4l6 irANAGEAfENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



Up. Many materials are used in the construction of stable 

 floor, such as clay, brick, cobblestone and cement, al- 

 though the latter are rather hard on the feet. For box 

 stalls perhaps no other material excels clay, as it is good 

 for the feet. For straight stalls perhaps no other ma- 

 terial excels cement, covered with plank in the stall where 

 the horse stands. The cement floor is durable, sanitary 

 and inexpensive. If given a rough finish the horse will 

 not slip, although if heavy loads are to be drawn over the 

 floor, the cement should be creased before it sets. The 

 cement in the wagon room and lead alleys should be six 

 inches thick, although in the stalls, where it is covered 

 with plank, a depth of four inches is sufficient. The floor 

 of the straight stall should slope to the rear at least one 

 inch in eight feet, so that the liquid excrement will drain 

 off quickly. It is a good plan to leave a very shallow but 

 broad gutter just to the rear, along the ends of the plank, 

 to catch this liquid. A very shallow gutter one-half inch 

 deep and six inches broad gives good results. From this 

 shallow gutter the liquid can be absorbed by straw, 

 shavings or any bedding material. It is a good plan to 

 sprinjtle daily a little dry earth or gypsum on the floor 

 of the stable where it is damp. (Fig. i8o.) 



Construction of the walls. — Since the horse does nat 

 suffer from a moderately low temperature, it is a com- 

 paratively simple matter to construct a horse barn, es- 

 pecially when compared with that of the dairy cow. The 

 walls should not be airtight, as the moisture condenses 

 rapidly and the stable becomes damp and cold. For sid- 

 ing the horse barn, unmatched boards planed on one side 

 are preferred. The boards should be placed vertically 

 and the cracks properly battened. If harness closets are 

 constructed along the wall and between the windows as 

 suggested, it will be necessary only to ceil under and 

 above the windows. This inside covering should consist 

 also of unmatched boards. The outside covering should 

 be given a thorough painting every three years, while the 



