The Work Horse 271 
the farming operations. The horses should be loaded so 
that they can work steadily throughout the day without 
requiring long intervals for rest; and they should not be 
loaded lightly and driven fast, as either method lowers the 
efficiency of the work produced. 
An item which is often overlooked in the care of draft 
horses, especially under farming conditions, is the care of 
feet. If horses are kept on the farm continually and not 
used for road work, it is very seldom that they will require 
shoes, but their feet will need attention which can be 
given with a rasp and pair of nippers. There is no neces- 
sity for horses’ feet being grown out and broken off, when 
a little attention will keep them in good condition. If 
horses do road work, then it is necessary to have them shod, 
and the shoes should be put on securely and changed or 
reset every six weeks, or sooner, depending on the kind 
of work. Injury to horses’ feet is often caused by leaving 
shoes on too long and thereby causing contraction. 
STABLES 
In the ‘construction of stables for work horses, the 
principal requisite should be that they are handy. One of 
the most convenient arrangements is to have single stalls 
facing toward the side of the barn with the feed alleys 
in front of the horse: This will leave a large driveway 
behind the horses for them to back out, and provide 
hitching room. The harness stalls in this case could be 
on the opposite side of the alley, which may be partially 
devoted to box stalls, feed bins, carriage rooms, and the 
like. 
Another essential point is comfort. For extreme com- 
fort, the box stall is essential, but for work horses, under 
