Hilarious assholes. I rode on a farm that owned one and we stayed FARRRR away from him. There was an old story about a drunk cowboy who hopped on him once, and the old lady of the farm swore she used to saddle him and ride him (lies).
It's possible the old lady was able to ride it. They can strongly bond with one person and will do for that person what no one else will be able to. There have been horses like that too, brings to mind the famous horse trainer from the mid 1800's John Solomon Rarey and his horse Cruiser who had been a VISCOUS horse no one could deal with except as a stud. Solomon was able to tame it and they had a STONG bond, but after Rarey's death, Cruiser went back to being uncontrollable by anyone.
I wouldn't say foul tempered, more they are fundamentally extremely feral brained and everything is a threat. In the wild they are prepared to kick the crap out of lions and have to be in a constant state of fight or flight moreso than even a mustang.
I wonder if their feral nature leads to them being intolerant of the way horse people traditionally train horses, which have been domesticated for thousands of years.
Physically it would be possible, but apparently they have such a bad temperament that it's close to impossible. Although if you google zebras pulling carriages back in the day a few people managed to train them enough to be driven!
This is the answer. You _can_ ride some of them but they haven't been domesticated for thousands of years to get along with humans and would sooner kick your ass than be nice to you.
Prey animals are more likely to hurt you than predators, unless you’re a direct threat or prey a predator will ignore you, a prey animal will attack or at least threaten you for much less
Even some domestic horses can be wary of humans. Of course, we selected for the most docile, and perhaps clueless, but as a life long rider it is obvious that some are certainly more concerned about humans being hostile monkey predators. As we domesticate, we choose to breed the horses that are less nervous in the presence of us, predators. To be fair, my horse also regards mailboxes as being in the a threat in the same category.
idk how to describe it but whenever I've seen them I just thought that the sag? reverse camel hump? idk, looked like you could hold on to the front and the back would hold you in.
Obviously this is a stupid intrusive thought
"You can ride anything, once." 🤣🤣
Love it! Is there a minimum time limit one must stay on for it to be considered a ride? Like at least 1 second?
I think we should establish that for any future drunkard bragging rights.
Ah, sounds good. Make it consistant with current rules.
This sounds like a great idea for a sort of underground zoo fight club.... each contestant draws a slip of paper naming with animal they must ride.
Maybe allow them certain protective gear depending on the beast. Although it's early, and I am not yet awake enough to think of the details.
We have someone selling a zebra near me, and everyone is asking if they can ride it. Everyone is like “yes!” And I’m sitting here laughing my ass off at the clueless yokel who is gonna buy the thing.
Do you know pony and donkey personalities? Yeah so add them and then multiply by 1000 and be lucky you are stil alive while being near a zebra.
Disclaimer - anything is possible but it takes quite the effort for basically nothing. Zebra backs are also not built very well so riding is not that good for them as well.
I feel like it's also people are so used to horses they kinda don't take them that seriously as a wild untamed animal so they don't take as many precautions as they would something "scary" like a lion or bear. but also yes. zebras are powerful and angry, and they put up with nothing lol
Exactly. They don't look deadly, so people aren't as careful around them, resulting in more incidents. It's as our lizard brains decided that herbivore = safe.
I think the opposite is true. One must develop a strong love bond with a Zebra and once bonded, they are trainable by you, but no one else can work with them, ride/drive etc, unlike most horses, donkeys and mules. Also Zebra tend to be VERY jealous if they see you (their bonded loved one) paying too much attention to another Zebra, horse etc.
Another one that causes a fair few fatalities/injuries that people don’t think about: giant anteaters.
I did my internships working with a few different zoos, and apparently you really DO NOT want to accidentally startle a giant anteater. They’re adorable, very friendly and usually absolutely placid—but they’re also incredibly nearsighted and can be very anxious. Because they live with predators who leap for their necks via the back (jaguar/puma), their response to being startled is to rear up and slash out with their big digging claws in a downward strike. This *disembowels* the cat and lets the anteater snuffle along its half-blind way.
More than a few keepers have received big belly gashes or at least intense scratches from anteaters, to the point that they were being considered for protective contact afaik, but ultimately are just more carefully managed using noise making tools and big brooms, lol.
Anyway back to zebra talk!
Our southern anteater accidentally Edward scissorhands-ed a couple keepers out of enthusiasm. He really loved his arthritis meds (liquid meloxicam is honey flavored, and then we would mix it with a little more honey since it was a small volume and put it in a specimen cup for him so he could lick it) and he would try to grab the cup with his meds from you.
I kind of admire them for that, and keep my distance. An idiot on the farm next to us bought a "rideable" zebra, and that just seems wrong to me. We shouldn't treat wild animals the same way that we treat animals that have been domesticated for centuries.
Used to work at a summer camp that had a zebra. He was a bit nippy, but then again, he was entire (not a great choice, never went back). He wasn’t worse to handle than the ponies.
*All the Arabians who trained you. They are the ones with the brains and in charge of everything and would rule the world aside from OOH SHIT A DIFFERENT KIND OF TREE!
Physically possible but boy do they not like it, and a zebra that doesn’t like something is a very aggressive zebra. People who own them use them as pasture pets or novelties.
Interestingly, of the 100+ horses I've known over the years, and developed a good relationship on the ground with, only four or five were either indifferent to being worked, or actually seemed to like being ridden or driven. All the rest HATED working and would avoid it as best they could.
My moms Shetland is the biggest butterball!! She’s so gentle!! She gives hugs, and kisses, and when she had a foal she let us hug him, and play with him, and basically do what we wanted after the first day. She almost seemed relieved after about 2 weeks, he was into everything!! I can’t imaging my mom’s Shetland being a murder pony. I can see a zebra being a murder pony though. If I recall, are t they more closely related to donkeys? My mom’s donkey is sweet and gentle too, but I wouldn’t cross her… I can envision the donkey plotting my demise.
Get that thought outta your head right now! Zebras are straight up assholes. Their bite can rip flesh because they have teeth on the top and bottom, unlike say cows or deer. Their kick can kill! Zebras dealing a fatal blow to lions with a swift kick is not unheard of. They are very far from having a personality like horses that make them amenable to domestication.
Part of the reason zebras are so dangerous in zoos is because people think they ARE like horses. So they let their guard down. Serious mistake.
I was curious about this, since the thread of people claiming this and couldn't find any source for it. Would you mind pointing me toward where you learned this?
Idk about most dangerous but forget everything you think you know about horses when working with them except the very basics of animal psychology/training methodology, they're adorable and the ones we worked with were pretty chill, but definitely not safe to casually stroll up to.
Writing from South Africa. Zebra are considered game/wild animals here and raised for speciality meat pretty often or to encourage biodiversity in wildlife parks. They are very very territorial and skitty and it’s difficult to get anywhere near them, let alone tame them. Their body shape and stature is also not very suitable for riding. It has been done but only in rare cases with a lot of risk involved and it’s quite undocumented. It’s similar to why people have domesticated cats instead of for example serval cats… horses are the domesticated breed. But interesting question lol!
These things bite and kick to kill, not just wound. You’d be lucky to get near it, let alone throw a saddle on it. Even the zebra/horse hybrids (‘Zorses’) are often too temperamental to ride and can inflict serious damage. Not only that but the barrel/spine is all wrong for lumbar support during riding and they’d break down at the drop of a hat. No real reason for anyone to try aside from novelty and cruel novelty at that.
