232 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



In winter the races are always trotted on Sundays, and on 

 the ice. But two horses are started at a time, and on the 

 opposite sides of the same course, which is but one verst in 

 length. 



The droschka of which Mons. Goujon speaks, 

 although a rather clumsy-looking vehicle to 

 American eyes, is really a very light and easy- 

 running road wagon, weighing only about sev- 

 enty pounds. The verst is 3,500 feet in length, 

 being a fraction less than two-thirds of a mile. 



I have before me, as I write, a statement of 

 the best time made at all distances, in Russia, 

 each year, from 1861 to 1876, inclusive, from 

 which it w T ould appear that no improvement 

 was made in the speed or endurance of the 

 Orloff trotter during the last five years em- 

 braced in this period. The fastest time ever 

 made for one verst was 1:40, by Poitieshnoy, in 

 1869, which rate of speed, if kept up for one 

 mile, would be a very little below 2:31. This 

 rate of speed has never been reached by any 

 other Russian horse the nearest approach to 

 it being 1:42 J. The same horse has the best 

 record at three versts, being 5:00, equal to two 

 miles in 5:01|. This appears to have been an 

 exceptional case, however, as the next best per- 

 formances are three versts in 5:06 once, and 

 5:07 twice. The best time for four and a half 

 versts is 7:52, equal to 7:54| for three miles. 

 For seven and a half versts the best time is 

 13:49, equal to 13:56| for five miles. For thirty 



