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Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Marine Orders - Part 43: Cargo & Cargo Handling—Livestock, Issue 6.

27 Horsesdesign of stalls, pens & passageways

27.1 The construction of stalls for horses and of adjacent passageways must comply with the details specified in Table 7, although dimensions marked * may, with the approval of a surveyor, be varied by up to 75 millimetres either way.

Table 7

Detail of design	Species	Dimension
Maximum clear length within stall	(i) Horses(ii) Mules or asses	2.50 metres2.30 metres
Minimum clear length within stall		2.30 metres*
Minimum clear passage:
(a) between 2 rows of stalls and bounded by the front rails	(i) Horses(ii) Mules or asses	1.70 metres1.50 metres
(b) between 2 rows of stalls and bounded by front and back rails		1.20 metres*
(c) in any other case		1.00 metre*
Minimum clear breadth within stall:
(a) if the stall is aligned athwartships		0.70 metres
(b) if the stall is aligned fore and aft		0.90 metres
Height of uppermost front, back and side rail from floor to top edge		1.15 metres*
Height of lowest front, back and side rail from floor to top edge		0.75 metres*

27.2.1 The construction of pens for the carriage of horses must be in accordance with provision 23.

27.2.2 The clear height within a pen or stall for horses must be to the satisfaction of an approved veterinary officer.[\[38\]](#_ftn38)

27.3 The closing arrangement referred to in provision 16.2 must be a sliding gate capable of being quickly closed to control the movement of horses from shore to ship and vice versa. Within the ship, sliding or swinging gates must be provided where necessary to control the movement of horses to and from pens.