite and tease each other, and to cast their hind-legs over it. 

 About four feet is the usual height behind ; but I have seen a 

 horse throw his leg over one that was four feet six inches. 

 Many serious accidents happen in this way. There is no 

 objection to having the travis high. The upper edge of the 



