THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. 131 



4tfid lastly the cost. In the construction of stables the question of 

 warmth, convenience and ventilation are the prime integers, and whatever 

 the character of the structure it must combine these three essentials, else 

 it is a failure. 



In the construction of stables the horse and carriage floor, including 

 harness and tool room, and the loft, in which should be situated the bins 

 for oats, shelled corn, corn in the ear, meal and bran, with suitable 

 spouts and slides for delivering the feed on the lower floor, are all that is 

 necessary. Every stable, however, should be supplied with a ventilating 

 pipe placed about midway over one of the centre stalls. If there ar« 

 more than four horses kept there should be two, and one in addition for 

 each other four, but all connecting with the principal air shaft at the peak 

 of the roof. 



Where the horses are near the ground, and especially if the first story, 

 or the walls of the whole building be of brick, there should be at least 

 two courses above the ground laid in water-lime, to prevent the dampness 

 from the gi'ound ascending up the walls by capillary attraction. How- 

 ever the foundation be laid there must be perfect drainage, either natural 

 or artifical. under the stable. Many valuable horses have been lost 

 through iiiactention to this simple matter. 



The size of the stable must of course correspond to the number of 

 horses to be kept, and the number of vehicles to be sheltered. The 

 width of the stalls should not be less than five feet each — six is better — 

 and there should be at least one loose box in every stable, however small. 

 If there are a number of breeding mares there should be one loose box 

 to each four horses. These boxes should not be less than ten by twelve 

 feet. Fourteen feet in depth for the stall is little enough. The travis 

 or partition between stalls should not be less than six feet six inches long. 

 If the stable is fourteen feet deep seven feet is better. It should b« 

 seven feet high at the head and five feet at the rear part. 



m. Mangers and Backs. 



The mangers and racks should be of the most substantial character, 

 and, if expense is no object, of enameled iron, as to the mangers, and of 

 iron as to the racks. If made of wood, oak or elm is a good materiaL 

 However made there should be no rough edges to annoy the horses, nor 

 splinters to wound. The top of the cap should not be less than three 

 feet three inches from the floor, nor more than three feet six inches. 

 The manger to be about thirteen inches wide at the top, nine inches at 

 the bottoir and eleven inches deep. The caps may be four inches deep 

 tnd three inches wide, securely placed. The sides and bottom of tim 



