Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-06
PALATIAL STABLES
FIVE HOMES FOR HORSES TO BE
FOUND IN THIS CITY.
Thought and Money Bestowed on the
Quarters of High-Class Equines Of
the National Capital.

1,
through the building department. recently
issued permit for the erection of private
| stable at a cost of $4,000. Do you know
that this is not a marker to the cost of
some of the stables used by the thorough
bred equines of the national capital?" re-
marked q prominent veterinary surgeon
to STIR man this morning. washington
is known from one end of the country to
the other as a city of palatial residences,
more so of recent years than at any time
in its history, but few people know that
the owners of these dwellings have homes
for their horses that cannot be outranked
south of New York, and some of them have
finer equipment than even the stables of
New York's thoroughbred horses. One
would be surprised to visit the places>where
Washington's high-bred jumpers and driv-
ing horses are kept.
Some Fine Stables
"Take, for instance, the stables of Attor-
ney General Knox, the Letters, Pattens,
Townsends, Mr.. Walsh and any number of
owners of high-class horses. They are sim
ply marvels of excellence, and what some
of them may lose in architectural appear
ance Is more than made up by the up-to-
date equipment for the comfort, 1 might
say the luxury, of the occupants.
nowadays man who owns thorough
bred horse of value would no more think of
doing away with the care of veterinary
surgeon for his animal than he would think
of letting one of his children go without
the care of a physician in case of sickness
With the coming of the veterinary surgeon
has come the scientific care and treatment
of horses, especially those of high degree,
which, by the way, are just as valuable
and costly today as they ever were. despite
the coming into favor of the automobile.
Every horse owner of prominence in
Washington, and mean by this those who
own private stables for family and other
uses. not by any means professional, has
his string constantly in the care of a vetsr-
mary surgeon. This surgeon makes stated
visits and in case of necessity is called in
especially.
ANY veterinarian knows that the living
quarters of a horse are Just as important
to his welfare as are those of a human be-
ing through them has come the modern
stable, scientifically equipped, that has
come to be a feature of Washington horse
DOM Some of these stables have cost
thousands of dollars to build. and even
more money to equip. But why not? The
animals themselves in many Instances
almost priceless One case that you prob
ably know of is the $4,000 pair of trotters
belonging to Attorney General Knox.
Should not horses so valuable be provided
with every comfort that modern methods
have put at the service Of high-strung
thOrOuSnDreuS.
In Mr.. Walsh's Stable.
"Take the stable of Mr.. Thomas Walsh.
1t Is a handsome and modern structure in
side and out. The stalls are equipped with
the most modern stable specialties. To be-
gin with, the stalls are of teak wood, ex-
tending about four feet in height from tie
floor, with a two-inch frieze, and above
that Is a stout iron railing or grating. A
novel feature of the arrangement Is the
manner in which the stall posts are sunk
into the concrete or screwed into the floor
as necessary. This permits a telescope rod
being withdrawn from the interior wall of
the stall proper and extended to a rear wall
or post This rod being about three or
four inches in diameter, can have blanket
hung over it and thus transform the stall
into a loose box, to be used by a nervous,
restless horse. In every instance the posts
are made without base above the floor
of the STALL thus taking away every chance
of the horse injuring himself by accident.
Devices in the Stalls.
"An of the managers are made of metal,
with broad lips and carefully rounded, so
that 1t is matter of impossibility for the
animal to mar the crib by chewing It,
Along the head of the stall there is an iron
rod, on which is placed a travelling halter,
so that when the animal is tied he can
move at will from one side of the stall to
the other without the necessity of having
long halter rope for the purpose, thus re-
moving the danger of the animals getting
tangled in the halter rope. The manager
for food is on one side Of the stall and the
tank for water on the other; thus the ami
NAL can eat on one side of the stall and
then move over to the other side for the
water when he becomes thirsty
Some of the stables are equipped with a
halter that has the rope attached to a
- Intr = of
will, much like the spring on window
curtain. When the horse is close to the
Manager the rope is short, thus giving
double assurance that he cannot get the
rope tangled around his feet.
There is an ingenious arrangement for
| feeding the hay that horse likes to nibble
on between meal times. 1t is no longer
| placed in a manger up over the horse
| head, for it was found that such an ar
rangement always kept the stalls dirty and
messy. Whenever a horse nibbled at the
| hay he always pulled down huge punches of
| 1T and what he did not get in his mouth
| either fell on the floor of the stall and
| became filthy or else 1t checked up the food
| box and water tank. The hay is now ar
| ranged in a compartment of the manager,
| and over 1t is a wire screen, which admits
| Of the horse nibbling to his hearts content
| but prevents large punches from being
pulled out.
| 1.-The sides of the stall have drainage ar
| engagements for carrying off such water as
| Is thrown against them and the doors Of
| the stalls have secret devices for opening
them so that the animal cannot, as many
| horses have learned to do, open the stall
| door themselves should they happen to be-
come loose from the halter.
Flooring of the Stalls.
There has been a decided change in the
| flooring of the stalls. Where the stalls
| were once foored with wooden planks, in
| the homes of the scientifically cared for
| horse will be found floors of vitrified brick.
| Planks were wont to absorb all the disa-
! greeable doors Of the stable and the vitri-
| fed brick floors have a glazed non absorb
| ant surface, which is almost as hard as
| iron, making it almost impossible to
| chip. Each day stream of water
is thrown the floors of the stalls and
| a stiff brush applied which makes them
as sweet and clean as a well-regulated
| house. feature in putting this brick floor
in position is that the bricks are laid on
end and every row forms drain to an in
verted TT grating which leads into a cess,
pool, which in turn empties into the sewer,
or else is emptied every day. This makes
| the sanitary condition par excellence. The
| use of plank flooring was without exception
the most insanitary arrangement that
could have been tried. The bad effects were
| far reaching. The wood acted as an alb
sorbant sponge, becoming saturated with
| liquid. in which the horse slept as we'll as
| hat ll,,o