THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 121 



well as they can against the merciless Boreas, who 

 comes to them unchecked in his course all the way 

 from the pole. To a stranger it is quite harrowing to 

 see the noble animals, in severe weather, in one of 

 these unprotected enclosures. The stallions and the 

 stronger beasts, take possession of the shed ; the timid 

 and feeble stand in groups about the wall, and creep 

 closely together, in order to impart a little warmth to 

 each other. Nor is it from cold that they have most 

 to suffer on these occasions. Early in winter they 

 still find a little autumnal grass under the snow, and 

 the tabunshick scatters a little hay about the stable to 

 help them to amuse the tedious hours of night. The 

 customary improvidence of a Russian establishment, 

 however, seldom allows a sufficient stock of hay, to be 

 laid in for the winter. As the season advances, hay 

 grows scarce, and must be reserved for the more 

 valuable coach and saddle horses, and the tabunshick 

 is obliged to content himself with a portion of the dry 

 reeds and straw stored up for fuel. For these he has 

 soon to battle it with the cook and the stove -heaters, 

 whose interest never fails to outweigh that of the 

 poor taboon horses. These, if the winter last beyond 

 the average term, are often reduced to the thatch of 

 the roofs, and sometimes even eat away one another's 

 tails and manes ; and that in a country where every 



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