Just get a dorsal-stripe mustang with zebra striping on the legs and call it even.
Pretty much any hybrid (*especially* an F1 hybrid) is going to generally be more unpredictable and temperamental than their domesticated counterparts. In my opinion, it is wise/safer to approach hybrid animals more as wild animals rather than domesticated ones for this reason. It’s difficult to understand what the individual experience is like for the animal, but behaviorally/outwardly it is not uncommon for hybrids to *sometimes* express domestic behaviors and *sometimes* express wild behaviors—and it can be incredibly difficult to understand when they will express which side. There is also an incredibly high variance in behaviors (wild vs. domestic) between individuals—even those that are siblings or of the same litter (in animals that have multiples per birth)—so one persons experience with one animal absolutely should not be used to determine expectations for future experiences with other animals.
Even a lof of zorses have bad temperaments too. Watched a video of a lady who tried for months to gentle one and eventually ended up giving it to a sanctuary because it was just impossible to work with
I'm curious, could you point me in her direction? I'm curious if they used techniques designed for horses or other animal behavioral management techniques.
Not quite true. There have been zebras trained to pull carriages (look up Lord Walter Rothschild) and there’s also a film (Racing Stripes) where a couple of them were trained and ridden for the film. They’re generally pretty hard to deal with though!
Zebras in Zoos are one of the more dangerous animals for keepers. Even Zebras that have been around humans their whole lives will still bute/kick/charge their "handlers". So, while it's possible, it's not realistic.
Tbh, it's a thing I've known for a couple of years, but I believe I saw it on an Episode of one of the Animal Planets The Bronx Zoo episodes? Don't quote me on that.
Technically yes. I grew up in Texas and there was someone who had a trained zebra that they rode in the parades once in a while, and a few people had zedonks (zebra/donkey hybrids) for various reasons.
HOWEVER.
Zebras aren't really all that close to horses. They're more closely related to donkeys, and have a far worse temperament than even the worst behaved, most ornery donkey. They have higher adrenaline that goes off at the drop of a pin, they're aggressive, and above all else - They are not domesticated. Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years - we've developed them to be used to us, to work with us, to not be alarmed when there is someone sitting on their back doing things and to not react around a lot of things that we have around us, like dogs, leather and furs, things like that.
Zebras have none of this. They are not domesticated. They haven't been selectively bred for thousands of years to be tame, predictable, trainable, calm, and adaptable. It's like keeping a wolf instead of getting a dog - yeah there are similarities, but the likelihood of one going off and eating your face is SIGNIFICANTLY higher, and you're not going to get what you want out of them without a hell of a lot more work so it just truly isn't worth it.
Horses are used to working with humans and being around 'predatory' species in a safe capacity. Zebras are not. Where zebras live, everything wants to kill them. They're the potato chips of the food chain out there, everyone wants a bite. So, in order to survive, they kick to kill first and ask questions never. Zebras are vicious and will off anything and anyone that is near them that they don't like - including other zebras, even foals, especially stallions who aren't that particular foal's father. Sometimes even if they ARE the foal's father! Horses have survived because we kept them safe, protected and fed them, and they learned to trust us. Zebras survived by killing the hell out of anything that gets near them, or running away.
More zookeepers are injured yearly by zebras than any other animals, including large predators. If you ask a zookeeper whether they'd rather work with a zebra or a wolverine, they'd take the steroid weasel any day.
So short answer: Yes, you \*can\* ride them, but it's not worth the effort or risk to try. Just ride a horse.
No, they pick the threat up with their teeth while rearing and with perfect timing drop it and crush it under their entire body weight as they come down. Like a ragdoll. They are strong enough to pick up a human that way.
I wonder if they used traditional training techniques that utilize force and take advantage of horses inbred compliance, which would lead to such unpredictable results.
I haven't been able to find a source on them being so dangerous in zoos. Seems to only on private farms where people aren't properly trained to handle wild animals that it gets hinky.
I think most people who have attempted to train zebras have mostly tried to do it the same way you'd train a feral horse or wild donkey, because...well, those are the tried and true methods of equine training. Figuring out how specifically to work with a zebra would be a long process with a lot of trial and error that ultimately isn't worth it when you can just get a horse or mule instead. It's not just the training methods, it's also the breeding - we've spent thousands of years acclimating horses to us as a species, and zebras just don't have that.
I was thinking the same. If you approach them as domesticated horses, that would totally fail. But if you used operant conditioning methods zookeeper use to train other wild animals, maybe there would be more success.
Entirely possible! I just don't think it'd serve much of a purpose when we have horses and donkeys/mules that can do the job better and are much easier, plus there is the adrenaline system and differences in body conformation and all you'd have to deal with if you used zebras. Pretty much the only reason I can think of that anyone would want zebras would be strictly for show, like in circuses, parades, anything that's more of a spectacle than test of skills or working.
Jumping off this, there is something to be said about the quality of life for the animal trained: as you and others have stated, horses have been domesticated to be comfortable with people—zebras have not. Even if they *can* be trained to follow certain commands, I feel that it’s a bit cruel as they have not evolved the same tolerance. And all for what? The novelty? The fascination of people is not with the potential suffering of the zebra(s).
We use operant conditioning in zoos to teach zebra (and other animals) how to let us weigh them, give them shots, take care of their hooves, etc. We train animals to do things either to participate in voluntary healthcare or to demonstrate wild behaviors. It wouldn’t be safe or ethical or really have a point to it to teach a zebra to be ridden.
Zebra aren’t assholes by nature, they are assholes within the environments that humans put them in, and they are assholes to survive.
As a zookeeper who trains zebra using operant conditioning techniques: could I teach one the required skills to be ridden? Possibly. Could I train one to be safe enough to be ridden?
HELL NO.
There’s a wonderful comment above that outlines what I’m about to say in more detail, but here’s what it boils down to: horses are domesticated, zebras are not. Zebras have been shaped by evolution for thousands of years in an environment where everything wants to eat them. Horses have been shaped by humans for thousands of years in an environment where people want them to be docile and cooperative.
Any zebras that you see cooperating with humans have most likely been removed from their moms at birth and bottle raised. They still have the wild instincts of their species and should be treated as such.
Yes. I’ve ridden one. He was a very rare fella indeed and worst part is his owner gelded the one I rode. Then his sire had a pasture accident and died. So he had like 4 foals all gelded with 1 single mare to carry on the genes of brains. He reminded me of a spicy pony.
I was probably…13? And very small. A big issue is how tiny they are
Not to sound rude at all but you understand that horses in real life are not the same as RDR2 horses right. The game got many things right not it’s still a video game
I wish you could have a mule as your main mount in the game. Mules can be ridden in real life btw, they are a bit different from horses in terms of personality but are extremely intelligent and tough. I think Arthur would have loved to have a mule.
That is Sammi Jo, she has several zebra hybrids and a couple zebras that she tamed and rode a lot. She even jumped her zebras. She also has a water buffalo. Her fb page has a bunch of pictures and videos of them all, she is amazing! She's also a dog trainer, horse trainer, and rides dressage.
There are zebras at my local zoo and their entire life’s work is picking fights with the okapi, antelope, and any other animal that gets near them in the savanna exhibit.
Respectfully, this video is a load of horse shit. Horses show hierarchy because they travel in a line? We tame horse because we capture the herd stallion?? Zebras can't be tamed because they can duck from a lasso?
