HORSES. 2C1 



young foals ; so they constantly prowl round the herds, 

 never attacking them by day if they are numerous, but 

 come at night, and if they are scattered, they make a 

 rush upon their victims. The stallions, however, charge 

 at them, and they take flight, only, however, to return 

 and secure a straggling foal, to whose rescue the 

 mother comes, and herself perishes. When this is 

 found out, a terrible battle ensues. The foals are placed 

 in the centre ; the mares encircle them, charging tho 

 wolves in front, tearing them with their teeth, and 

 trampling them with their fore-feet, always using the 

 latter, and not their hind-feet. The stallions rush about, 

 and often kill a wolf with one blow ; they then pick up 

 the body with their teeth, and throw it to the mares, 

 who trample upon it till its original form is utterly 

 destroyed. If eight or ten hungry wolves should pull 

 down a stallion, the whole herd will avenge him, and 

 almost always destroy the wolves, who, however, 

 generally try to avoid these great battles, and chase a 

 mare or foal separated from the rest, creep up to them, 

 imitating a watch-dog, and wagging their tails, spring 

 at the throat of the mare, and then the foal is carried 

 off. Even this will not always succeed ; and if the mare 

 give alarm, the wolf is pursued by herd and keeper ; 

 and his only chance of escape is to throw himself head 

 foremost down the steep sides of a ravine. 



4 The horses suffer more from thirst in summer than 

 from famine in winter. The heat is intolerable, there 

 is no shade, and each horse tries to protect itself by its 

 neighbour's body. In the autumn the owners of the 

 herd call them in to thresh corn. The turf is removed, 

 the ground beaten till it is very hard, and a railing 

 placed round it ; the corn is spread, and five hundred 



