Zebras

Daffy Dilly

Daffy Dilly

New Member
Dec 5, 2004
7,934
0
0
Visit site
So, what exactly could you do with a Zebra? Obviously there was racing stripes, but reckon it's really possible to break them as a breed? There will of course be individuals that are more susceptible to the idea.

I'm asking because I saw an advert in Horsedeals for two earlier, and I wanted to know whether they'd just be exciting field ornaments.
 
How odd.

As an exotic wild animal it's not like we can all just go out and buy a zebra. There is legislation relating to keeping a species such as this.

You would need a licence under the dangerous wild animals act and there would also be restriction on the sale/movement of the species. Does seem odd they are for sale in horse deals which is aimed towards the general public.
 
interesting question, i've heard they are "unbreakable" but wouldn't know.
I'm sure they have talent but can't think what they would do in the modern horseworld...
dressage? really can't imagine a zebra showjumping... am i being tunnel visioned?!
 
I dunno, very interesting question! Mind you it cant be impossible! I found a picutre on google. (Attchments)

Love to know if you can!
 

Attachments

  • 1890-zebra-ride2[1].jpeg
    1890-zebra-ride2[1].jpeg
    11.2 KB · Views: 87
I'm sure someone had a photo of a zebra doing dressage before!

I would think you'd need a proper license to keep them with them being exotic animals too
 
I heard something once about their spine not being suited for riding because it sort of arks outwards and that would probably mean they wouldn't have a good jumping style or any natural ability for it seeing as there isn't much to jump out in the middle of Africa but I really do not know.
 
Zebras are wild animals and should be left as such. You cannot fully tame a wild animal.

I know a little of what I am talking about, my grandfather owned a gamepark in Zimbabwe and I have had experience rearing orphaned wildlife, we had a lion for about 3 years living with us until he went back to the park. Actually we had several and you just had to be very careful incase there natural instinct surfaced - which it invariably did.

My uncle often got the orphaned zebras and impala to rear, all were bottlefed and I know the zebra was a wild one who was really really happy to return to the wild.

I was always told as a child that you will kill a zebra if you rode one. I am sure that to a prey animal something jumping on their back is heart attack material and their very instinct will tell them to run. I feel very sorry for them when I see pics of zebras being ridden.:( I guess like our horses they could probably adapt to being ridden, but with a zebra, unlike our horses who gracefully (sometimes) allow us to ride them, do not have years and years of domestication to dull some of the wild instincts.

Our domesticated horse has taken millenia to be domesticated and look at places like Aus (brumbies) USA (mustangs) Namibia (the desert horses) how quickly they adapt back to being wild.

So if I had to opportunity to buy a zebra I would give it a huge paddock with a couple of herd companions and let it be free:)
 
I'm sure you could break in a zebra. Would it be as rideable and happy as a horse? Most likely no. I'll try and find the video i saw a while ago of a zebra doing a hunter course. It didn't look right, not built right i guess.
 
Cupcake said:
I'm sure you could break in a zebra. Would it be as rideable and happy as a horse? Most likely no. I'll try and find the video i saw a while ago of a zebra doing a hunter course. It didn't look right, not built right i guess.
Click to expand...

I think in the case of a Zebra break would be the operative word. They are tough to be able to survive, have to be for their native environment is a dangerous place.
 
I found this picutre:
 

Attachments

  • Dressage%20Zebra.jpg
    Dressage%20Zebra.jpg
    20.9 KB · Views: 78
Just before Christmas I had this conversation with a PR guy who thought he could make money importing ridden Zebras! Mad!

DH did a google search and found a place in Belgium who claimed they were training them.

Fortunatly (for this subject) things happened and its got forgotten. Never sounded right to me!

My Questy's got the Zebra markings on his legs though. ( Thats how the conversation started!)


Just searched and found this picture



cant find the fjord picture I was looking for. Will post it later.

Libbyo :)
 

Attachments

  • zebra.jpg
    zebra.jpg
    4.9 KB · Views: 62
Last edited:
i think i've read that they are tameable, but it's very hard as they're still wild, so the instincts haven't been bred out of them like horses. it's a bit like the difference between a wolf and a dog, or a wildcat and a moggy. even the feral horses we have now have had a long time of some human contact and been selectively bred for temperament as well as conformation to at least some degree.

we saw this chap at whipsnade - he was very handsome
zebra1.jpg


and how cute is this foal!

babygrevyszebra.jpg
 
The British settlers in East Africa tried to tame zebras to ride and to drive, as they are pretty much immune to the tsetse fly, which horses aren't - and although I'm pretty sure I've seen pictures of zebras being driven (in Nairobi, and ages ago!) the attempts were, on the whole, not successful.

If you look at Mehitabels pictures (which look like the highly endangered Grevy's zebra) you can see that the conformation, for riding, is appalling - that upright shoulder would be so uncomfortable! Also they only make about 13 hands or a bit more, so most of us would be severely under-horsed!

Zebra's belong on the African plains... That racing stripes film (like the Harry Potter ones with the owls) is probably going to cause a lot of heart ache, and suffering to animals.

Ross
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back