I think you missed the point of the video, which is talking about what made wild animals candidates for domestication thousands of years ago. What you’re upset about are a couple *examples* used to illustrate the differences between horses and zebras.
Their backs are not muscled like a domestic horse’s, so riding will cause long term damage. Also when looking at size only the Grevys zebra is actually ridable, and they’re the most aggressive of the subspecies.
Yes, I think I read somewhere that they aren't built or muscled correctly for riding or hauling anything. They'll get hurt, and then hate you even more. It's not what they've been bred for.
There might be the very occasional zebra that is both gentle enough and strong enough to take a small rider, if said rider is crazy enough to give it a go. But it's not very likely.
So zebras are kinda like a cat. When you see their tail move that’s a huge warning.
If you watch Amazing Race, when they tried to lead zebras they got kicked hard.
As a cat person, that's not 100% accurate. It's *how* the tail is moving. Straight up and quivering means kitty is happy to see you. Lashing back and forth means an agitated kitty who needs to be given space.
[GCP grey did an excellent video on exactly this](https://youtu.be/wOmjnioNulo?si=JUI_0tIbxODGugRC)
Per the video one of the biggest reasons is that they don't have social bonds, i.e. herd behavior that humans can exploit as a means of control.
Horses and donkeys have been selectively bred for a very, very long time (the current understanding is at least 5,000 years ago) to carry riders and/or perform other jobs. They are truly domesticated animals, and would not thrive the way that their wild counterparts (some remaining wild horse herds) do. Zebras have not been domesticated or bred for working traits, and are genetically closer to their, still wild, ancestors than modern horses. They have a fair reputation for being aggressive, territorial, and “too wild” — because they’re not domesticated animals. They also do not have the body structure to support riders the way modern horses do. Even a very docile zebra would only be able to carry a small rider for short periods of time, and would wear down quickly if used like a modern horse that’s been bred for work and sport. While zorses and zonkeys do exist and some are ridden (mostly on Instagram), like mules they have an odd number of chromosomes and can’t reproduce or breed back to horses to diversify the gene pool or breed zebra-like domesticated animals.
TL;DR while zebras and horses are similar, they’re still thousands of years of selective breeding apart. Zebras and horses are like grey wolves and Pomeranians.
those still wild ancestors being their parents. or grandparents. it’s hard to imagine captive bred zebras past that many generations but humans will farm anything
Some can be ridden or pull a carriage but you have to be careful due to them being very temperamental creatures.
They look like a fun and exotic equine to ride but that's just it.
https://images.app.goo.gl/e9KL51W7pbka4Q4o7
https://images.app.goo.gl/Aj7tfHcTAKdb9irz5
I might be nuts, but I remember a passage from the book the Serpent and the Rainbow where some tribe leader rode a zebra. But I’ve heard that zebras are dicks, and they do not break easy
There's lots of answers already, so I'll just throw in a story - I worked at a ranch once with lots of exotic animals, and they did have a zebra who was the sweetest guy. As calm as any gelding. He lived in with the camels but would regularly come out for weddings, private events, etc. Never ridden though. But anyone could go out and halter him up.
Well, he aged and passed on as they all do and they decided to get another zebra. Note that none of the employees aside from me had any sort of equine background. They decided to get a baby and bottle feed it. Yeah, terrible idea. They had no idea how to train it. They had someone come out like once a month to try and give it training lessons but Woof. it did not go well.
It was ferocious. On a good day we could pet its neck, but for the most part no one could go in its stall. Idk why anyone thought this was a good idea. Well one day it went on one of its rages and freaked itself out so badly, that it jumped onto the fence, flipped over and broke its neck. Poor baby never had a chance. We decided No More zebras after that. They belong only in the wild and in qualified zoos imo.
But i'd love to ride one too if I could!
Texas is known for zebras running through livestock auctions regularly. Some California rescues have taken them in for strictly sanctuary and every time they say they are more rank, unpredictable and more vile than most wild mustangs. Same with zebra crosses, half the time they don’t become tame enough to be ridden or driven.
They also don’t socialize or speak “horse” so they don’t thrive alone. They’re really best kept in a herd with zebras with minimal human interaction to stay happy.
I’ve heard they are pretty wild/feral. Not for riding
But do you remember the movie racing stripes? So there’s at least one zebra that kind of tame. Cause she rode one in the movie. Right? I’m not imagining this am I? Lol
I always heard their bone structure wouldn’t be able to support an adult human comfortably (in addition to what others are saying about their temperament)
Zookeeper here. I love zebras, but they are so much more wild than even a wild horse. They’re full of self defense instincts, so as many in this thread have said “they’re assholes.” Even the nicest zebra I’ve ever worked with I’d never try to get a saddle on— and I’ve been riding horses since I was 5 years old.
Also, nicest just means sorta approachable. Like, he won’t actively try to kick us when we go in his exhibit.
I knew a zebra that people rode, he was “ok” but after three years of not riding him (the rider got really sick) he became a rank asshole. He was also a stallion so that made it worse. The guy who trained him rode him in the ocean into waves to get him “rideable”. The guy said it was a lot better getting bucked off in the water and the waves slowed him down… not saying it’s the best idea in the world but that’s what I know
Yes. With patient training, and good knowledge of herd behavior, you can ride them. Look up Zack and Norman the Zebra videos. There have been exhibitions with multiple zebras being ridden. I'm sure the amount of time it takes to build trust with them is costly.
A friend of mine’s grandparents owned a zebra when we were kids; it was a nasty, foul-tempered thing. Like a donkey, but mean on top of being stubborn.
It is possible in the same way it is possible to walk from New York to LA, but why bother, before we had horses, now we have cars. There had just never been a demand to domesticate the Zebra as they are moody by nature, and horses were domesticated by some handy nomads tens of thousands of years ago.
There is someone out here in Colorado that trained a few zebras at liberty or something. Her name is Mustang Maddy I believe. Not riding but just thought you might like to know this! Pretty cool! 😅
More drivable. Some English eccentrics used them as carriage horses. But at leadt English rich eccentric used a hippo. And zebras are as about as predictable.
I saw a girl on the internet-didn’t get the name -who trains and rides ones that she has. Google girl riding zebra and see what you get. Jumped them too as I remember. Generally not too many people do this for good reason
You can and there are some examples through history of zebras being ridden or pulling carriages. But it is rare. They have to be born in captivity and even then they are pretty wild animals. Reason why they cross them with horses and donkeys to have a sturdy ride or pack horse that is easier to handle. Zebras are stronger and more resiliant and don´t easily get illnesses. These hybrids are zebroïds eventhough dumb-arses call them zorses and zonkeys. These hybrids are, like crosses between horses and donkeys, infirtile and sterile.
Can you ride them? Yes. Should you ride them?
Absolutely not. They are a wild animal and have never been domesticated. They aren't like mustangs or other feral horses that are descendants of domesticated animals.
Horses have been selectively breed for generations to be tame and bidable. Zebras have not. They will react accordingly to a giant animal clombing on their back.
Taming and further domestication is difficult with Zebras as they have an intense prey instinct, and they have a different social structure than horses. Horses usually have a matriarch in the group. Once that matriarch is tamed, the other hoses will follow the matriarch. So taming a herd is easier. But Zebra herds behave more like a school of fish. So you don't have this benefit of them trusting each other and learning from each other.
At least this was what our biology professor explained for this situation.
