Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-10
Stable MANAGEMENT of Horses,

It is a fact generally recognized
among horsemen that at least one-half
of the availability of the horse for the
proper performance of his work through
a period of years, is destroyed by bad
stabling, bad feeding and imprudent
driving. .EI
The stable should be perfectly cool,
airy, and pervious to the atmosphere in
the summer; close, warm, and free from
all drafts of external air, except so far
as needed for proper and full ventila-
ton, in winter. It should be perfectly
ventilated, so as to carry off all often
slye odors, ammoniacal vapors and the
like, arising from the decomposition of
the urine and solid excrements of the
animals at all times. In order to secure
this condition, tube two feet square
should extend from the upper surface
of the stable upward though the roof,
like chimney to house, with a slide
to shut off the draft when desirable, and
roof over the top, with Stats in the
sides above the roof, and sufficient
openings to give full escape for all mat
tiers coming from below.
The floor, of whatever material COM
posed, should be so constructed as to
secure perfect drainage and cleanliness:
for nothing is more improper in a we'll
ordered stable than to have horses
stand up to their heels in wet litter or
decomposing vegetable matter; his own
odor and Stops of all kinds. Such a
condition, if permitted, is the most
fruitful source Of the scratches and
swelled legs. The stable should be per
fectly well lighted, as well as thorough.
~ aired, since it is not only cruel to
animals, which are of gay, cheerful, and
sociable nature, to keep them constant
ly in the dark, and not only depresses
their spirits, and thus in lures their
natural health, but it is frequent
cause of blindness. To keep horses
continually in almost total darkness, as
is frequently done, and occasionally
bringing them out to do their work,
with no protection to the eye, in the full
glare Of midday sun, is most unnatu-
raj and injurious.
A stable should never be under
ground, wholly or in part The mate
rial Of the stable floor should not be the
natural soil, for that soon becomes sat-
urated with moisture, and degenerates
into slough If of wood, it should be
the hardest and least pervlous to water,
Of any attainable; for otherwise it will
be lmpregnated with urine, and con-
stantly throwing off ammonia. A pave
ment OF small cobble stones neatly laid.
with slight fall, in clay and sand, or,
what is better, of hard burnt bricks laid
in cement and set edgewise, makes the
best stable floor of anything to be had
The stable should be high and airy
The door should be so placed that when
open currant of air will not blow
full on the horse; and it is of advantage
to have it sawn in two halves, hrizontal-
~, in order to allow the upper half to
stand open in the summer, for the adj
mission of fresh air. The windows
should be large and opposite one an
other, SO as to allow free draught of
air in the summer; but they should
never open nearer the ground than six
feet, SO the air may not blow ON the
horses. but circulate above their backs.
The stalls should not be less than
five, and had better be six feet wide and
nine feet deep, and the stable should
be fifteen, or better, seventeen feet
from the head of the stall to the back
ceiling. If hay rooms be placed above
the stables, the roof should be of solid
plank, well joined and under-ceiled; and