Her carriage hadn't got caught in a rut or got stuck in the mud, nor had she been waylayed by highwaymen. Her fancy imperial horses quite literally couldn't stand the pace and refused to budge any further.
Her lover and favorite, Count Grigory Orlov, had to go to the nearest bawdy tavern and harness a set of hardy but unattractive nags onto the imperial coach. Needless to say Catherine, even if rather unceremoniously, arrived at her destination.
After that unglamorous episode, the Empress's favorite started to think how he might breed a pure tsarist thoroughbred which was somewhat more practical.
As luck would have it Count Orlov received a grey Arabian horse from the Sultan of Turkey as a gift. He called it Smetanka and promptly mated him with a pure Dutch mare.
Their resulting colt Bars became the first horse of the Orlov breed -- a pure coach-horse, light and graceful but with stamina -- which could do one and a half versts in three minutes no problem. After that Catherine didn't have problems getting around again.
With the Revolution and coming of Soviet power, horse-breeding ceased to be connected with sport, hobbies and ceremony and stud farms sprang up for quite different reasons -- military.
The horse had taken an active part in the First World War and Civil War and the Soviets came up with a real fighting breed when they mixed a pure-blood with a wild horse from the Don region. The result was the Budyonnovskaya (named after the famous Russian army commander). This breed was perfected and from it other varieties sprung up including the Terskaya.
However by the 1950s horses in warfare went out of fashion and several types of imperial horse became extinct. The Russian cavalry was disbanded despite the fact that famous Soviet breeds like the Kabardinskaya, Budyonnovskaya and Terskaya served in World War II.
Many valuable horses were sent to collective farms for agricultural work and the development of new breeds stopped being a state matter. Under the Communist system horse-riding was a matter only the elite few could indulge in and breeding was not taken seriously. If rich party bosses wanted a horse for riding purposes they were more than likely to buy it from Western countries.
Not surprisingly Western Europe and America have never appreciated the qualities of the good old Russian horse -- its sturdy character and ability to withstand the harsh conditions so peculiar to Russia. The Russian horse has been relegated to almost the same level as the worst Soviet car -- the Zaporozhets.
But this does not mean that Russian horses are really that bad. They have a solid frame and lots of stamina and could produce some interesting results if spliced with breeds popular with Western horse riding enthusiasts.
Over the last few years there have been clear signs that the situation is reversing and the interest in breeding and riding classical horses is making a comeback.
Wealthy Russians are starting to rediscover that having a good horse is a matter of prestige and it seems that the fledgling horse market will soon become highly competitive as breeders and sellers fight to obtain clients.
Now European and American breeders want a slice of the new market in Russia. St Petersburg is preparing to meet this new demand by restructuring stables and rebuilding saunas and rest rooms at indoor riding centers.
Already it's possible to buy a horse through agents at a cost of between $2-$5,000. For less money you can buy a horse if you deal directly with a breeder or stud farm.
No one seems embarrassed by the fact that few Russians can afford to keep a horse in their private stable so many city stables have introduced stabling facilities for rent where the horse will be groomed, fed and exercised. Prices range from 30-50,000 roubles ($6-10) per day.
In St Petersburg several riding schools and centers have sprung up and one of the best is the Kirovsky Riding School.
Boris Zaitsev is the school's director -- the only school in the city that has an enclosed riding hall.
"I've worked with horses for the last 17 years," said Mr Zaitsev, fiddling with a long, disconcerting whip as he spoke. "It's what I like, it's what I know. But it's a business like everything else."
"Eyes forward, Elbows down, Heels in!" he bawls at an unsuspecting novice. The commands sound like an overzealous officer terrifying new recruits and the tall young man screaming the commands could be an officer of the now extinct Russian cavalry.
The school offers riding lessons for people interested in more than a trail ride on a mild whiskery nag that -- like Catherine the Great's horses -- can't be persuaded to trot.
"Russia has always had a strong tradition in dressage," said Mr Zaitsev, referring to classical riding which stresses precision of form.
The Russian school of riding was influenced by the English and French schools, which are more conservative than the Western school. No cowboy hats and spurs here.
Riders at Kirovsky are taught the more classical style of riding -- carefully controlled cantering around the ring, jumping and fancy hoofwork.
The school has 15 horses that students can use, or they can bring their own and board them at the stables on the grounds. Board costs anywhere from $100-160, depending on whether the horse is exercised by a groom or by the owner.
During the summer, most riders spend their time outside the city, and demand calls for a riding hall. However, Mr Zaitsev said that during the colder months, people are understandably thrilled to have an indoor place to practice.
The school does not rent equipment, but Mr Zaitsev said that most riding equipment -- boots, helmets, crops and such -- can be found at a store near the Music Hall by Gorkovskaya Metro Station.
Lessons cost about 50,000 roubles ($10) per session on a school horse, or 25,000 roubles ($5) if you're lucky enough to have your own sitting around somewhere.
Mr Zaitsev seemed to be a fair teacher, if a little tough. "Well done, outstanding," he said after a rider cleared a jump on the fifth attempt.
However, an old groom in the stands wasn't as generous. "Looked like a cow goin' over," he grumbled.
Catherine the Great's love affair bred the Orlov horse.
Riding Schools:
A) Kirovsky Riding School, Kirovsky Stadium Complex (just east of the stadium, Krestovsky Ostrov, 4 Morskoy Prospect); open 9am-Noon and 4-9pm (closed Tues) tel 235-5448.
B) Olgino Motel and Campsite (take the train from Finland Station to Olgino); open daily
10am-Noon and 3-6pm (closed Mon) tel 238-3132.
C) Prostor Park, 20 Krestovsky Ostrov; open 4-8pm (10am-3pm Sun) tel 230-7873.