THE STABLE. 
11 
THE STABLE.—No. 6 
In our former numbers, we have treated of the 
arrangement of stables as regards the stalls, their 
division, size, &c.; and their proper lighting and 
ventilation. In this we shall treat of the methods 
of fastening the horse in the stable. It is very im¬ 
portant that a horse, and especially one not worked 
any or but little, and one worked very much, 
should be so fastened as to permit full repose. A 
horse moderately worked, is not fatigued by idle¬ 
ness (the most trying fatigue), nor by over-work. 
He rests with less difficulty than the over or under¬ 
worked one, and of course to him the method of 
fastening is of less consequence. A proper method 
is always necessary, and should always be secured. 
Where there is room, and the circumstances will 
permit (and every good farmer and every gentleman 
will find the first, and compel the last), the stalls 
should be made very wide, and turned into close 
stalls or boxes, and the horse should not be tied at 
all. In a box the horse will rest better, if wearied, 
and get less wearied, if idle, than in open stalls 
fastened by the head. It gives a choice of position, 
and this is important to a wearied animal; and it 
affords occupation and motion to an idle one. All 
horses will, if they have room, lie flat down on the 
floor, with all their limbs extended. In narrow 
stalls, with heads tied, they cannot, and are com¬ 
pelled to lie with head held, as when standing, or 
almost resting with the muzzle on the floor, and 
with their legs contracted and under them. Perfect 
rest cannot thus be obtained. A box of requisite 
capacity secures to the horse such method of lying 
as lie prefers and his wearied condition teaches him 
is necessary, and with less intermission in his labor, 
gives him better rest, fuller recovery in less time, 
than in a narrow stable and tied. Humanity and 
interest demand that the stalls should be made so 
large, that they may not abridge the comfort and 
capacity of the horse to do his servant-work to the 
fulness of his powers, as the Creator designed. In 
the construction of stalls by the farmer, this point 
should be kept steadily in view. He can have 
room, and economy will be best consulted by giv- 
.ng to all his animals, loose boxes. If his barn be 
larger by reason of the boxes, his horses and cattle 
will be better, by reason of increased comfort and 
facility for rest; and to do his work, less in number 
will be required. 
Gentlemen building stables for horses in towns, 
should also take space and make boxes. The addi¬ 
tional expenditure, represented by the rent of the 
ground, will be returned by the economy in the life 
and power of the horse. Less horses in number 
will do his work, and the good ones so difficult to 
be got will last longer; so that there will be a 
saving in expenditure for horses, to sink the in¬ 
creased expenditure in stables, to perfectly accom¬ 
modate the lesser number. Then not only will 
economy be consulted, but what is of more conse¬ 
quence to the gentleman, his convenience and 
ower to use his horses also. Narrow stables and 
alters may unfit a horse temporarily to labor, and 
there is waste in keeping him till he recovers, not 
merely in feed, but in the veterinary surgeon’s bill, 
and finally in the cost of a new purchase, to supply 
hi 3 place if ruined. Gentlemen rarely ever think 
of boxes, and we do not know of any in this 
city. In the numerous stables now ereciing by 
the rich in the court end of the town, kindness to 
the brute should dictate a proper arrangement for 
the health and comfort of the horse. When, how 
ever, from circumstances, there is not room enough 
to accommodate with boxes all the horses, stalls 
and halters must be resorted to. If the stall be 
narrow and deep, it may be made into a box and the 
disadvantage of the halter be avoided; in other 
respects it is no better than an open stall; but even 
this, by obviating the necessity for the use of the hal¬ 
ter, is something important, as all accidents from 
halter casting are obviated and prevented. 
In boxes, whether so wide as to allow the horse 
to turn, or so narrow as to prevent it, the bottom ol 
the manger must be up quite high, or the manger 
must descend quite to the floor; and indeed in 
all stalls, to forestall accidents, this should be 
done. If it be not high or quite down to the floor, 
the horse may get his head or feet under or over, 
and severely injure or permanently cripple himself 
As most stalls are both narrow and shallow, there 
is no turning them into' boxes. In these the horse 
must be fastened by the halter. In such, halters 
become a matter of great importance, and their 
method of attachment also. 
Halters are made most commonly of leather, but 
frequently also of rope, or the head-stall of leather* 
and the rung, or stale, or tying part, of rope. In all 
cases the head-stall should be made of leather; our 
preference is for, and we always recommend that 
t the horse should be fastened by a rope as a rung, 
or by a chain attached to the leather head-stall. A 
chain or a rope will last longer than a leather rung, 
independent of breaking. The rope and chain are 
less liable to break, and never rot. The leather 
rung must be oiled, and even then will rot, crack, 
and break when the horse does not try to break it. 
When new, a vicious horse will break it, and by 
accident a quiet one may do the same. A chain 
or rope will not break, and a vicious or an idle horse 
will sooner chew the leather than the rope. The 
rope is cheaper, and will in the end wear out; but 
it will last much longer than leather. A chain is 
permanent, and is only objectionable on account of 
its noise; from this leather and rope are free. A 
chain and leather are more easily and neatly at¬ 
tached to the head-stall, and on that account are 
preferable to a rope; but the rope may be neatly 
platted or braided into the ring of the head-stall 
Economy and security considered, the rope is to be 
preferred, as it costs less to buy, and the groom 
may repair it, which he cannot with leather, and 
especially with a chain. Then let the head-stal’ 
be of leather, with the stale of rope. 
The halter should have a throat latch to secure 
it well on the head; it should mt be buckled oil 
too tightly, as it is painful, and from pressure on 
the poll may lead to irritation, and eventually to 
poll-evil. It can be secu e, and yet be comfortably 
loose. 
The fastenings for halters to attach them to the 
manger are usually holes in the manger, or rings 
fixed over the manger into the wall at the head of 
the horse. Either method is good, and there is n<? 
preference except as regards looks. A ring is more 
sightly. The one will be more secure than tho 
other, according to the manner in which they mav 
