"From Easter to October the herds graze day and night in the steppes. In the winter they are sheltered at night by mounds of earth, and a sort of roof, from the north. The stallions and stronger horses take possession of the shed, and the rest stand outside, huddled together. In severe winters, sickness and death overtake them, and those who survive, walk about like specters. But when they eat the young grass, which appears when the snow is melted, they are as wild and mischievous as ever. The stallions seem to consider themselves as the chiefs of the herd; and one of these, by right of strength, is the chief _par excellence_. Sometimes one stallion will have affronted the rest, and all combine to turn him out; and then he will be seen apart from them, with a few mares attending him.[7] Occasionally two herds will fight for right of pasture; the mares and foals keep aloof, the stallions flourish their tails, erect their manes, rattle their hoofs together, and fasten on each other with their teeth; the victorious party carrying off several mares. "In the spring come the wolves, being very fond of young foals; so they constantly prowl round the herds, never attacking them by day if they are numerous; but come at night, and if they are scattered, they make a rush upon their victims. The stallions, however, charge at them; and they take flight only, however, to return and secure a straggling foal, to whose rescue the mother comes, and herself perishes. When this is found out, a terrible battle ensues; the foals are placed in the centre, the mares encircle them, charging the wolves in front; tearing them with their teeth, and trampling them with their fore-feet, always using the latter, and not the hind feet; the stallions rush about, and often kill a wolf with one blow; they then pick up the body with their teeth, and throw it to the mares, who trample upon it till its original form is utterly destroyed. If eight or ten hungry wolves should pull down a stallion, the whole herd will revenge him, and almost always destroy the wolves; who, however, generally try to avoid these great battles, and chase a mare or foal separated from the rest, creep up to them, imitating a watchdog, and wagging their tails, spring at the throat of the mare; and then the foal is carried off. Even this will not always succeed, and if the mare give alarm, the wolf is pursued by herd and keeper, and his only chance of escape is to throw himself head-foremost down the steep sides of a ravine.