A riding outfit would consist of a gentleman’s or lady’s saddle bracket

Harness, to be kept clean and uninjured, should be placed in a room apart. In large stables where private carriage horses are kept the cleaning of leather, brass, and plate forms a considerable portion of a groom’s day duty, and so a room of size in proportion to the size of the stable is essential. The various brackets are made of malleable iron, which is japanned, galvanised, or enamelled, or may be capped with polished wood.

A riding outfit would consist of a gentleman’s or lady’s saddle bracket (Fig. 56), and of stirrup bracket, girth bracket, bridle bracket (Fig. 57). The whole set may be arranged one above the other, and would thus occupy a wall space of 7 feet 3 inches from floor by 2 feet wide.

Driving harness for a single horse is composed of pad, collar, rein, bridle, and crupper brackets, which may be arranged as shown in Fig. 58, the top bracket being fixed 8 feet from floor level ; and in the case of single harness 2 feet wide, and for double harness when the above brackets are duplicated 4 feet wide.

To better preserve harness from dust and damp, glazed cases can with advantage be used. The amount of harness to be put away will regulate their size. Bits and curbs are also placed in a glass case of their own.

Brackets or shelves should be provided for lamps, as also racks for forks and brooms carried by double hooks; and a cupboard for brushes, etc., is also necessary.

Whips may be carried on a circular wheel holder fixed to wall, or may simply be placed in a movable stand. Figs. 59 and 60 represent girth stretcher and saddle airer respectively, which are essential to a well ordered stable.

For cleaning purposes, hooks (Fig. 61) are fixed to ceiling, and are made telescopic and to revolve. Tables fitted with cupboards or drawers for the storage of rugs, saddle-cloths, etc., form part of the establishment, and can be made with saddle-shaped tops for cleaning harness. Such tops may be formed of folding flaps, which can fall to the sides or be folded flat and used as ordinary tables. In stables of small size the oats, wheat, etc., are kept in the stable in oak, wrought-iron, or galvanised iron bins.

Meters are useful when a check has to be kept on the supply which is fed from the loft above. A shaft for chopped hay, constructed of wood, may be also fixed in a suitable corner. Fig. 62 shows an arrange- ment which consists of a wooden shaft 3 by 2

feet or larger, the top of which may be level with floor of loft, or preferably be fed by a hopper. The food stuff then falls on to the planking fixed at a gentle slope, and passes to the other sloped boarding. Below this is a drawer which, when opened, has the food admitted into it by means of a vertically balanced shutter sliding up and down.

It is an advantage to place this feeding shoot in such a position that it will be possible to place the chaff cutter directly above the opening at top, so saving the intermediate handling.