436 UNGULATA. 



the liquid mash through the interstices until the hay was saturated with 

 moistu-e. He then ate the piece of hay, pulled another lock from the 

 rack, and repeated the process until he had finished his mash. 



THE RUSSIAN HORSE. 



Russia supplies a magnificent race, which combines elegance of 

 proportion, height, size, vigor, and suppleness. Many of this breed are 

 remarkable for their speed in trotting, and they all much resemble the 

 celebrities of the American trotting turf. They are, in all probability, 

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

 Holstein, and England, with some Turkish and Arab blood. 



The Cossack horse is remarkable for its combination of speed and 

 endurance, and it was long supposed to be unrivaled in the possession 

 of these qualities. But the Cossack horse was beaten by horses of 

 English blood in a race "which fairly tested its powers. 



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

 between two Cossack and two English horses. The English horses 

 were Sharper 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 with 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 fourteen 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 which he had gone when running away, and 

 was much distressed. The Calmuck was completely used up, his 

 rider was dismounted, a mere child was put on his back, and a Cossack 

 on horseback on either side dragged him on by ropes attached to his 

 bridle, while others at the side supported him from falling. Ultimately 

 Sharper performed the whole distance in two hours and forty-eight 

 minutes — sixteen miles an hour for three successive hours and the Cos- 

 sack was brought in eight minutes after him. The English horse carried 

 fully forty pounds more than the Cossack. 



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



