In no country so much as in Britain is the horse at once the friend and the companion of man, and in no country is he so well housed. The arrangement and the construction of a gentleman's stable are of an importance second only to that of the dwelling-house itself; indeed, it is to be feared that in some cases the accommodation provided for his equine servants claims more thought and care than that provided for his human ones.

In selecting a position for the stables, something, of course, will have to be left to the special exigencies of the site, but a few general principles may be laid down. While naturally taking somewhat of a rearward position, they should be easy of access from the front entrance and approach. It is not perhaps desirable to have them in too close juxtaposition to the domestic servants' yard and offices; but they should be of easy access from the master's office or study, and from the side entrance used by the master of the house and his family. As it is not desirable to have too many back lanes or approaches likely to be neglected or to form a loitering-place for idlers, it may be well to arrange the stable entrance so as to be at the same time accessible from the main carriage-drive, and yet available for such purposes as the removal of manure, etc, without such operations being unduly in evidence.