104 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



that the animal or animals may be able to go in or out of 

 it, whichever way it is turned. It should have massive 

 iron rings, placed in convenient positions so as to enable 

 it to be hoisted over the side by means of the crane ; and 

 there should be placed semicircular iron bars over the 

 top, to give it stability, and to afford support for coverings. 

 In bad weather, watertight white canvas covers, properly 

 secured, act well. In very hot weather an a^vning may be 

 required. Strong iron rings should be let into the deck 

 to enable the box to be securely lashed down. 



The inside of the box should be thoroughly well padded 

 throughout its entire extent. Straw padding, covered 

 mth canvas, as is generally used, proves ineffective ; for it 

 soon gets hard and works downward, leaving the upper 

 portion of the woodwork unprotected. I would strongly 

 advise the use of large pieces of felt, to be secured by 

 being laced through holes bored in the planking, so as to 

 dispense with the employment of nails of any sort, next 

 the horse. 



The floor of the box should be laid down with thick, 

 rough cocoanut matting, having a long, thick " pile " or 

 "nap," into the upstanding fibres of which the feet of 

 the animal may sink, and thus obtain secure foothold. 

 Six ordinary door-mats made of this material, if sufficiently 

 long, will do for a box, five to cover the floor, and one 

 extra, so that the rearmost mat may be taken out and 

 dried, and the others pushed down in succession. If only 

 smooth matting be procurable, it should be kept covered 

 with about three inches of sand. If possible, battens 

 should not be fixed on the floor of the box, for horses are 

 apt to injure their feet by persistently standing with their 



