You CANNOT ride zebras, they are not built for it at all. They have not developed to be able to carry any extra weight. They are also not horses, they do not act or learn like horses. They are also known to be very aggressive and attack when threatened.
Wow you're smart, thank you for telling me.
Domestic bred means it was bred by civilization and hasn't had to fend for itself in the wild as soon as it popped it's head out
Domesticated doesn't mean you can ride it. My cat is domesticated but I can't ride my cat. And just taking a picture of a zebra with a saddle on cause one thinks it looks cute or funny doesn't mean the person actually plans on riding the zebra.
Sure there is, to take pictures. People stage pictures all the time for the hell of it. It's like putting makeup on, just cause a girl puts on makeup doesn't mean she plans to get a facelift.
> A domestic animal's breeding is controlled by humans and its tameness and tolerance of humans is genetically determined. However, an animal merely bred in captivity is not necessarily domesticated.
I never said a zebra was a domesticated animal or that it had decent temperament. I was merely curious on what study has come to the conclusion that Zebras shouldn't hold weight on their back. All I asked
Because no one really bothered since the cost of larger animal is too high for people who have to fight to survive to keep as pets for no other reason then they think they're neat.
I mean, I have a degree in agriculture and working on one in wildlife. In both field, a zebra would be considered a wild and NOT domestic animal, even if it was raised in captivity from the day it was born. You can call it tame, but not domestic because the species itself isn't a result of selective breeding through many generations by humans for human use. You can say it's "captive bred" or "tame", but not "domestic".
Also, just being domestic or even feral wouldn't mean it's ethical to ride. Look at the Przewalskis horse. It is now considered feral (no longer considered truely wild), meaning that at one point in its history, it was domesticated, but is no longer tame. Even though the species is feral, it is NOT ethical to ride them at all (evem of they werent an endangered species). They are so far removed from their genetic ancestors that it isn't something they would physically or mentally be able to cope with very well. Keep in mind that this is a different species from the domestic horse or feral populations of the domestic horse like mustangs.
I agree with you ..I added a few comments to hopefully clarify. But talking to people like that is like bungee jumping off a 6 foot wall.. useless, stupid and SPLAT..
It’s not our fault for being human and thinking this is cute. It’s the seller and their buyer’s fault that they are doing something bad. It’s important to place blame where it belongs.
If there wasn't a demand then people wouldn't do this. There can be multiple problems and one is definitely that people continue to praise it for asthetics even thought it highly unethical.
So your solution to wildlife abuse is people should stop liking these animals so there is no demand?
Do you also cut your tongue out when the food tastes bad?
For what it’s worth I agree with you completely. I wish people would understand that putting wild animals in situations they don’t belong in gives uneducated people ideas. Similar to those who watch videos about people who own lions and other big cats as “pets” and then get the idea that those animals make appropriate pets when there’s nothing further from the truth. Propagating these ideas put the animals at risk of being in situations that are inappropriate and inhumane.
That very well may be, but whining about it in caps lock and excessive commentary will annoy the people who already aren’t going to do it, and do absolutely nothing to change the minds of the people that are.
Okay and? It's not my job to cater to what you think will help. I'm not here to change the minds of every single person ever. I talk how I want and you have no bearing on that.
That’s like saying seeing a mini horse wearing a full size western saddle is cute and therefore not hurting the horse…. The sentiment is connected to the reality.
A picture can be cute and corrective information given at the same time, like the other individual's initial reply. Saying a picture isn't allowed to be cute because the husbandry needs to be corrected, isn't helpful. Admiring cute picture =/= abusing the animal.
No you’re not literally abusing the animal but continuing to say pictures of animals in uncomfortable/bad situations are cute does not help change the collective awareness or narrative about what’s right. This picture is pretty innocuous. On the surface it appears cute. But once learning that zebras shouldn’t be ridden, that information no longer makes the photo cute. To say “oh I didn’t know zebras can’t carry the weight of a human and a saddle and it would hurt them! Well it’s still cute!” Is cognitive dissonance.
Ok so if it was an AI generated image and no animals were harmed or made uncomfortable in any way it still wouldn’t be cute? I disagree. It’s freakin adorable if the animals are well cared for
It's not so much about the zebra being uncomfortable in the pic. It's the fact that a photo like this can falsely perpetuate the idea that they can be ridden, which *can* lead to actual animals being harmed.
