ON THE MANAGEMENT OF THE FARM HORSE. 423 
so constructed as to allow all the urine to run into stink traps com¬ 
municating with the tank or dung-heap; and the drop or inclination 
in the pavement ought not to exceed three or four inches, at the 
most, in ten or twelve feet. Some farm stables are so much in¬ 
clined as to induce disease, from throwing too much weight upon 
the hinder legs; the back sinews are kept on the stretch, and lame¬ 
ness is often caused by it. For the horse, the trap or sink ought 
to be in the centre, with the paving of the stall inclined on every 
side toward it. Stall divisions should be from seven to eight feet 
wide, and ten feet deep; the entire depth to be from eighteen to 
twenty feet, which allows plenty of room behind the horse: acci¬ 
dents will then be avoided in passing to and fro behind the horses. 
Most stables are too much confined in this respect. Litter or bed¬ 
ding slightly spread over the stalls is desirable by day, with a good 
supply of clean straw at night. Keeping the stall littered entices 
the horse to stale, which some will not do for hours unless some 
kind of bedding is under them. A stall kept littered also invites 
the animal to lie down, which is very desirable for the hard-work¬ 
ing horse. Opinions as to allowing horses to stand on litter are 
divided. No evil will arise from its use if onlv removed as soon 
as saturated or soiled. Grooming is also an indispensable requisite 
in the management of the farm horse; it promotes health, excites 
the functions of the skin, and gives the coat a beautiful gloss: in 
fact, a fine coat cannot be produced without it: friction circulates 
the blood—hand-rubbing the extremities prevents swelling of the 
legs and cracked heels. It is not the food alone which, as some 
carters imagine, makes the horse look well; there is another great 
help, and that is, good rubbing, brushing, and cleaning. The bene¬ 
fit of friction is soon apparent on the legs of tired or over-worked 
horses; all stiffness and soreness soon subside; they become fine, 
and free from enlargement, and warmth is soon restored, and the 
animal is inclined to take his rest by lying down. The farm 
horse would not be so liable to grease if more attention was paid 
to the cleanliness of his heels; freeing him from all dirt and wet 
collected about them by brushing and rubbing, instead of taking 
him to the pond and washing off the dirt, and then letting them 
dry of their own accord. Attacks of inveterate grease, of inflam¬ 
mation of the lungs, bowels, and feet, frequently follow this hurt¬ 
ful plan of ablution, sometimes terminating ffrtally. It is thus that 
the badly groomed horse is so often the victim of disease and dis¬ 
tempered condition. The mal-practice of carters and wagoners in 
giving strong and spicy stimulants to their horses to induce fine 
coats cannot be too strongly shewn up to their masters or owners 
as a distom highly reprehensible : it is one, however, that has 
been so long in use, that time will be required for its eradication. 
