STABLE. 
liquid affusion within, and especially of all 
urine. A perfectly and constantly dry stable is 
quite essential to the health and vigour of horses. 
“ But,” to adopt the words of Mr. Winter, “this 
is not the sole reason why the urine should be 
speedily conveyed away, for it not only keeps the 
flooring in a damp state, but fills the stable with 
gases highly deleterious to the health of the in- 
mates, frequently acting as the predisposing or 
exciting cause of dangerous and contagious dis- 
eases, as acute and chronic cough, pneumonia, 
farcy, glanders, and inflammation of the conjunc- 
tival membrane of the eyes. It usually happens 
that the fluids of the stable are allowed to find 
their exit by an open paved gutter at the foot of 
the stall, or are suffered to be entirely absorbed 
by the litter, and removed with the dung when 
the stable is cleansed out. An under-ground 
drain, originating in a small grating fixed in the 
centre of each stall, and communicating with an 
external reservoir or cistern, is found the most 
ready and beneficial method of insuring the re- 
moval of the urine from the stable. This method 
saves the litter by keeping the floor of the bed 
constantly drained, it decreases the general 
dampness of the stable, and adds to the health 
and comfort of the inmates. In many of the 
cart-horse stables in London, a central iron grat- 
ing is placed over a small cesspool, but no longi- 
tudinal subterranean conduit is constructed to 
convey the fluid away ; consequently, when it is 
full, the grating has to be removed and the con- 
tents baled out. This is a very objectionable 
practice; for though the stalls and litter may be 
kept dry, yet these collecting cesspools are so 
many reservoirs of fermenting fluids, increasing 
the chemical decomposition, and poisoning the at- 
mosphere of the stable with ammoniacal vapour. 
It is far preferable to have a continuous under- 
ground drain, from stall to stall, throughout the 
stable, terminating in a sunken external reser- 
voir, so constructed as to preclude the indraught 
of air up through the drains. Another advan- 
tage is attached to this manner of drainage ; for 
as the fluid drains from the centre, there is no 
longer any necessity for that declivity of the 
flooring, which was requisite when the liquid 
passed away by the foot of the stall, for the ends 
and sides of the pavement of the stall may be of 
the same level, gradually bevelling towards the 
centre point where the grating is fixed.” 
The size of stables must be proportioned to the 
number of horses to be accommodated ; but that 
of each, even when the number of horses is great, 
ought not to contain accommodation for more 
than five or six. Some horses will not sleep or 
even lie down unless perfectly at their ease ; and 
when too many are in one stable, they are liable 
to disturb one another, and to be annoyed by the 
frequent entrance of persons in charge of them, 
and to suffer excessive contamination and heat- 
ing of the air, so that they may have difficulty in 
going to rest, and cannot enjoy the most refresh- 
319 
ing repose. The livery stables attached to many 
large inns in towns often exemplify the evils of 
disturbance consequent on too large capacity. 
The ceiling or roof ought, in every case, to be 
high, so as to allow a free ascent of the heated 
and contaminated air; and, in general, walls 
eight feet high, with the space above open to the 
roof, are preferable to even higher walls with a 
close ceiling. Double-headed stalls are objec- 
tionable, both on account of their allowing the 
stables to be crowded, and because the horses in 
them may hurt each other by kicking and col- 
lision. The size of stalls must correspond in 
some measure to the description of the horses 
kept in them ; but, in every instance, ought to 
be wide enough to allow them to turn round 
without injuring themselves, and yet not so wide 
as to allow them to stand across; and, for each 
working farm horse, may be 6 feet or at the least 
54. The width of the stable from wall to wall 
ought to be such as to afford not only quite clear 
space for all the proper accommodations, but 
also a space of several feet behind the horses for 
the passing and working of the grooms. The 
floor should consist of granite causeway, hard 
brick, Dutch clinker, wooden blocks, patent elas- 
tic caoutchouc pavement, or of some other mate- 
rial which will firmly maintain a general level, 
and resist abrasion from pawing, and not sub- 
side into chinks or depressions. 
When a hay-loft exists over a stable, it ought 
to be high and separated by so impermeable a 
flooring or ceiling as will completely prevent the 
escape into it of effluvia from below ; but a hay- 
loft over a stable, no matter how well construct- 
ed, is, in all circumstances, exceedingly undesir- 
able, both for sake of the sweetness of the hay 
and of the ventilation of the stable. “The rack 
and manger have long been regarded as essen- 
tial structures in the fitting up of stables, and 
are still very generally employed; but when the 
better and more economical plan of cutting the 
fodder is adopted, the rack will become unneces- 
sary. Upright racks are to be preferred to those 
inclining forwards, as, in the latter case, the 
horses are often much annoyed by the small seeds 
falling into their eyes and ears in drawing out 
the hay. Racks and mangers are very frequently 
constructed of cast-iron, and these are found much 
more durable and economical than those formed 
of wood. Under each window may be a recess 
for holding an oil-can, or vessel with tar; and, if 
provided with a door, it may be used for holding 
the combs and brushes which are employed in 
cleaning the horses. Every part of the harness 
in daily use should be placed behind the horse 
to whom it belongs, in order that no time may 
be lost in taking it off and putting it on; and 
that which is used only occasionally is to be 
kept in a separate lock-up apartment. There 
should be one or more lanterns suspended by 
cords and pulleys over the passage, for putting 
lighted candles in while feeding and cleaning 
