RUSSIAN HORSES. 



5 41 



Moerder in Races'^ Chevalines^ we may divide Russian 

 horses into (i) stud horses, (2) agricultural horses, (3) 

 horses bred on the steppes under improved conditions, 

 and (4) half-wild horses. 



Stud Horses. — The best known breed of this 

 class is the Orlov trotter, which was founded by 

 Count Alexis Orlov-Tchestmensky, whose doings with 



Fig. 542. — Russian match trotter. 



Peter III. and the unhappy Princess Tarakanova are 

 told by Castera in his Histoire de Catherine II. After 

 Catherine had discarded Gregory Orlov in favour of 

 Potemkin as her ofhcial lover, Alexis had the satisfaction 

 of knocking out one of the eyes of his brother's rival, 

 and then sought distraction in breeding horses. Before 

 the formation of his stud at Khrenovoya in the govern- 



