RUSSIAN STUDS 75 



further description. But the improvements that have been 

 made in Taurida [Crimea] in some of the studs by the com- 

 mixture with Turkish and Arabian horses, so as greatly to 

 improve the native breed, deserves to be particularly noticed. 

 The race which the Kozaks of the Euxine have introduced 

 into the isle of Taman and along the river Kuban will far 

 excel the Tartarian. The Caucasian horses are but little 

 inferior to the Arabian in regard of beauty, spirit and docility, 

 but the Bukharian pye-balls will dispute the palm with them 

 in regard to the first of these advantages. To these mostly 

 native races, the catalogue of which might be easily 

 lengthened, may still be added some foreign breeds, 

 particularly the Danish and English, the propagation of 

 which is greatly attended to in the numerous studs belong- 

 ing to the Crown, and in those of wealthy landlords. Of the 

 Governments in which the breeding of horses is principally 

 attended to, or where they are kept in studs, the principal 

 are Mosco, Kharkof, Orel, Nijni - Novgorod, Simbirsk, 

 Tambof, Voronetch, Kief, Ekatarinoslaf, Vosnesensk, Bratzlau, 

 etc. Formerly the large horses for the cavalry were fetched 

 from Prussia, Denmark, and other countries ; at present 

 they are taken out of the studs or brought up in the country. 

 A Russian cavalry horse must not, according to the difference 

 of the corps, be under two arshines two vershoks, or two 

 arshines. In some of the cuirassier regiments we may see 

 horses two arshines five vershoks in height." I may explain 

 that an arshine is 28 inches ; and a vershok, i^ inch. 



At the Doubrovka stud, they begin to have the mares 

 covered on the I5th February, so as to save the year, as in 

 England ; and finish on the ist July, both dates being Russian 

 time, which is twelve days later than that of the Gregorian 

 calendar observed by us. The young stock go through the 

 following course of feeding and exercise : The foal remains 

 with its dam for four to six months, according to the condition 



