Orloff Trotters. 



1^1 



"Smolenska, from a Danish mare, got Vulcan, who was the sire of Barss, out of a Dutch mare. 

 Barss exhibited extraordinary trotting powers ; and all the modern trotters of Russia trace their 

 lineage up to him, and to daughters of Smolenska, out of English and Arab mares. Count Orloff 

 also obtained from England two sons of Eclipse, two sons of Highflyer, and the winners of the 

 St. Leger in 1798 and of the Derby in £794, Tarta and Daedalus, besides many others. The 

 race of trotters thus produced became a distinct type in about thirty years, and, curiously enough, 

 since that period all attempts to improve the breed by fresh blood, whether Arab, English, 



POSTING l.N RUSSIA. 



French, or Dutch, have failed. Count Alexis was most unwilling to sell any of his best sires, 

 and at his death, in 1808, he provided by his will that none should be disposed of In 1845 

 the prohibition was removed, when Government bought from his daughter and heiress the 

 Krenothan .stud ; and now it is calculated that there are no fewer than 1,600 private studs 

 in Russia, with nearly 6,000 stallions, and upwards of 50,000 mares, from whom the Orloff 

 trotters are produced." 



The Orloff trotters are net esteemed as they were formerly, because in harness-horses action 

 is more required than pace, and even in pace they cannot approach American trotters. Besides 

 the Orloff trotters, the Orloff nags or saddle-horses are celebrated. These also descend from 



