262 
Breeding Horses. 
constant friction. The manger may be 3 feet 6 inclies from the 
ground to the top ; the hay-crib of course the same height. 
The paving of the standings 3 feet 6 inches from the head 
should be flat, then with a fall from both sides to the centre, 
where an angle iron drain of 4 inches wide from out to out, with 
a removable flat iron cover fitted to the inside of it, should be 
placed straight down the standing, with a fall into another larger 
cross main drain 10 feet 6 inches from the head, so placed as 
to carry away the urine from all the smaller drains into a tank 
outside the stable. This main drain so placed takes the urine 
from the mares, and has a loose cover also fitted to it, easily 
removed for sweeping out when necessary, perhaps once a week. 
This system keeps the stable healthy, economises the urine, and 
the straw also, the latter very important where it can be sold, or 
consumed as food. The width of 18 feet for the stable gives 
room for narrow corn bins 3 feet high, so that each carter may 
have his horses' corn separate. 
The ventilation is the most important feature in the construc- 
tion of the stable ; upon it depends the health of all the horses, 
and consequently their usefulness. No stable should be without 
a constant change of air, and no horse in it should feel the 
draught. The two ends of the stable may be so contrived as to 
effect this object in this manner. Take 12 feet from the head 
wall to the opening for the stable-door ; allow 8 inches for the 
two door-posts, and 4 feet 6 inches for the door. This will leave 
10 inches between the door-post farthest from the horses and the 
back wall. This space, from the ground to the top of the door, 
should be left open, and covered with strong rabbit wirework, 
which should be permanently fixed. The door should be 7 feet 
high, and cut into two parts, horizontally, at a height of 4 feet. 
The lower part may be kept shut while the horses are in ; the 
upper 3 feet may be open or shut, according to the state of the 
atmosphere. Mine are seldom shut, except the wind is blowing 
heavily in ; we then close that end. There is another comm^ini- 
cation with the outer air between the door and the ceiling. The 
opening may be 3 feet long, and so placed that one end is 
against the back wall. It should have zinc, perforated with a 
quarter-of-an-inch hole, permanently fastened over it. This 
arrangement will keep the stable sweet and the horses healthy. 
I have no communication from the stable to the loft above for 
any purpose, as I have learnt by observation that ^this promotes 
draughts which are highly injurious to the eyes. The stable 
should be ceiled, for the convenience of lime-whiting. Plenty 
of light should be admitted from the hinder wall, by narrow 
fixed windows here and there, made of slabs of strong glass, 
