BREAKING A STEPPE HORSE 83 



thirty yards side. General Derfelden being a practical man, 

 was greatly taken with this idea, and made me illustrate it 

 again and again for the benefit of the Kalmouk horse 

 attendants. 



I also did a little bye-play the November evenings were 

 then very short with a powerful chestnut gelding which I was 

 told I could take in hand next day. Having been informed 

 that none of the remounts were more than three and a half 

 years, I could not help thinking that my chestnut friend was 

 particularly well furnished for that age, and that he must 

 have been unusually precocious to have acquired so early 

 all the tricks and vice which he loved to exhibit on anyone 

 who ventured to approach him. In the evening I was glad 

 to see that the climate of Shandrovka appeared to agree 

 with the General ; for he was in far better spirits at dinner 

 than I had hitherto seen him. 



Next day, after we had spent much time at the haltering 

 game, which however was of great importance in remount 

 depot work, I had another interview with the chestnut, 

 who, although he had been haltered, proved extremely 

 difficult to handle. In fact he was by far the worst horse I 

 had ever seen. At last he let me bridle and saddle him, and 

 as darkness was coming on, we adjourned for the night and 

 for dinner, at which the General was in still better form. Next 

 morning as we strolled down to the paddocks, I vowed to 

 myself that at any cost I'd take the nonsense out of that 

 chestnut in double-quick time. He was led out by a long 

 rope which was attached to his halter, and to the end of 

 which ten or twelve men hung on while carefully keeping 

 out of his reach. He knew my voice and let me stroke his 

 head, neck, and shoulders. Emboldened by my success and 

 seeing the General and the remount officers shivering in the 

 icy blast though well wrapped up in the thickest of furs, I 

 thought I would do a bit of show-off by pulling the horse's 



