03 



-o CONTINENTAL HORSES. 



The other agricultural horses consist of light cart 

 horses and ponies, both of which are thoroughly good 

 workers. We learn from Races Chevalines that out 

 of the 19,000,000 agricultural horses in Russia, only 

 about 1,000,000 belong to special breeds ; the remainder 

 being chiefly cross-breds from the steppes. Kleppers of 

 Esthonia, Finland horses, and Viatkas are distinctive 

 representatives of the six or seven special breeds. 



The Kleppers are bred in the Baltic provinces of 

 Esthonia and Livonia and in the islands of Oesel and 

 Dago. They appear to be descended from native ances- 

 tors which were crossed with Eastern blood. They vary 

 in height from about 13 to 15 hands, are good-looking, 

 strong, enduring, and many of them are fast trotters. 



The Finland horses and ponies (Figs. 547 and 548) are 

 about the same height, but are coarser looking than the 

 Kleppers, with whom they are said, by some authorities, 

 to be related. In Russia they are called Finkas (Finns) 

 or Shvedkas (Swedes). They are hardy and strong, but 

 are not fast. They are largely used for cab purposes in 

 St. Petersburg. 



Viatkas (Fig. 549) are a strong, hardy, fast, and good- 

 looking breed of ponies of from 13 to 14 hands high 

 which " are bred on the borders of the river Kama and 

 its tributary, the Obva, in the provinces of Viatka, Perm, 

 and in the northern part of the province of Kazan. 

 This breed was formed by crossing native mares with 

 Esthonian Kleppers which were imported during the 

 reigns of Alexis Michaelovitch and Peter L Finland 

 blood was introduced later on. Viatkas bred on the banks 

 of the Obva are called Obvinkas, which are the tallest 

 and best variety of this breed. The smallest are the 

 Kazankas, which are raised in the province of Kazan. 

 Their height is about 13 hands. Viatkas, Obvinkas and 

 Kazankas are sold at fairs in the neighbouring provinces 

 of Simbirsk, Samara and Penza, as well as in the districts 

 in which they are bred " {de Simonoff and de Moerder). 



