HABITATIONS 



313 



adopted there must be as little interval as possible between 

 the bail and the kicking piece. If the space is considerable, 

 as is frequently the case, there is a risk of the foot getting 

 fixed, which would be disastrous. 



A Deep Bail (Fig. 125) is very nearly a swinging stall 

 partition, it is especially valuable for heavy horses, and if 

 properly secured above is an absolute protection against 

 kicking ; it is of course very heavy. One of the difSculties 

 in stable fittings of the class we are now describing, is to 

 convey to those responsible for construction how solidly 

 they should be built. They have no conception of the force 

 a horse can exert when kicking, and will put in half inch 



Fig. 126.— A deep bail. 



and inch boards for kicking pieces ; they might just as well 

 use match boarding. 



There are some that advocate hanging the bail low, for 

 the reason that if the horse kicks over it he can get back 

 again. If a simple pole bail be employed, it is far better 

 to place it close to the ground where it may be of some 

 service, than high up where it is very little protection and 

 dangerous. 



It is important to bear in mind that if bails are intelli- 

 gently made and fitted to a stable, they give as much pro- 

 tection against kicking as a fixed stall partition, whereas if 

 the requirements of horses are not understood a stable with 

 bails is one with injuries. 



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