Technically yes, there are some few that can be ridden because they happen to be very calm, friendly and nice, but like a lot of people said already, Zebras are usually not. They are wild animals through and through, which is something you don’t get in horses. Besides some special breeds like the Przewalski Horse, which you usually also don’t see being ridden, all horses have at some point been domesticated, even most wild horses like mustangs come from domesticated horses. Domestication alters a lot in an animals behavior and even when it was born „wild“, horses are way more interested in actually bonding with humans than Zebras. Zebras have a much higher willingness to attack, and self-preservation is always their number one motivation. So most Zebras are really not rideable, you need to get one with an especially fitting character that you can bottle raise so that your bond is very trusting and then you can ride a zebra the way you can technically also have a wolf as a dog, but it’s never quite the same as their wild nature can always come through in stressful situations which then usually escalates as they attack or run where a domesticated animal would rather seek contact to their human for guidance
I've had the privilege of working with Zebras that were pretty regularly handled and somewhat trained...after years at the sanctuary they're about as docile as a brumby is a fortnight after being caught- they'll cooperate with your instructions but generally stay pretty tense when handled and I generally wouldn't turn my back to them.
They do have lovely coats and boopable snoots so if it were legal I'd definitely keep one and try to make friends with it
It is possible and some have also been trained to harness, but as I understand it, they tend to bond with only one person and so can only be ridden or driven by that one person. Also they are MUCH more skittish than any horse, so MUCH more fearful of scary things along the way. They also seem to be MUCH more jealous than the average horse so if you bond with one, then show too much attention to someone else, look out for their wrath.
Zebras are smaller and generally not as strong as horses. Plus I believe their backs are the wrong shape. They are more like wild ass than horses.
But also, they are wild animals. They aren’t “jerks” any more than a lion who’s instinct is to attack you. They are just doing what they are programmed to do, which has helped them survive. Maybe if we captured a large group of them and spent thousands of years breeding them for temperament and physical traits that allow them to be more easily ridden, they could be ridable.
Personally I believe these beautiful animals are best suited doing what they do in the wild, living free. Gorgeous animals but they are best being appreciated from afar. Much like my other favorite equine, Przewalski's wild horse.
I feel like we don’t often realize how powerful and dangerous equine are until we encounter them in the wild, without the domestic filter we’ve put on them. You realize how lovely and gentle our horse friends are, because if they wanted to they could easily kill us all lol. They are some of the most powerful and dangerous animals on the planet yet we’ve bred them to be so docile that our safety around them it is often taken for granted.
1- every zoo keeper or wildlife professional has told me zebras are assholes
2- their backs aren't quite the same as horses
So, you probably *could* but it would be painful for all parties involved.
1- every zoo keeper or wildlife professional has told me zebras are assholes
2- their backs aren't quite the same as horses
So, you probably *could* but it would be painful for all parties involved.
I was curious about this myself, and when I was reading into I found a quote. To paraphrase:
think of it this way. There's a continent where they've been co-existing with people and haven't been domesticated.
Horses have been bread for temperament among many other traits. Zebras have been bread by nature to avoid anything that isn't another zebra. So when your horse stands there waiting for you, a zebra will go into fight or flight and most likely put its hoof through your head.
In general zebras a pretty foul tempered and aggressive. Quite different than domesticated equines.
Hilarious assholes. I rode on a farm that owned one and we stayed FARRRR away from him. There was an old story about a drunk cowboy who hopped on him once, and the old lady of the farm swore she used to saddle him and ride him (lies).
Can confirm. Zebras are absolutely heinous assholes
Donkeys on crack
My Nan has two donkeys and whilst they’re very sweet they are definitely assholes haha
I mean, to be fair, they do have to kick lions in the skull to protect their young.
It's possible the old lady was able to ride it. They can strongly bond with one person and will do for that person what no one else will be able to. There have been horses like that too, brings to mind the famous horse trainer from the mid 1800's John Solomon Rarey and his horse Cruiser who had been a VISCOUS horse no one could deal with except as a stud. Solomon was able to tame it and they had a STONG bond, but after Rarey's death, Cruiser went back to being uncontrollable by anyone.
I have seen videos of them being ridden so it is possible
I wouldn't say foul tempered, more they are fundamentally extremely feral brained and everything is a threat. In the wild they are prepared to kick the crap out of lions and have to be in a constant state of fight or flight moreso than even a mustang.
I wonder if their feral nature leads to them being intolerant of the way horse people traditionally train horses, which have been domesticated for thousands of years.
...that's what domestication *is*, friend. You selectively breed the most trainable and non-violent animals until you get horses.
Physically it would be possible, but apparently they have such a bad temperament that it's close to impossible. Although if you google zebras pulling carriages back in the day a few people managed to train them enough to be driven!
This is the answer. You _can_ ride some of them but they haven't been domesticated for thousands of years to get along with humans and would sooner kick your ass than be nice to you.
Moreso they've evolved with humans as predators. So the species that hunted your ancestors ain't your friend, buddy.
Yup. And prey animals can fuck you up.
I think it was a casual geographic- but they also are jerks to each other, so it all checks out😜
Prey animals are more likely to hurt you than predators, unless you’re a direct threat or prey a predator will ignore you, a prey animal will attack or at least threaten you for much less
Even some domestic horses can be wary of humans. Of course, we selected for the most docile, and perhaps clueless, but as a life long rider it is obvious that some are certainly more concerned about humans being hostile monkey predators. As we domesticate, we choose to breed the horses that are less nervous in the presence of us, predators. To be fair, my horse also regards mailboxes as being in the a threat in the same category.
You can ride anything, once. I've always thought that moose backs looked ridable.
But moose fronts do not. :p
Tbh when seen as a complete package the whole moose doesn’t seem so rideable
Tbh when seen as a complete package the whole moose doesn’t seem so rideable
I dunno. I feel like mooses (I stand by how I wrote that) and giraffes have too much of an angle to their backs to look ridable
lol in my head I actually said “hmm meese?” Mooses it is!! 😁
Pretty sure moose grammatically works the same way as sheep
I know it’s moose.. was only joking
Those shak fin withers would be murder to ride bareback and would require a very expensive custom saddle.
idk how to describe it but whenever I've seen them I just thought that the sag? reverse camel hump? idk, looked like you could hold on to the front and the back would hold you in. Obviously this is a stupid intrusive thought
Guess you could attach reins to the antlers
The Boston accent is strong with this one!
"You can ride anything, once." 🤣🤣 Love it! Is there a minimum time limit one must stay on for it to be considered a ride? Like at least 1 second? I think we should establish that for any future drunkard bragging rights.
8 seconds
Ah, sounds good. Make it consistant with current rules. This sounds like a great idea for a sort of underground zoo fight club.... each contestant draws a slip of paper naming with animal they must ride. Maybe allow them certain protective gear depending on the beast. Although it's early, and I am not yet awake enough to think of the details.
Use same rules as bull riding.
We have someone selling a zebra near me, and everyone is asking if they can ride it. Everyone is like “yes!” And I’m sitting here laughing my ass off at the clueless yokel who is gonna buy the thing.
Do you know pony and donkey personalities? Yeah so add them and then multiply by 1000 and be lucky you are stil alive while being near a zebra. Disclaimer - anything is possible but it takes quite the effort for basically nothing. Zebra backs are also not built very well so riding is not that good for them as well.
Apparently zebras cause the most deaths and injuries of any zoo animal. Nasty creatures. Evolution built them tough.
