Results: Let's meet the zorse

(Source: a-z-animals.com/animals/zorse/ Photos: Carina Maiwald) The zorse is one of a number of equine hybrids that are known as Zebroids, which is the name given to an equine hybrid that has Zebra ancestry. The Zorse is the result of cross-breeding a generally male Zebra (stallion) with a female Horse (mare) to produce an animal that looks more like a horse than a zebra, but one that has stripes. Did you ever ride a zorse?

The zebra part also gives the zorse resistance to certain pests and diseases that normally affect both horses and donkeys, meaning that they are not only sturdy but also very hardy animals. Due to the fact that there are not only three different sub-species of zebra but also nearly 300 different breeds of domestic horse, the zorse can vary quite dramatically particularly in size and color, depending on its parents. Did you see any of these animals in the US or Canada?

The Zorse is very Horse-like in appearance as it inherits its shape, size, colour and temperament from its mother. One of the Zorse's most notable features is the dark stripes that are boldest on their legs and rear, along with also commonly being found on the rest of the body, neck and head. The Zorse tends to have short, coarse fur that can range in colour from tan to brown to black, with a darker mane and tail (although the exact characteristics of the Zorse are dependent on the breed of the female Horse). Zorses have a large head with a long muzzle, pricked up ears and large, dark eyes with long eyelashes that help to stop things from getting in their eyes. Zorses have long, thin legs that are incredibly muscular and end in generally black (but sometimes white) coloured hooves that are made from horn and allow the Zorse to be more sturdy when moving through various different terrains. Would you like this animal to be more popular in North America?

Unlike the case with the Zonkey where there have been a number of wild Zonkey sightings reported, it is almost impossible for a fully wild Zorse to occur without Human intervention of some kind. There are three different sub-species of Zebra that are found in eastern and southern Africa on the vast open grasslands and savannah, but the incredibly rare wild Horse is historically native to parts of Europe and Asia meaning that the two species would not come together naturally in the wild. In parts of Africa though where Human settlements are either close to or intrude on the Zebra's natural habitat, it is possible for a semi-wild Zorse to occur with the mating of a wild Zebra with a domestic Horse. Nearly all of the world's Zorses however, are found either in zoos or animal institutes around the world, with a number also being used as work horses particularly in parts of North America. If you were living in a mountain area, or a place with difficult access, would you like to own a zorse?

The Zorse was originally bred in England and Africa to try and produce a domestic Horse-like animal that was resistant to diseases spread by the Tse Tse Fly in Africa (Zebras have a natural resistance where domestic Donkeys and Horses do not). The experimental crosses were actually becoming popular until early in the 20th century when the ever-improving car industry meant that fewer and fewer people were using Horses for transport. At that point cross-breeding was largely abandoned until a revival of interest came in the early 1990s, with just about every breed of domestic horse imaginable being tried. As with other hybrid animal including both Zonkeys and Mules, the Zorse is sterile meaning that although they still display normal breeding behaviour they are unable to produce offspring of their own. Zorses tend to be very healthy and hardy animals that can live to be more than 30 years old. Can you mention any other hybrid animals that have evolved to be as strong, healthy and useful as the zorse? You can also mention in the comments below if you remember any hybrid failures. Thanks.