Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-05-13
Helena, Montana, Thursday, May 13, 1875.
RUSSIAN HORSES.

RUSSIAN HORSES.
A Breed which surpasses the Arabians-
will Carry n Man Eighty Miles in -FOUR
Hours-The Bandits Of the Caucasus
Have Them.
From Review of O. W. Wallis ':The Land of the Car"
The Russian horse is an animal of remarka-
bile Qualities. which are set forth in manner
to make us wish for his better acquaintance.
Fast driving holds pre-eminent place among
the sports of the Russian gentleman. NO
cxpense of trouble is deemed too great 10
CRAFTY his fancy in that respect a gooo
Dair of fast trOtters of favOrltc breed some
times bring as much as Fl 900, price Whlch
is looked upon as stupendous by the author,
who has evidently never heard OF the costly
stud of our turf-compclling toWnsman, Mr..
r. Bonner. These horses arc fine looking
animals, but are only fit for town use
They arc always driven without binders, for
it is the faith of every Russian coachman,
that if you give a horse chance to look
around and examine every object before hlm
he will not shy. The post-horses are un-
matched in the world for swiftness and en-
durance. Another kind OF horse, and de-
voted to peculiar service, is thus described:
'.The Tcherkess of the Great and Little
Kabardah breed, splendid race of horses.
Brought up in the wild steppe, amid dangers
and nightly alarms, its apprehcnsive sagacty
becomes early developed in high degree.
1t is fine animal, with a strong spine, pow
| crful croop and thigh, and great width OF
shoulder and chest the knee caps arc broad,
| the hoof as if formed of iron, head and neck
tolerably light: every thing seems combined
to render them trusty, interchangeable servants
10 man. The Tchetchents, the most feroci-
Gus and determined brigands of the Caucasus
{now fortunately only in small numbers) used
to buy their horses in the Kabardah. They
! pick out the most promising one year olds,
take them home, where they are, 50 to say,
received into the bosom OF the family. They
| receive their food when the latter sits down
to q meal, and they often sit in the same
room The young children will play with
over and about them. What wonder if the
horse becomes almost as wise as his master! !!
The young boys will sometimes mount him
and gallop over the prairies, but no adult
thinks of bestriding him before he has tlnlsh-
| ed his sixth year. His bones have then De-
come firmly developed, bis sinews and feet
are steel, his wind is invincible. He KNOWS
| his masters voice and look-nay, he has even
some notion Of his character. Ills nerves
have from his birth been finely tuned to the
sound of dangers and mysterious enterprise.
|
expedition of risk and unlawful daring. A
whispered word sends him down into the high
steppe weeds or bushes, situated near the
road, at place where the latter is difficult,
where convenient ditch is at hand to receive
a carriage and its human freight. In breath
less silence, both wait for what may turn up.
The ears of the Tchctchentsian Black Bess
silly move to every watt of the light wind,
and, before the man can hear the slightest
sound, he sees by the demeanor Of his steed
that business will soon be at hand. Hark! a
faint sound of the postal bell (fastencd to the
pole of the vehicle) strikes his ear; he feels
of his gun, his pistol, his raZor-edged sword,
the large dagger (kinchal,) and breathlessly
awaits the approach of the travellers. Not
single thought bestowing on the probable
number or quality Of the foe, he stands over
his horse, which slowly gathers his feet up
beneath him. At last the moment for action
has arrived. The carriage is just at the right
distance from the ditch or other accidental
difficulty of the road-a soft touch, and horse
and man are up. With the bound Of tiger
the horse pounces upon the leaders, attacking
them with hoof and tooth. simultaneously
the rider has fired at the driver; mad with
terror the post-borses have jumped off the
road, precipitating the carriage into the hole,
and before its inmates have time to feel for
their rcvolvers they arc eased of at least a
part of their property, and may thank God il
they have not broken neck and limb in their
fall. Before they recover from their fright,
the Tchetchent is already several miles on his
gallop home He has hard ride before
him, and he, rs we'll as his cunning qua
druped, knows it full well; for tomorrow
there will be an inquiry about where Muhan1-
med, or Arssian Bey, or Moussa, were that
night. With calm smile our brigand friend
replies to the Russian Grade -Natchalnik's IS
question: where should | have been but
here? The robbery was committed near the
Akhonkskoy Stanltzi, 12O versts (eighty miles
from here ana what? at 8 O'Clock you say,
why was here at 12, as can prove, and
could not ride that distance in four hours.
The officer, up to Techetchent's tricks, and
anything but satisfied, turns to the steed to
discover from his appearance the effects OF
so severe ride; but the nag is quietly eating
his corn, and looking as contented and play
full as if be knew that his masters safety de.
pended on his brave bearing"
A revival mania in England, a spelling
match in the United States, and now an
equestrian mania in Austro- Hungary. Some
time since an Austrian lieutenant OF cavalry
rode one horse, Caradoc, on q wager, from
Vienna to Paris. He was received in the
latter city as sort of hero; and since that
time the whole Austrian army is getting into
motion up hill and down dale. Another lieu.
tenant rode one horse in eleven days nearly
800 miles, from Kronstadt, in Transylvania,