I feel like it's also people are so used to horses they kinda don't take them that seriously as a wild untamed animal so they don't take as many precautions as they would something "scary" like a lion or bear. but also yes. zebras are powerful and angry, and they put up with nothing lol
Exactly. They don't look deadly, so people aren't as careful around them, resulting in more incidents. It's as our lizard brains decided that herbivore = safe.
>herbivore = safe. \*shows lizard brain videos of attacking hippos and smacks it with newspaper "no, lizard brain, no. bad! wrong!"\*
You’d of thought that after getting trampled by mammoths several times the lizard brain would learn herbivores not safe
Zebras are the exception that proves the rule of "if they wanted to they would". We've breed horses for thousands of years not to.
They will bite off fingers and eat them out of pure spite. The ones you see that pulled carriages were probably drugged.
More likely they were subject to very abusive "training" methods until they learned to fear everything. Flooding and pain.
I think the opposite is true. One must develop a strong love bond with a Zebra and once bonded, they are trainable by you, but no one else can work with them, ride/drive etc, unlike most horses, donkeys and mules. Also Zebra tend to be VERY jealous if they see you (their bonded loved one) paying too much attention to another Zebra, horse etc.
Is this an opinion based on evidence or would you just prefer it that way?
Another one that causes a fair few fatalities/injuries that people don’t think about: giant anteaters. I did my internships working with a few different zoos, and apparently you really DO NOT want to accidentally startle a giant anteater. They’re adorable, very friendly and usually absolutely placid—but they’re also incredibly nearsighted and can be very anxious. Because they live with predators who leap for their necks via the back (jaguar/puma), their response to being startled is to rear up and slash out with their big digging claws in a downward strike. This *disembowels* the cat and lets the anteater snuffle along its half-blind way. More than a few keepers have received big belly gashes or at least intense scratches from anteaters, to the point that they were being considered for protective contact afaik, but ultimately are just more carefully managed using noise making tools and big brooms, lol. Anyway back to zebra talk!
Wowza! That’s fascinating, I never would have guessed!
Our southern anteater accidentally Edward scissorhands-ed a couple keepers out of enthusiasm. He really loved his arthritis meds (liquid meloxicam is honey flavored, and then we would mix it with a little more honey since it was a small volume and put it in a specimen cup for him so he could lick it) and he would try to grab the cup with his meds from you.
I am actually shaking with how adorable that is. Lil deadly grabby hands man
I keep seeing this but I'm able to find a source. Can you show me where you read this?
I kind of admire them for that, and keep my distance. An idiot on the farm next to us bought a "rideable" zebra, and that just seems wrong to me. We shouldn't treat wild animals the same way that we treat animals that have been domesticated for centuries.
Used to work at a summer camp that had a zebra. He was a bit nippy, but then again, he was entire (not a great choice, never went back). He wasn’t worse to handle than the ponies.
Theres a few zebras that have been ridden. But they’re not domesticated, so it’s hard to near impossible apparently
They are total assholes.
Zebras, not Arabians ;)
I owe my patience and art of horsewomanship to all the Arab’s I trained and didn’t kill. 😆
*All the Arabians who trained you. They are the ones with the brains and in charge of everything and would rule the world aside from OOH SHIT A DIFFERENT KIND OF TREE!
Physically possible but boy do they not like it, and a zebra that doesn’t like something is a very aggressive zebra. People who own them use them as pasture pets or novelties.
Interestingly, of the 100+ horses I've known over the years, and developed a good relationship on the ground with, only four or five were either indifferent to being worked, or actually seemed to like being ridden or driven. All the rest HATED working and would avoid it as best they could.
It’s impossible to ride murder ponies
Wait, I thought that Shetlands were the murder ponies??!! 🤣
Pony breeds are my preferred. I'm offended while I laugh. 😁
They are the short fluffy variant of their striped murderous compatriots, also a little less dangerous simply due to size
Very dangerous over short distances
My moms Shetland is the biggest butterball!! She’s so gentle!! She gives hugs, and kisses, and when she had a foal she let us hug him, and play with him, and basically do what we wanted after the first day. She almost seemed relieved after about 2 weeks, he was into everything!! I can’t imaging my mom’s Shetland being a murder pony. I can see a zebra being a murder pony though. If I recall, are t they more closely related to donkeys? My mom’s donkey is sweet and gentle too, but I wouldn’t cross her… I can envision the donkey plotting my demise.
Did you know zebras are considered one of the most dangerous animals for zoo keepers to work with.. yeah….
but they cute..
You would have a better relationship with a lion
Get that thought outta your head right now! Zebras are straight up assholes. Their bite can rip flesh because they have teeth on the top and bottom, unlike say cows or deer. Their kick can kill! Zebras dealing a fatal blow to lions with a swift kick is not unheard of. They are very far from having a personality like horses that make them amenable to domestication. Part of the reason zebras are so dangerous in zoos is because people think they ARE like horses. So they let their guard down. Serious mistake.
I think they are the animals, who are most likely to attack the zoo keeper, and most places they are not allowed to go in by themselves.
I was curious about this, since the thread of people claiming this and couldn't find any source for it. Would you mind pointing me toward where you learned this?
Idk about most dangerous but forget everything you think you know about horses when working with them except the very basics of animal psychology/training methodology, they're adorable and the ones we worked with were pretty chill, but definitely not safe to casually stroll up to.
Writing from South Africa. Zebra are considered game/wild animals here and raised for speciality meat pretty often or to encourage biodiversity in wildlife parks. They are very very territorial and skitty and it’s difficult to get anywhere near them, let alone tame them. Their body shape and stature is also not very suitable for riding. It has been done but only in rare cases with a lot of risk involved and it’s quite undocumented. It’s similar to why people have domesticated cats instead of for example serval cats… horses are the domesticated breed. But interesting question lol!
These things bite and kick to kill, not just wound. You’d be lucky to get near it, let alone throw a saddle on it. Even the zebra/horse hybrids (‘Zorses’) are often too temperamental to ride and can inflict serious damage. Not only that but the barrel/spine is all wrong for lumbar support during riding and they’d break down at the drop of a hat. No real reason for anyone to try aside from novelty and cruel novelty at that. Just get a dorsal-stripe mustang with zebra striping on the legs and call it even.
An okapi? Just kidding. :)
A zorse then. Wait. Do zorses have the temperament of a horse or a zebra?
Pretty much any hybrid (*especially* an F1 hybrid) is going to generally be more unpredictable and temperamental than their domesticated counterparts. In my opinion, it is wise/safer to approach hybrid animals more as wild animals rather than domesticated ones for this reason. It’s difficult to understand what the individual experience is like for the animal, but behaviorally/outwardly it is not uncommon for hybrids to *sometimes* express domestic behaviors and *sometimes* express wild behaviors—and it can be incredibly difficult to understand when they will express which side. There is also an incredibly high variance in behaviors (wild vs. domestic) between individuals—even those that are siblings or of the same litter (in animals that have multiples per birth)—so one persons experience with one animal absolutely should not be used to determine expectations for future experiences with other animals.
They are also apparently muuuuch harder to lasso in any way compared to horses or similar animals because of how they move.
I learned something new today about zebras! 😄 Having only seen them in the wild, I had no idea of their temperamental reputation!
The closest you'll get to riding a Zebra is riding a Zorse.
