MANAGEMENT OF THE STALLION 
29 
considered out of place. All the sides, including the doors, should be 
lined with stout boards placed about a foot from the wall at the bottom 
and sloping upward towards the wall at a height of three and a half 
feet. This arrangement, as in Dimon’s and Kennedy’s, prevents the rub¬ 
bing of the horse’s tail. 
9. Exercise 
Johnstone 5 considers normal and vigorous health as being possible only 
when the stallion is worked and well-fed. He prescribes a full day’s 
work for every stallion as a five-year-old up until he is twelve years of 
age or even older. In starting the stallion to work Johnstone writes: 
“Break him like any other horse, preferably as a two-year-old, and make 
him do light, but not real work at that age. At three make him do what 
other colts of his age are required to do. If an unbroken stallion of work¬ 
able age is purchased, let the breaking be the first thing undertaken 
with him. It will not generally prove a hard job, for a stallion is seldom 
afraid. Gradually toughen him into doing his full day’s work as one of 
a team. It is preferable to hitch an entire horse with a mare, but if it 
comes handier to work him with a gelding there is no reason why he 
should not be matched in that way ... If the horse is inclined to 
nip at and bother his mate, tie a staff of the proper length according to 
the job on hand from the inner ring of his bit to the shank ring of a 
halter on the head of the other horse in the pair, or to the upper ring 
on the harness. Use good stout harness and never forget that there is 
a stallion in the team. Do not let him yell and squeal and generally 
make a nuisance of himself.” Johnstone cites such vices as masturbation, 
cribbing, and lip-slapping as the result of close confinement, and further¬ 
more he says, the legs may often go wrong and so the temper due to the 
same environment. He adds that exercising a stallion on a walk of eight 
miles or so a day is a detestable job for the groom, and while driving 
him is more agreeable, yet working him is undoubtedly to be preferred 
because in both ways he is to be in harness anyway. It is recommended 
that the stallion be made to trot also occasionally. 
Carlson 6 is likewise of the opinion that real draft harness work is the 
only exercise for the stallion. He says, “the plow, harrow, disc, mower, 
binder, or farm wagon upon the farm, or the dray or heavy transfer 
wagon in town or city is an exercise that will fit a draft stallion for pro¬ 
ducing foals of the highest quality, and possessing a vitality which could 
not be given them by a stallion not worked.” Even during the breeding 
season putting the stallion in harness is beneficial. Carlson’s practice of 
working him in the first half of the day and allowing him to do the 
service at four o’clock in the afternoon of the same day has given the 
best success. But only one service a day should be indulged in if he is 
to be toned up with good harness work. It is further pointed out that 
the slow and indifferent horse or the partially sterile individual may be 
turned to virile and healthy sire if hard work is resorted to. 
According to Kennedy, 61 during the breeding season the stallion should 
be given at least a five-mile walk every day. He may be hitched to a 
cart or led with a saddle horse. In case of peddled stallions, however, 
they will get sufficient exercise in a circuit of ten miles or so. Slow 
individuals may be given more exercise. When out of season, however, 
he advocates the adoption of like management as applied to geldings. This 
consists of giving the stallions three fairly heavy feeds a day and 
working them hard every week day. Sunday should be a rest day and 
light feed should be provided for. Kennedy agrees with Johnstone in 
breaking the young stallion to work but less work is to be given him 
until he is mature. 
“Halve the ration and double the exercise when the stallion is not 
