50 STABLE ECONOMY 



fluenza, and general delicacy of constitution, are among the 

 most serious consequences. But the two cases are different. 

 These valuable horses have not so much need for fresh air ; 

 they are not required to perform half the work of a stage-coach 

 horse ; they are much better attended to, particularly after 

 v^ork. The stable is kept cleaner ; the air is not contamina- 

 ted by rotting litter, and, in general, the food of these horses 

 is of the best quality. Many farm and cart-horse stables are 

 destitute of efficient ventilation, but the horses do not suffer 

 so much as might be expected. Their slow work does 

 not demand a constant supply of the purest air ; and, com- 

 pared with the fast- working coach-horse, they are but a very 

 short time in the stable. A coach-horse who does his work 

 in one hour, must suffer more than the other, who is in the 

 open air perhaps ten hours out of the twenty-four. 



When a deficient supply of air, hard work, and bad food, 

 happen to operate in combination, the ravages of disease are 

 dreadful. Glanders and the influenza burst among the horses ; 

 and they make brief work of it. For a long time the horses 

 may appear to suffer little inconvenience. They may be lean, 

 shamefully lean, unfit for full work, and many may become 

 unable to continue at any work. Several may have diabetes, 

 and many be troubled with bad coughs. But until a sickly 

 season prevails, or until some other circumstance occurs to 

 render the horses more than usually susceptible of the evils 

 arising from the combined influence of bad air, bad food, and 

 hard work, there is nothing to excite any alarm. They man- 

 age, with some difficulty, to perform their allotted task, though 

 ihey never look as if they were fit for it. At last the influ- 

 enza appears, or a horse suddenly displays all the symptoms 

 of glanders. One after another is taken ill in rapid succes- 

 sion, and death follows death until the stables are half emp- 

 tied, or until the entire stud is swept away. The proprietor 

 begins to look about him. It is time for him to know that 

 God has not given him absolute and unconditional control 

 over his fellow-tenants of the earth. Oppression has wide 

 dominions, but there are limits which can not be passed. 

 Continued suffering terminates in death. 



Under circumstances like these, death reveals the operation 

 of a wise and beneficent law. Man, in the pride of his igno- 

 rance, may regard the result as a great evil, and to him it truly 

 is such ; but a little reflection will show, that it is the un- 

 avoidable result of a law designed to prevent evils still great- 

 er. Among other provisions intended for the preservatioD 