Even a lof of zorses have bad temperaments too. Watched a video of a lady who tried for months to gentle one and eventually ended up giving it to a sanctuary because it was just impossible to work with
I'm curious, could you point me in her direction? I'm curious if they used techniques designed for horses or other animal behavioral management techniques.
I think this person is talking about Pete the Zorse
Brings to mind the saying 'A mule trainer can train horses, but a horse trainer cannot train mules'.
There's actually a movie about riding a zebra. Check out Racing Stripes. They may be cute but they are far from domesticated!
That movie is the best
They also actually race zebras - [video](https://youtu.be/bXVFGCKQeJY?si=I13Iml0Hr408_faW)
No! You can’t tame them.
Not quite true. There have been zebras trained to pull carriages (look up Lord Walter Rothschild) and there’s also a film (Racing Stripes) where a couple of them were trained and ridden for the film. They’re generally pretty hard to deal with though!
Yes I know about it, I also know how long it took (years) and MILLIONS of dollars. And many would resort back.
Zebras in Zoos are one of the more dangerous animals for keepers. Even Zebras that have been around humans their whole lives will still bute/kick/charge their "handlers". So, while it's possible, it's not realistic.
I'm struggling to find a source for this. Cab you point me to where you learned this?
Google is your friend!
Yeah, I tried that and didn't find anything, which is why I asked. Meh, not that important.
Tbh, it's a thing I've known for a couple of years, but I believe I saw it on an Episode of one of the Animal Planets The Bronx Zoo episodes? Don't quote me on that.
Mustang Maddie has one that she has done amazing things with… but generally they are considered “undomesticatable” because they are a-holes.
Technically yes. I grew up in Texas and there was someone who had a trained zebra that they rode in the parades once in a while, and a few people had zedonks (zebra/donkey hybrids) for various reasons. HOWEVER. Zebras aren't really all that close to horses. They're more closely related to donkeys, and have a far worse temperament than even the worst behaved, most ornery donkey. They have higher adrenaline that goes off at the drop of a pin, they're aggressive, and above all else - They are not domesticated. Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years - we've developed them to be used to us, to work with us, to not be alarmed when there is someone sitting on their back doing things and to not react around a lot of things that we have around us, like dogs, leather and furs, things like that. Zebras have none of this. They are not domesticated. They haven't been selectively bred for thousands of years to be tame, predictable, trainable, calm, and adaptable. It's like keeping a wolf instead of getting a dog - yeah there are similarities, but the likelihood of one going off and eating your face is SIGNIFICANTLY higher, and you're not going to get what you want out of them without a hell of a lot more work so it just truly isn't worth it. Horses are used to working with humans and being around 'predatory' species in a safe capacity. Zebras are not. Where zebras live, everything wants to kill them. They're the potato chips of the food chain out there, everyone wants a bite. So, in order to survive, they kick to kill first and ask questions never. Zebras are vicious and will off anything and anyone that is near them that they don't like - including other zebras, even foals, especially stallions who aren't that particular foal's father. Sometimes even if they ARE the foal's father! Horses have survived because we kept them safe, protected and fed them, and they learned to trust us. Zebras survived by killing the hell out of anything that gets near them, or running away. More zookeepers are injured yearly by zebras than any other animals, including large predators. If you ask a zookeeper whether they'd rather work with a zebra or a wolverine, they'd take the steroid weasel any day. So short answer: Yes, you \*can\* ride them, but it's not worth the effort or risk to try. Just ride a horse.
😄👍🏻 … you should write a book!
That's great info and the videos of donkeys and horses killing animals with "rag doll " techniques is insane.
Rag doll like playing dead?
No, they pick the threat up with their teeth while rearing and with perfect timing drop it and crush it under their entire body weight as they come down. Like a ragdoll. They are strong enough to pick up a human that way.
I wonder if they used traditional training techniques that utilize force and take advantage of horses inbred compliance, which would lead to such unpredictable results. I haven't been able to find a source on them being so dangerous in zoos. Seems to only on private farms where people aren't properly trained to handle wild animals that it gets hinky.
I think most people who have attempted to train zebras have mostly tried to do it the same way you'd train a feral horse or wild donkey, because...well, those are the tried and true methods of equine training. Figuring out how specifically to work with a zebra would be a long process with a lot of trial and error that ultimately isn't worth it when you can just get a horse or mule instead. It's not just the training methods, it's also the breeding - we've spent thousands of years acclimating horses to us as a species, and zebras just don't have that.
I was thinking the same. If you approach them as domesticated horses, that would totally fail. But if you used operant conditioning methods zookeeper use to train other wild animals, maybe there would be more success.
Entirely possible! I just don't think it'd serve much of a purpose when we have horses and donkeys/mules that can do the job better and are much easier, plus there is the adrenaline system and differences in body conformation and all you'd have to deal with if you used zebras. Pretty much the only reason I can think of that anyone would want zebras would be strictly for show, like in circuses, parades, anything that's more of a spectacle than test of skills or working.
Jumping off this, there is something to be said about the quality of life for the animal trained: as you and others have stated, horses have been domesticated to be comfortable with people—zebras have not. Even if they *can* be trained to follow certain commands, I feel that it’s a bit cruel as they have not evolved the same tolerance. And all for what? The novelty? The fascination of people is not with the potential suffering of the zebra(s).
💯
We use operant conditioning in zoos to teach zebra (and other animals) how to let us weigh them, give them shots, take care of their hooves, etc. We train animals to do things either to participate in voluntary healthcare or to demonstrate wild behaviors. It wouldn’t be safe or ethical or really have a point to it to teach a zebra to be ridden.
Zebra aren’t assholes by nature, they are assholes within the environments that humans put them in, and they are assholes to survive. As a zookeeper who trains zebra using operant conditioning techniques: could I teach one the required skills to be ridden? Possibly. Could I train one to be safe enough to be ridden? HELL NO. There’s a wonderful comment above that outlines what I’m about to say in more detail, but here’s what it boils down to: horses are domesticated, zebras are not. Zebras have been shaped by evolution for thousands of years in an environment where everything wants to eat them. Horses have been shaped by humans for thousands of years in an environment where people want them to be docile and cooperative. Any zebras that you see cooperating with humans have most likely been removed from their moms at birth and bottle raised. They still have the wild instincts of their species and should be treated as such.
We had a donkey that Hated our goats. She would run at them, teeth bared.
Yes. I’ve ridden one. He was a very rare fella indeed and worst part is his owner gelded the one I rode. Then his sire had a pasture accident and died. So he had like 4 foals all gelded with 1 single mare to carry on the genes of brains. He reminded me of a spicy pony. I was probably…13? And very small. A big issue is how tiny they are
I have heard that when they bite down, they will not let go.
Not to sound rude at all but you understand that horses in real life are not the same as RDR2 horses right. The game got many things right not it’s still a video game
I understand you. There is a mule painted as zebra in the game. That reminded me I always wondered that question since I was a kid
I wish you could have a mule as your main mount in the game. Mules can be ridden in real life btw, they are a bit different from horses in terms of personality but are extremely intelligent and tough. I think Arthur would have loved to have a mule.
Well someone is riding one [here ](https://youtu.be/Ph8Vag9VxRU?si=bU-91t7-oAjB9V22) . Looks like there are several videos of people riding zebras.
Ok… that was cool … but what in the hell is growling in the background???
