STABLING AND STABLES 



reach clear to the roof of the building, and no 

 loft should be imposed ; or if it is, the men's 

 rooms should never be over, or so situated that 

 they must walk over, the horses, which are entitled 

 to undisturbed rest. If anything must be crowded 

 and skimped for room and air, let it be the carriages 

 and the human, and not the equine occupants. 



Air, air, air ; none of our stables get half enough. 

 That builder would do well who would leave an 

 aperture of a few inches all around the top of the 

 horse apartments, which could not be caulked by 

 any ingenuity of stablemen, who superheat and ill- 

 ventilate all stables in order that they may them- 

 selves be kept warm and enjoy the vitiated air to 

 which they are accustomed. Even direct draught 

 is better than too little air. Any arrangement for 

 ventilation is good, provided there is just twice 

 as much of it as the owner and architect have 

 agreed to be necessary. A lofty stable ventilates 

 itself somehow ; a low one is never really well 

 aired, for we must remember that for ten or 

 twelve hours of the twenty-four it is shut tight. 

 No matter how you get air — only get lots of it. 



Light should never come from directly in front 

 or directly behind, but if it must, the glass should 

 be white- (or rather gray-) washed. More defec- 



41 



