The artist happened to be participant in and witness of a few major episodes of the Caucasian war. He was at the assault of Vedeno and Gunib, the two residences of Imam Shamil, and witnessed the capture of the legendary Caucasian leader. 

Subsequently Horschelt made a series of drawings based on his Caucasian memories, while the sketches that he did in Gunib fed into a large canvas about the capture of Shamil, displayed in Munich in 1869, then in Petersburg. Later it was delivered to Maryino to the customer. 

P.S. Gamzatova Dagestan Museum of Fine Arts has on its display Prince Baryatinsky’s Horse of 1861. It is known that Prince Baryatinsky was a passionate lover of horses and repeatedly commissioned “ceremonial portraits” of his pets. Since youth he was a keen bare-back rider and a fan of races for which he acquired the most expensive horses.

Although the painter believed battle scenes to be “the best type of painting”, he was equally good at more intimate works. Horschelt never lost his academic skills, and in Count Baryatinsky’s Horse we see the importance that the artist attached to perfection in drawing and composition. Showing the commander-in-chief’s horse, he renders the setting in great detail and depicts his model thoroughly. The painting is distinguished by accuracy and most fine details. Prince Baryatinsky prized Horschelt’s work for his perfectionism.