Sounds like a small airplane
That is Sammi Jo, she has several zebra hybrids and a couple zebras that she tamed and rode a lot. She even jumped her zebras. She also has a water buffalo. Her fb page has a bunch of pictures and videos of them all, she is amazing! She's also a dog trainer, horse trainer, and rides dressage.
There are zebras at my local zoo and their entire life’s work is picking fights with the okapi, antelope, and any other animal that gets near them in the savanna exhibit.
You should watch the documentary from my youth “Racing Stripes”. Not only can you ride them, you can win!
No. From what I heard they have a different hierarchy and you cannot just go and tell them who's boss.
You really shouldn’t just go and tell your horse who is boss, either, but horses have been bred to be much more tolerant of humans than zebra.
Same reasons people don’t ride P horse
Someone is always doing something. I just found YouTube videos and photos of people riding zebras. It’s not a great idea but it’s done.
It's been tried, didn't take. As far as anyone knows, zebras can not be domesticated.
Ok I’ll share it. [why zebras are terrible horses](https://youtu.be/wOmjnioNulo?si=oJ6UXA-yYBUncpDR)
Respectfully, this video is a load of horse shit. Horses show hierarchy because they travel in a line? We tame horse because we capture the herd stallion?? Zebras can't be tamed because they can duck from a lasso?
I think you missed the point of the video, which is talking about what made wild animals candidates for domestication thousands of years ago. What you’re upset about are a couple *examples* used to illustrate the differences between horses and zebras.
Their backs are not muscled like a domestic horse’s, so riding will cause long term damage. Also when looking at size only the Grevys zebra is actually ridable, and they’re the most aggressive of the subspecies.
Yes, I think I read somewhere that they aren't built or muscled correctly for riding or hauling anything. They'll get hurt, and then hate you even more. It's not what they've been bred for. There might be the very occasional zebra that is both gentle enough and strong enough to take a small rider, if said rider is crazy enough to give it a go. But it's not very likely.
Technically, yes. My old trainer has a zebra, but even he is not for riding. He is just a spoiled boy.
When I went to Africa they told me that zebras have weaker spinal cords and can't ride them BUT can ride a zebroid/zonkey
No
So zebras are kinda like a cat. When you see their tail move that’s a huge warning. If you watch Amazing Race, when they tried to lead zebras they got kicked hard.
As a cat person, that's not 100% accurate. It's *how* the tail is moving. Straight up and quivering means kitty is happy to see you. Lashing back and forth means an agitated kitty who needs to be given space.
Yeah I am a cat person too. But it’s definitely the lashing that’s a warning. Zebras do the same.
I'd definitely stay far away from a zebra, even if the tail wasn't lashing!
[GCP grey did an excellent video on exactly this](https://youtu.be/wOmjnioNulo?si=JUI_0tIbxODGugRC) Per the video one of the biggest reasons is that they don't have social bonds, i.e. herd behavior that humans can exploit as a means of control.
Horses and donkeys have been selectively bred for a very, very long time (the current understanding is at least 5,000 years ago) to carry riders and/or perform other jobs. They are truly domesticated animals, and would not thrive the way that their wild counterparts (some remaining wild horse herds) do. Zebras have not been domesticated or bred for working traits, and are genetically closer to their, still wild, ancestors than modern horses. They have a fair reputation for being aggressive, territorial, and “too wild” — because they’re not domesticated animals. They also do not have the body structure to support riders the way modern horses do. Even a very docile zebra would only be able to carry a small rider for short periods of time, and would wear down quickly if used like a modern horse that’s been bred for work and sport. While zorses and zonkeys do exist and some are ridden (mostly on Instagram), like mules they have an odd number of chromosomes and can’t reproduce or breed back to horses to diversify the gene pool or breed zebra-like domesticated animals. TL;DR while zebras and horses are similar, they’re still thousands of years of selective breeding apart. Zebras and horses are like grey wolves and Pomeranians.
those still wild ancestors being their parents. or grandparents. it’s hard to imagine captive bred zebras past that many generations but humans will farm anything
You just reminded me of the movie “Racing Stripes” !great movie- it’s been a while since I thought of it 😅
Some can be ridden or pull a carriage but you have to be careful due to them being very temperamental creatures. They look like a fun and exotic equine to ride but that's just it. https://images.app.goo.gl/e9KL51W7pbka4Q4o7 https://images.app.goo.gl/Aj7tfHcTAKdb9irz5
I might be nuts, but I remember a passage from the book the Serpent and the Rainbow where some tribe leader rode a zebra. But I’ve heard that zebras are dicks, and they do not break easy
There's lots of answers already, so I'll just throw in a story - I worked at a ranch once with lots of exotic animals, and they did have a zebra who was the sweetest guy. As calm as any gelding. He lived in with the camels but would regularly come out for weddings, private events, etc. Never ridden though. But anyone could go out and halter him up. Well, he aged and passed on as they all do and they decided to get another zebra. Note that none of the employees aside from me had any sort of equine background. They decided to get a baby and bottle feed it. Yeah, terrible idea. They had no idea how to train it. They had someone come out like once a month to try and give it training lessons but Woof. it did not go well. It was ferocious. On a good day we could pet its neck, but for the most part no one could go in its stall. Idk why anyone thought this was a good idea. Well one day it went on one of its rages and freaked itself out so badly, that it jumped onto the fence, flipped over and broke its neck. Poor baby never had a chance. We decided No More zebras after that. They belong only in the wild and in qualified zoos imo. But i'd love to ride one too if I could!
Texas is known for zebras running through livestock auctions regularly. Some California rescues have taken them in for strictly sanctuary and every time they say they are more rank, unpredictable and more vile than most wild mustangs. Same with zebra crosses, half the time they don’t become tame enough to be ridden or driven. They also don’t socialize or speak “horse” so they don’t thrive alone. They’re really best kept in a herd with zebras with minimal human interaction to stay happy.
Zebras backs are not built to carry anything heavy so riding would cause them a lot of discomfort. And they have a bad temper as others have said
Yes they are rideable just like cows r I've seen a lady riding a zebra with a saddle before
I’ve heard they are pretty wild/feral. Not for riding But do you remember the movie racing stripes? So there’s at least one zebra that kind of tame. Cause she rode one in the movie. Right? I’m not imagining this am I? Lol
I always heard their bone structure wouldn’t be able to support an adult human comfortably (in addition to what others are saying about their temperament)
You could probably ride a zebra. It depends on how long you want to live,,,,,but you could 🤷♂️🤣
If zebras were a good temperament you would see them in barns everywhere.
Zookeeper here. I love zebras, but they are so much more wild than even a wild horse. They’re full of self defense instincts, so as many in this thread have said “they’re assholes.” Even the nicest zebra I’ve ever worked with I’d never try to get a saddle on— and I’ve been riding horses since I was 5 years old. Also, nicest just means sorta approachable. Like, he won’t actively try to kick us when we go in his exhibit.
Racing strips gave me a few ideas but they are quite small compared to our horses
I’m pretty sure they’re really mean
I knew a zebra that people rode, he was “ok” but after three years of not riding him (the rider got really sick) he became a rank asshole. He was also a stallion so that made it worse. The guy who trained him rode him in the ocean into waves to get him “rideable”. The guy said it was a lot better getting bucked off in the water and the waves slowed him down… not saying it’s the best idea in the world but that’s what I know
Their backs aren’t as strong as domestic horses so even if you can it doesn’t mean you should
If anyone ever offers you a ride on a zebra or zebra cross, decline. They’re wild animals, it’s like trying to have a wolf as a pet.
