10 Stable Management and the Prevention of Disease 



behind where the horses stand, instead of carrying it to the 

 manure-heap, and if not obliged to keep the iioors clean they 

 will give up taking the trouble of catching the urine at all, 

 except when Europeans are present. 



Floors Saturated with Urine. 



When such incessant care as is above described is not 

 taken, the floors in the course of a few months will become 

 saturated with urine to a greater or less degree according to 

 the kind of materials used in their construction, and the way 

 in which they have been laid down. 



When much urine has soaked in they ought to be dug up 

 and carried away to a distance, the space which they occupied 

 being fiUed with entirely new materials. If this precaution 

 be not taken, low forms of fever, resembling what is often 

 called blood-poisoning, will be very likely to appear among 

 the horses. 



It seems almost unnecessary to speak of the necessity of 

 carrying away the earth of which the old floor was formed ; 

 but I have, on repeated occasions, seen it merely dug up and 

 rammed down again after some fresh earth had been spread 

 over the top. 



Manure Heaps. 



The dung should be formed into a small heap about flfty 

 yards from the stables. If at a greater distance, too much 

 time will be required in going to and from it. It should be 

 carted away daily, and if collected into a large manure-heap, 

 this should be at least several hundred yards from the horse 

 lines. 



Plies. 



When nearer, the swarms of flies bred in it add greatly 

 to the torment endured by the horses. In England people 

 have no idea of what this torment really is like, especially at 

 the latter end of the rainy season. The best way to mitigate 

 it is to keep small heaps of litter, at short intervals, burning 

 all day, in . such positions that the smoke may be blown 

 amongst the horses. 



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