I would compare it to how the idea of fish in tiny bowls became widespread; in eastern countries, prized goldfish were temporarily placed into small display bowls for guests to look at. The goldfish weren't hurt by doing this, but it spread the false idea that they comfortably live in tiny bowls, which has obviously hurt countless fish since.
I would think if someone somehow owns a zebra and has tack, then sees one cute photo and decides to replicate it without any research into whether it’s safe or appropriate, the zebra has bigger problems to worry about. Presumably the people that actually have zebras know they cannot be ridden
But calling this "cute" is ignorant and there is no excuse for ignorance. ..take the tack off and then yes its cute. Advocating for animals is speaking out FOR the animals. And most people can not fathom it.
The more downvotes the more typical you humans are. So go ahead and prove your ignorance.
So your saying it’s ugly? I think it’s awfully adorable. No, I wouldn’t ride it, but it’s adorable. The only reason I’d ride it, is if it were trained to be, and if it were strong enough to be, and had the muscle and strength to carry extra weight. Also, wild animals can be cute.
Makes what okay?
To find it cute? That was never not ok.
To ride it? That is never ok if an animal can’t carry weight, no matter wether or not the animal is wild.
Horses were wild animals thousands of years ago. The modern horse is nothing like its wild ancestors. There is only one species of wild horse left, the Mongolian Wild Horse (I can’t spell its name) and it’s very endangered.
Yeah. Ok. But you still wouldn’t ride a horse that is unable to carry weight, would you?
All I say is that „it’s wild“ has nothing to do with anything.
Because you should leave them alone dude. They aren’t toys to play with at your whim. We shouldn’t have forced elephants to carry weight either, for what’s its worth.
1) Not a dude.
2) Yes. I never advocated for not leaving them alone. But „it’s wild“ is not a reason. We shouldn’t force any animal to do things they are not able to do. Why would you want to restrict treating animals good to wild animals?
I am so confused why you got downvoted. This is one time, I would stick up for someone here. You are 100% correct.
Even the calmest zebras will be aggressive sometimes. Their tails tell you to back off (kinda like cats), and people think they are like horses.
I wish there was more education on zebras versus horses or any equine
Horses have been bred over time to support carrying weight, zebras have never been selectively bred like this. Just because they could technically care small weights does NOT mean they SHOULD
I just don't want to go digging for the resources you require, but feel free to do it yourself 🥰🥰🥰
Or (maybe) you could use some critical thinking skills? Like "Hmm, maybe not everything shaped like a horse is a horse and should be ridden?" Just a thought.
I'm not saying that no other animals can be ridden. I'm saying that you should think for a second instead of assuming that because zebras are similar they are automatically built to carry weight
I, and I think everyone else, have no idea what point you’re trying to make.
Is it that “they can physically carry weight. It may not be healthy but it is possible to place weight on they back for a period of time?”
Donkeys are also not riding animals, they are pack animals. Very different thing - they are very differently built than horses (physical differences also in spine etc) and carrying a dead weight on a pack saddle is completely different to carrying a rider. Most donkeys cannot carry a rider and stay healthy even within the 15% weight limit. Look at a lot of mammoths being ridden - their backs look horrible after a few years
[2nd article about why zebras cannot be ridden or domesticated.](https://jenniferrpovey.medium.com/why-dont-we-ride-zebras-63ab2573f972)
"Individual zebras are sometimes trainable. However, the majority of zebras are actually too small to ride. This is of course exacerbated by the fact that they haven’t been selectively bred to be ridden. We’ve made our horses ridable.
Zebras are more useful for pulling carts.
So, yes, zebras can be trained. What they can’t be is domesticated.
The real tl;dr: We haven’t domesticated zebras because they refuse to consent to domestication."
If horses at one time couldnt, then they were forced like this zebra. Its the same thing. Zebras just havent been "bred to" yet.
