The principles which should guide us in drawing out the plan of a stable, are those by which we can obtain healthy stable conditions combined with safety for the horses and convenience for carrying out stable routine. In order to obtain full advantage from the best aspect, the portion of the stable containing the animals should be more or less in a straight line, and should have no objects near it that will interfere with its ventilation, drainage, or supply of sunlight. A quadrangular or three-sided arrangement is often convenient for a large establishment; for, by adopting it, the boxes, stalls, saddle-room, coach-house, and other places can be grouped round a central yard.

With respect to internal arrangement, the conditions in question will best be observed when the horses have only one wall on each side, between them and the outer air, and when they are placed in a single row, with a passage opening by a door at each end between the front wall and the boxes or stalls. If there are more than seven or eight horses, a door may be allowed in the front wall (and also in the rear wall, if necessary) for every three or four horses. By placing the passage next to the front wall, the windows in that wall can be made of any size, or may be placed at any height that may be desired. If the horses stand in two rows with a passage between them, little or no direct sunlight can fall on the compartments occupied by the animals which are next the front wall. The necessity for economising space will, however, often oblige an owner to adopt this two-row arrangement.

The presence of an inside passage is convenient, and by aiding ventilation, especially if a door is at each end, is conducive to health. Want of space would, as a rule, be the only consideration that would warrant its absence.

Ground Plan of Tricycle adapted to Corn Crusher.

Fig. 30. Ground Plan of Tricycle adapted to Corn Crusher.

Thus, supposing that we had available for a line of boxes, a width of only 10 or 12 ft, we would have to be content with a series of rooms, to each of which or to each couple of which a doorway would have to be given.

As horses take a great deal of notice of each other, and of noises and movement, the smaller the number of animals which are in a building, the more rest will its occupants obtain. In private stables, the number might with advantage be limited to eight, one or more buildings being added for the horses beyond that number.

When space, expense, the necessity of utilising existing buildings, and other considerations have to be studied, the best compromise which can be made in the circumstances will have to be accepted. Thus we often find in the stables of dealers and large companies in towns, that fairly good results are obtained, even when the boxes and stalls are placed in storeys, one above the other, with inclined planes to serve as stairs.

Necessity For Drying New Stables

As new stables are always damp, they should not be occupied until they are thoroughly dry. We may hasten the process of drying, by burning charcoal in braziers inside the building. Coal and wood might also be employed, but the smoke given off by their combustion would of course be more or less objectionable.