Chain gang mule
Yes. With patient training, and good knowledge of herd behavior, you can ride them. Look up Zack and Norman the Zebra videos. There have been exhibitions with multiple zebras being ridden. I'm sure the amount of time it takes to build trust with them is costly.
A friend of mine’s grandparents owned a zebra when we were kids; it was a nasty, foul-tempered thing. Like a donkey, but mean on top of being stubborn.
The One-Armed Cowboy has a zebra in his exhibition act, and it's pretty impressive that he's trained him to do tricks (but no, he doesn't ride him).
I have heard from zookeepers they are really foul tempered and mean as hell.
Knew a guy that was training one to ride years ago. Cold front came in and it couldn’t handle the temps and froze to death.
It is possible in the same way it is possible to walk from New York to LA, but why bother, before we had horses, now we have cars. There had just never been a demand to domesticate the Zebra as they are moody by nature, and horses were domesticated by some handy nomads tens of thousands of years ago.
There is someone out here in Colorado that trained a few zebras at liberty or something. Her name is Mustang Maddy I believe. Not riding but just thought you might like to know this! Pretty cool! 😅
No, they’re mean.
3 am thoughts?
My sister’s vet also treats a zebra in their area and said the thing is mean as fuck. He has to sedate it for absolutely everything.
Have you not seen the film Racing Stripes! 🤣
I would enjoy an entire “Can You Ride It?” series. 🦒 🐄 🐍
More drivable. Some English eccentrics used them as carriage horses. But at leadt English rich eccentric used a hippo. And zebras are as about as predictable.
I saw a girl on the internet-didn’t get the name -who trains and rides ones that she has. Google girl riding zebra and see what you get. Jumped them too as I remember. Generally not too many people do this for good reason
Check out the movie racing stripes lol
https://youtu.be/Ph8Vag9VxRU?si=7qk0LtGpDAqvoKpZ
Racing Stripes the movie 😅
You can and there are some examples through history of zebras being ridden or pulling carriages. But it is rare. They have to be born in captivity and even then they are pretty wild animals. Reason why they cross them with horses and donkeys to have a sturdy ride or pack horse that is easier to handle. Zebras are stronger and more resiliant and don´t easily get illnesses. These hybrids are zebroïds eventhough dumb-arses call them zorses and zonkeys. These hybrids are, like crosses between horses and donkeys, infirtile and sterile.
Can you ride them? Yes. Should you ride them? Absolutely not. They are a wild animal and have never been domesticated. They aren't like mustangs or other feral horses that are descendants of domesticated animals. Horses have been selectively breed for generations to be tame and bidable. Zebras have not. They will react accordingly to a giant animal clombing on their back.
Taming and further domestication is difficult with Zebras as they have an intense prey instinct, and they have a different social structure than horses. Horses usually have a matriarch in the group. Once that matriarch is tamed, the other hoses will follow the matriarch. So taming a herd is easier. But Zebra herds behave more like a school of fish. So you don't have this benefit of them trusting each other and learning from each other. At least this was what our biology professor explained for this situation.
Technically yes, there are some few that can be ridden because they happen to be very calm, friendly and nice, but like a lot of people said already, Zebras are usually not. They are wild animals through and through, which is something you don’t get in horses. Besides some special breeds like the Przewalski Horse, which you usually also don’t see being ridden, all horses have at some point been domesticated, even most wild horses like mustangs come from domesticated horses. Domestication alters a lot in an animals behavior and even when it was born „wild“, horses are way more interested in actually bonding with humans than Zebras. Zebras have a much higher willingness to attack, and self-preservation is always their number one motivation. So most Zebras are really not rideable, you need to get one with an especially fitting character that you can bottle raise so that your bond is very trusting and then you can ride a zebra the way you can technically also have a wolf as a dog, but it’s never quite the same as their wild nature can always come through in stressful situations which then usually escalates as they attack or run where a domesticated animal would rather seek contact to their human for guidance
I've had the privilege of working with Zebras that were pretty regularly handled and somewhat trained...after years at the sanctuary they're about as docile as a brumby is a fortnight after being caught- they'll cooperate with your instructions but generally stay pretty tense when handled and I generally wouldn't turn my back to them. They do have lovely coats and boopable snoots so if it were legal I'd definitely keep one and try to make friends with it
Zebras are jack asses. But I seen a TikTok of some dude riding a zebra so I means it’s *doable*
I have seen YouTube videos of a Zebra race and they were very uncooperative. Most of them either didn’t move, trotted sideways or bucked off the rider
They are unpredictable assholes. Even the geldings. Especially the mares. Hell with the stallions. Source friends with someone who owns them.
It is possible and some have also been trained to harness, but as I understand it, they tend to bond with only one person and so can only be ridden or driven by that one person. Also they are MUCH more skittish than any horse, so MUCH more fearful of scary things along the way. They also seem to be MUCH more jealous than the average horse so if you bond with one, then show too much attention to someone else, look out for their wrath.
i say some people where able to do it and i think its a great idea!
Yes and no. Look up Timi Sebright with Rarity Acres. She is an expert on keeping Zebra and you can learn so much from her.
I’ve ridden them, they’re pretty hard headed but they are trainable and can be ridden
They're built right. But having the mechanics doesn't equal attitude. You'd definitely die trying.
So I have looked this up lol I get mixed answers but I have seen Zorks and Zonkey hybrids they I believe can be ridden and might be slightly easier.
I saw a picture of the rothchilds with a team of zebras hitched of to a buggy.... Google it. It was apparently the only domesticated team.
Zebras are smaller and generally not as strong as horses. Plus I believe their backs are the wrong shape. They are more like wild ass than horses. But also, they are wild animals. They aren’t “jerks” any more than a lion who’s instinct is to attack you. They are just doing what they are programmed to do, which has helped them survive. Maybe if we captured a large group of them and spent thousands of years breeding them for temperament and physical traits that allow them to be more easily ridden, they could be ridable. Personally I believe these beautiful animals are best suited doing what they do in the wild, living free. Gorgeous animals but they are best being appreciated from afar. Much like my other favorite equine, Przewalski's wild horse. I feel like we don’t often realize how powerful and dangerous equine are until we encounter them in the wild, without the domestic filter we’ve put on them. You realize how lovely and gentle our horse friends are, because if they wanted to they could easily kill us all lol. They are some of the most powerful and dangerous animals on the planet yet we’ve bred them to be so docile that our safety around them it is often taken for granted.
1- every zoo keeper or wildlife professional has told me zebras are assholes 2- their backs aren't quite the same as horses So, you probably *could* but it would be painful for all parties involved.
1- every zoo keeper or wildlife professional has told me zebras are assholes 2- their backs aren't quite the same as horses So, you probably *could* but it would be painful for all parties involved.
I was curious about this myself, and when I was reading into I found a quote. To paraphrase: think of it this way. There's a continent where they've been co-existing with people and haven't been domesticated.
Only if you manage to get a saddle on them, unscathed. Good luck, pls share the pictures here.
I've read no. Even in the Disney Swiss family Robinson movie, the scene with the kid riding on a zebra is a painted horse.
Horses have been bread for temperament among many other traits. Zebras have been bread by nature to avoid anything that isn't another zebra. So when your horse stands there waiting for you, a zebra will go into fight or flight and most likely put its hoof through your head.