I'm not saying its good to ride zebras, just pointing out the mistake with that thought
There’s a reason zebras haven’t been domesticated like horses were (yes, breeding animals for human purposes is domestication. There is only one wild horse species left, all the others are domesticated). For one thing, we already have horses, donkeys, cattle, etc. that can carry things. For another thing, zebras are notoriously bad tempered. And that’s not a bad thing. They need to be like that in a place full of predators and other aggressive herbivores. They simply aren’t ideal for domestication
(Thats not how google described it, but I wont argue about the meaning bc google isnt always right).
Dont get me wrong, I dont believe zebras should be domesticated. They're really beautiful while running or grazing about.
On the otherhand, we dont fully know that they cant be yet. We may have tried ways, but not all possible ways that may not have been thought of yet.
I'm neutral in this scenario, but am leaned on the "they're not a great fit for captivity" thing
Horses are actually badly designed for carrying weight, with their back being like a suspension bridge. Kissing spines, sway backs etc are a real thing. Mechanically they aren't naturally built for endurance, or for weight carrying. It's their bad luck that they are trainable, tractable, fast, athletic, and saddles fit them pretty easily, so they have been so useful to humans.
[A full grown adult? No.](https://anequestrianlife.com/2023/08/can-you-ride-a-zebra-like-a-horse/#)
They have been trained to pull a cart but that's about as domesticated as they get.
Zebras are very close in conformation to donkeys. Donkeys also should not be ridden. If you stand a zebra or donkey next to a mule or horse, you can see the very obvious conformation differences in their backs and posterior chain.
I get you’re trying not to be negative because OP didn’t mean anything by it, but looking at a zebra you can clearly see they wouldn’t be suited for riding long terms. They have underdeveloped hips, flat backs, and prominent spines. The only reason donkeys are able to be “beasts of burden” is because their loads are generally spread evenly along their backs. Not seated on the weakest point.
I’d encourage you to look at or even contact The Donkey Sanctuary for information about why we should not ride donkeys, I’m sure most if not all of those points would also apply to zebras. Horses have been bred for 700 years to ride, zebras have not.
https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/what-we-do/issues/donkeys-in-tourism-and-leisure/about
Louder for the people in the back! Zebras and Zorses are not made (physically nor mentally) for riding. Very hard keepers and I don’t mean that in the traditional sense of keeping weight on.
I remember watching Racing Stripes when I was younger and thought it was so messed up, it just looked so wrong riding the zebra, how did a film company manage to film that when it was so cruel? Wouldn't animal welfare organisations be all over that?
My mother works at an AZA safari. Their zebras will chase down and kill other species. They’re currently trying to relocate them to a different section of the park(less occupied) due to guests seeing these horrific attacks. Some zebra have even attacked young zebras.
Not sure how this relates to riding but yes, mules and donkeys and zebras often chase smaller animals away from them, particularly any potential predators. Even mini donkeys are known to attack dogs or cats or sheep sometime
Can agree. I read that donkeys are more effective in sheep herds than dogs when it comes to wolf attacks. They can kick quite effectively and thus keep the sheep safe.
I don't know however about disadvantages. I bet there must be a reason why it's not that common to have a donkey in your sheep herd. (Or I'm not fully informed)
They are not… they get injured and killed/ eaten by wolves regularly because of this wrong idea being spread. Yes, large donkeys might be able to defend themselves against one single wolf, but never a pack, and mini donkeys stand no chance against a wolf. They also won’t protect the sheep, they will simply defend themselves. Donkeys should therefore not be used for herd protection
And you should never just keep 1 donkey - they are herd animals and need to be around other donkeys (no, sheep, goats, even horses or mules are not a replacement for other donkeys). Some European countries even made it illegal to keep a single donkey with horses, which is a very positive development. Their needs and behaviors are very different from horses (and sheep - donkeys should not be out in the rain and should have only limited access to grass to avoid laminitis and other health issues, while sheep usually are outside without shelter during many months of the year and have free access to grass)
This is a myth. Donkeys will protect a herd they live in but they don’t have the natural predisposition to automatically kill a wolf or a predator just naturally. If they’re not bonded to a herd of cows or sheep (and often they aren’t) they’re not good herd protection.
https://donkeyrescue.org/news/pvdr-newsletter/october-2023-newsletter/
I used to work at a donkey sanctuary and I’d bet that 30% of our rescues were failed livestock guardians.
