2 
One stable in tlie West Bear Range was used, and the experiment was continued 
for some six weeks with considerable success, except when the day arrived for 
removing the litter, and then the stench was frightful—the men could only remain 
in the stable for about 10 or 15 minutes at a time, as the exhalations from the 
pent up ammonia aifected their eyes. 
About a week from the commencement of the trial a good soft bed was estab¬ 
lished which continually increased in thickness till at the end of the time it must 
have been over a foot in depth. The stableman was enjoined to remove the 
droppings as they fell, in baskets which were provided for the purpose. Of 
course, at night this could not be done, but no difficulty was experienced in 
keeping a clean bed. At cc litter down 5 ’ the day’s ration of clean straw was 
shaken down on top of the permanent bed, and the horses got up in the morn¬ 
ing quite as clean as when littered down in the usual way. 
As regards eating their litter, I think under any system it is a mistake to put 
the clean straw too much to the front. 
When a Battery C.O. my orders were to keep the clean straw well to the rear, 
out of reach of the horse. There is no object in putting it far forward, as 
horses almost always lie down far back (as far in fact as the collar chain allows). 
2. —When at Yerona, two or three winters ago, I obtained permission to visit 
the Horse Artillery and Cavalry stables there and found the system of not remov¬ 
ing the litter in force. The stables were quite sweet, and the officers assured me 
they always kept so, and their experience quite agreed until mine of; 1866, viz.: 
No loss of condition, but on the contrary, from the horse having an ample and 
soft bed, and no bad effects on the feet. However, when the day arrived for 
removing the permanent bed they said the stench was intolerable. 
I now find that the plan had then been but a short time on trial, experiments 
are indeed still being made, as I found on visiting the Artillery stables here a few 
days ago, and the “ Veterinary Regulations” give most elaborate instructions on 
the subject, a precis of which I enclose. 
3. —When visiting the stables at Rome I found that one of the six batteries of 
the 13th Regiment of Field Artillery quartered here was experimenting with a 
tliickisli layer of charcoal as a foundation. This seemed very successful, the straw 
remained drier, and the officers said all the stale was absorbed by this means, and 
the task of removal rendered far less unpleasant. 
There is no fixed time for removing the cc permanent bed.” It is left to 
Battery C.O’s. to decide, and they told me that it was usually removed every 10 
or 12 weeks. 
The bed was from 4 to 4| yards from front to rear, so that when a horse 
reined back to the full length of his rope he might find straw to lie upon. It 
seems they put down clean straw at odd times when fonnd necessary, not at stable 
hour only. 
I asked with regard to para. 2 of the Regulations* whether they didn’t find 
that the horses’ rest at night was disturbed by the stableman walking about with 
a lantern and removing the dung. The officers said they were so short of men just 
now (only 6 or 7 per battery available for stables) that they had been obliged to 
disregard this order lately, but that they quite agreed with me that it was far 
better to leave the horses alone at night, and that at present the two stablemen 
per battery simply slept in the stables at night. 
The stables were very large and lofty—horses only on one side, as in the stables 
on the north side of R.H.A. Square at Aldershot. 
Para. 2.—* It is the special duty of the stablemen to remove the manure as it falls, either by 
day or by night, and for this purpose the stablemen should be provided with bull’s-eye lanterns, 
and should use a basket constructed in such a way as to be easily managed. They should be 
careful not to carry away any straw. 
