A MOBILE STABLE FOR RACEHORSES.
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An American Conception which Ensures Comfortable and Convenient Road Transport for Valuable Animals. A Luxurious Horse-box on a Bus Chassis.
IN THIS country race meetings,, whether held under flat or National Hunt rides, take place the whole year round. This means that if owners are to run their horses at a considerable number of meetings during the year, the animals must spend much time in travelling from one place to another.
The uncomfortable horse-boxes usually employed by the railway companies for this class of transport are for many reasons unsatisfactory. Ventilation and heating arrangements arc often bad, shunting interferes with the temper and health of the animals, whilst the risk of injury not only jeopardizes the life of the horses but keeps insurance premiums at a comparatively high figure. These disabilities have served to direct the attention of quite a number of owners in this country to the question of transporting racehorses by road, and Many animals are now being conveyed in specially designed horseboxes, with far more satisfactory results than when the railway was used.
Hitherto, however, owners have been satisfied with sending their mounts to meetings in horse-boxes mounted on lorry chassis, although in some instances special features have been introduced to ensure the maxi/m.1in of comfort for the occupants. An American racehorse owner has proceeded a step farther in considering the welfare of his bloodstock, and claims to have in use the finest stable on wheels in the world.It is mounted on a Mack bus chassis, which is said to promote greater safety and durability and to enable a Weer speed to be maintained by reason of the better springing to be found on a vehicle designed for passenger carrying., The body of this luxurious horse-box has three large doors. That at the rear is used for the horse to enter the vehicle, whilst exit can be made by either of the side doors. The body has been constructed to carry two horses, and the interior is lined with canvas-covered pneumatic pads for the purpose of protecting the animals. A special sanitary cork composition is used as a floor-covering, and a stron.g loading ramp, of the folding type, is carried in the body. •. This ramp can readily be brought into use
when loading or unloading operations have to be.effected. Behind the driver's partition are hay racks and water troughs, whilst additional drinking
water is carried in a large-capacity tank slung under the body.
The space above the rear-wheel housings is utilized for feed-boxes, and here, too, most of the necessary cleaning implements are carried. A stable fork and broom are suspended inside the rear door. Adequate ventilation is provided
by the louvred cupola at the-top of the body and the 16 small windows along the sides of the body.
This " equine pullman," for such it
can be called, has.an appearance quite in keeping with the use for which it is intended. An 'attractive panelled effect characterizes the exterior, a skilled artist having been commissioned to paint spirited racing scenes on two of • the panels. Red and green are used for the general colour scheme.