360 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
If the hay is kept in a loft over the stable, there should 
oe no holes over the racks for throwing down the hay, as by 
these openings foul air will be carried up to the hay. and. 
render it unwholesome. And besides, it not unfrequently 
happens that seeds fall down into the eyes of the horse, and 
occasion serious inflammation in them. 
While the floor of the stalls should be so constructed that 
the urine will be speedily carried off, yet a little reflection 
will show that the practice of making them gradually slope 
from the stall to the outside is very prejudicial to the horse, 
and too frequently the cause of lameness by straining 
the back sinews, that is, the tendo achilles. Mr. Lawrence 
justly remarks, that “If the reader will stand for a few 
minutes with his toes higher than his heels, the pain he 
will feel in the calves of his legs will soon convince him of 
the truth of this remark. Hence, when a horse is not 
eating, he always endeavours to find his level, either bj 
standing across the stall, or else as far back as his halter 
will permit, so that his hind legs may meet the ascent of 
the other side of the channel ” 
This sloping direction of the floor of the stall is also a 
frequent cause of contraction of the heels, by throwing too 
great a proportion of the weight upon the toes of the foot, 
and removing that pressure which tends most to keep the 
heels open. It must therefore be evident that the floor 
should slant no more than is absolutely necessary to drain 
off the urine sufficiently quick to prevent chemical action 
taking place. This is the kind of stall most suitable for 
mares, but for horses it should be constructed with a grating 
in the centre, and an inclination of the floor on every side 
towards the middle. This should be carried oft to the 
outside by means of a small drain and lodged in a reservoir, 
as urine is a valuable acquisition to the farmer. To nrevent 
