414 



MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



though every horse barn should be provided with a few 

 well-lighted and well-ventilated box stalls, as they are 

 indispensable for brood mares, colts and sick animals. 



At present it seems to be fashionable to construct low, 

 open stall partitions. This is, a serious mistake, as the 

 animals frequently injure themselves by kicking, which 

 the open partition encourages. Occasionally, an animal 

 kicks over the top of the low partition and injures him- 

 self permanently, as he is unable to free himself. Stall 



FIG. 181.— TROTTING-HORSE. BARN WITH TRACK IN THE FOREGROUND 



partitions between straight stalls should be boarded up 

 solid for at least five feet. 



Mangers and grain boxes. — The hay should be fed from 

 a manger. The hay rack is objectionable, as the horse 

 pulls the hay out and drops much of it under his feet. 

 The seed and dirt get into his mane, which is difficult to 

 keep clean. The top of the manger should be about three 

 feet high. The bottom should be slightly raised from the 

 floor and should be so constructed that the dirt may sift 

 through, thus preventing its collecting in the bottom of 

 the manger. The manger should slope inward, to pre- 

 vent the horse from injuring his knees when stamping 

 flies. The hay should neither be thrown from the mow 



