278 Management of Farm-Horses. 
have been hard worked during a long summer's day, the sooner 
the stable is darkened, after being dressed and fed, the better, so 
as to induce them to lie down and go to rest. 
It is a very bad and thriftless economy in building a new 
stable to stint the room afforded to each horse. A dozen horses 
may be rendered uncomfortable and unable to take their proper 
rest, merely for the sake of making the stable hold one additional 
animal. Where full-sized horses are kept, six feet in width 
should be allowed to each, and stalls * should by all means be 
preferred where practicable. There are few persons who have 
been much used to horses but who can call to their recollection 
broken leg's or other fatal accidents arisinrf from the want of 
separation between each horse. Besides which, no two animals 
feed alike — some are slow, others are quick and ravenous. By 
feeding indiscriminately the former is robbed of his corn, and the 
latter is rendered still more ravenous by the hope of getting some 
of his neighbour's, and consequently does not properly digest 
his food, and thus both animals are injured. Another evil also 
arises from this faulty system. One of the earliest symptoms of 
the majority of internal diseases is a loss or failure of the appetite. 
If horses are fed in separate stalls, the carter can at once discover 
a horse who is off his feed ; but when fed from the same manger, 
the gross feeders will take care not to leave any corn behind. 
Many horses fall off in their feeding, on hard work, from con- 
stitutional delicacy, without being at the same time in ill health ; 
but if a handful of salt be sprinkled among his oats, it is incon- 
ceivable how much it will coax his appetite. The best situation 
for the racks and mangers is on a level with each other, the 
upper part being about 3^ feet from the ground. The racks, 
however, should not go down to the ground, and should be only 
large enough to hold about 20 lbs. of hay. 
The best material, particularly for the mangers, is iron, which 
in the end will be found the cheapest as well as the cleanest. 
The stall should be about nine feet in length, and the lowest 
part five feet in height. Where full-sized stalls cannot be given, 
quarter stalls separating the mangers, and a few feet further back, 
may be used as substitutes. They will serve to prevent one horse 
robbing another of his food, and will also economise room, and 
prevent biting, bu t they will not secure one animal from being kicked 
by another. When these short stalls are used there should always 
be a full-sized stall at each end of the stable, into which a vicious 
horse can be put. With regard to the flooring of cart-stables, it 
should consist either of brick wood. The latter is the cleanest 
* I prefer a loose box for each horse, or each pair of horses, with a small 
open yard attached, in which a trough for wp.ter should be fixed. The door 
from the box into the yard may be closed whenever it is expedient to do so. 
— PORTMAN. 
