THE RUSSIAX IIOr.SE, 49 



THE RUSSIAN HORSE. 



It may l)e well supposed tli.at this animal will be of a very dilFerent 

 character in vai'ious parts of this immense empire. The heavy cavalry 

 and the gi-eater part of the horses for pleasiire are descended originally 

 from Cossack blood, but improved by stallions from Poland, Prussia, 

 Holstein, and England ; and the studs are now found on an immense 

 scale in various parts of Russia. The Hghter cavalry, and the commoner 

 horses, are, as these have ever been, Cossacks, without any attempted 

 improvement, and are hardy and better suited to the duties required 

 from them. 



It has been supposed that no horse, except the Arab, could endure 

 privation like the Cossack, or had combined speed and endurance equal 

 to him. The Cossack, however, was beaten, and that not by horses of the 

 first-rate Enghsh blood, in a race which fairly put to the test both quali- 

 ties. It was a cruel aflair ; yet nothing short of such a contest would have 

 settled the question. 



On the 4th of August, 1825, a race of forty- seven miles was run betAveen 

 two Cossack and two English horses. The Engh'sh horses were Sha,rper 

 and Mina, well known, yet not ranking with the first of their class. The 

 Cossacks were selected from the best horses of the Don, the Black Sea, and 

 the Ural. 



On starting, the Cossacks took the lead at a moderate pace ; but before 

 they had gone half a mile, the stirrup-leather of Sharper broke, and he 

 ran away -^ath his rider, followed by Mina, and they went more than a 

 mile, and up a steep hill, before they could be held in. 



Half the distance was run in an hour and foui'teen minutes. Both the 

 English horses were then fresh, and one of the Cossacks. On their return, 

 Mina fell lame, and was taken away, and Sharper began to show the 

 effects of the pace at Avhich he had gone in running away, and was much 

 distressed. The Calmuck was completely knocked up, his rider was dis- 

 mounted, a mere child was put on his back, and a Cossack on horseback 

 on either side dragged Mm on by ropes attached to his bridle, while 

 others at the side supported laim from falling. Ultimately Sharper per- 

 formed the whole distance in two hours and forty-eight minutes — sixteen 

 miles an hour for three successive hours — and the Cossack horse was 

 brought in eight minutes after him. At starting, the English horses 

 carried full three stone more than the Cossacks ; and during the latter 

 part of the race a mere child had ridden the Cossack. 



The Emperor Nicholas established races in ' different parts of his vast 

 empii^e, for the improvement of the Cossack and other horses. On the 

 20th of September, 1836, the races at Ouralsk took place. The dis- 

 tance to be run was 18 wersts, or about 45- French leagues — rather more 

 than 10 miles. Twenty-one horses of the military stud of the Cossacks 

 of Oural started for the first heat, and which was won in 25 minutes and 

 19 seconds by a horse belonging to the Cossack Bourtche-Tchourunief. 

 The second race was disputed by twenty-three horses of the Kergheese 

 Cossacks, and which was won in 25 minutes and 5 seconds by the horse 

 of the Cossack Siboka-Isterlaie. On the following day the winners of the 

 two first heats strove for the point of honour. The course was now 12 

 wersts — 3 French leagues, or about 6^ miles. It was won in 15 minutes 

 by the horse of the Cossack Bourtche-Tchourunief The Russian noble- 

 men who were present, admiring the speed and stoutness of the horse, 

 were anxious to purchase him ; but the Cossack replied that ' All the 

 gold in the world should not separate him from his friend, his brother.' 

 In Southern and Western Russia, and also in Poland, the breeding of 



E 



