160 STABLE ECONOMY. 



their stable, and properly clothe them if the weather requires 

 it. When well-bred, thus treated, horses may attain an aver- 

 age working life of twenty-five years.] 



Temperature of the stable. — When the stable is prop- 

 erly constructed, and not too large for the number of horses, 

 it need never be heated by fire or steam. These conditions 

 being observed, I know of no case in which it is necessary to 

 produce an artificial supply of heat for healthy horses. The 

 heat which is constantly passing from the horse's body soon 

 warms the air, and judicious ventilation will keep it sufficient- 

 ly comfortable ; but in no case should a high heat be purchased 

 by sacrificing ventilation so far as to produce sensible contam- 

 ination of the air. It is better either to employ heavier cloth- 

 ing, or to heat the stable by fire. 



Slow-work horses, and all those that are much exposed to 

 the weather, and especially those that have to stand out of 

 doors, must not have hot stables, yet they should be comfort- 

 able. 



The temperature of stables is generally regulated by open- 

 ing or shutting the windows. On very hot days, it may be 

 proper to sprinkle clean water on the floor, or about the ground 

 outside the doors. 



Sudden Transitions should be carefully avoided, most es- 

 pecially when the temperature of the stable is habitually very 

 low or very high. Whether the transition from heat to cold, 

 or that from cold to heat, be most pernicious, is still a subject 

 of debate. But it is admitted by all that both are injurious 

 My own experience leads me to believe that cold does much 

 more harm to a horse that has just been severely heated, than 

 heat ever does to a cold horse. Either transition, however, 

 should be eflTected by slow degrees. To a certain extent the 

 horse may be inured to an alteration either way, without suf- 

 fering any injury, if time be allowed for the system to adapt 

 itself to the change. 



When the horse himself is very hot, he may be refreshed 

 by standing about three minutes in a cool stable, but he must 

 not stand there till he begin to shiver. Neither must a hot 

 horse be put into a hot stable, especially if he have been much 

 exhausted by his work. It makes him sick, and keeps up the 

 perspiration, and some faint outright. A very cold horse 

 should not be put into a very hot stable. If he be wet there 

 is little danger, but if dry he becomes restless and somewhat 

 feverish, and in this state he remains till he begins to per- 

 spire. 