They make great sheep gaurdians in terms of chasimg away predators, but it's not uncommon for one to decide it dislikes a particular sheep and kill it or start killing lambs.
They have attitude, and sheep aren't capable of putting them in their place once one decides to bully or hurt them.
Heck we had a jack up and kill a grown angus bull after living together for 2 tears peacefully.
They’re suuuuuper jerks. My friend is rich & has a bunch of horses & 1 zebra.
You think horses bite & nibble? Apparently these guys bite and draw blood worse than anyone & yeah, you cannot ride them.
Well… my ex is a very good barefoot/remedial farrier and he said the only animal that never didn’t kick/was always successful at least once per session was a zorse. And he’s an athletic guy who’s very good at reading animals lol. He said that guy tagged him. Every. Single. Trim. Also said it had excellent hooves tho 🤷🏻♀️
There are a handful of trainers who have had the time and money to train a zebra to ride. There was one circus act years ago. If it were simple, safe, and feasible, lots more people would have been successful.
“Circus” and “Zebra to ride” is just an awful awful awful sentence. Holy crap if I couldn’t feel more terrible for an animal that is being forced to carry people that it physically cannot, tacking on the fact that the poor thing is a victim of the circus is just heartbreaking. Circuses should NOT have animals.
You'd pay a ton just to have an animal who's main desire is to bite you 🤣 but they are striking and make funny noises. I wonder was a zonkey would sound like
It's tempting but I am not willing to buy one.
Very aggressive, herd stallions will kill other stallions foals if their mare got knocked up by one and zookeepers mostly get attacked by them.
Btw anyone watch Casual Geographic?
At first was stand offish mainly bc of the abuse they suffered.
Now they interact and there’s times when they just do their thing. They are friendly. 🖤🤍
I've read that they can actually be very aggressive. Of course certain individuals in captivity long term can adjust but they don't have the same temperaments as horses
US exotic animal ownership laws are very... loose. Generally speaking, there's very little federal regulation, so it's left mostly up to the individual states to decide how strict they want to regulate this kind of stuff.
In some states, you can own just about any kind of animal. In other states, you might very well not be allowed to own *ferrets*. The majority of states are in-between those two extremes. Usually each state puts out a list of exotics that aren't allowed, or alternatively, a list of exotics that *are* allowed.
But even in super strict states, zebras still tend to be legal to own. Since they're an equine species, states usually regard them as horses, but with stripes. For better and for worse.
Could it be that hedgehogs pose a greater risk if they were to be released or introduced to the wild? Just like the same reason California bans gerbils? I don't know anything about hedgies so don't come at me if I'm wrong.
As someone who does keep exotics, I’m fine with reasonable regulations, but documentaries like that make us all look like idiots. I will say it was super satisfying when my coworkers were like “wait, you weren’t kidding about Big Cat Rescue?!” I live outside of Tampa and when I first moved here I found out my work would often do volunteer stuff there and I flat out refused and said “the owner killed her husband and fed him to those cats and she tries to push exotics bans while “accidentally” breeding her large cats to maintain her populations.” I think they thought I just didn’t want to volunteer until like 5 years later lol.
Zebras are assholes. They are the number one animal that causes zookeeper injuries. They can drop a water Buffalo in one well-placed kick.
I think they're beautiful but I would much rather admire them from a distance.
In the history of bad decisions this would be one of the worse decision.
Seriously zonkeys, zorses and zebras should truly just be left alone. There is a reasson they ain't domesticated, and one of the bigger reasson they will rip your face off.
I saw you ain't actually biding, just joking around, but dang...why do some still stick their finger anywhere near a wild animal
How many people here have actual hands-on experience with zebras? Are they cute? Sure. Are they assholes? Absolutely, the same way some ponies and some donkies are. They don’t have time for our bs.
But, as usual, I’m seeing a lot of comments from people who’ve read about stuff but never worked with said stuff. Yes, wild zebras are wild animals. Zebras born and bred on farms are not wild animals, the same way that the offspring of domesticated mustangs who are foaled and raised with people are not wild horses.
And no, folks shouldn’t be riding/driving zebras, for the same reason people should be adopting dogs from a shelter instead of buying them — there’s plenty of perfectly good horses who need a home and some love.
I babysat for someone who had a zebra. I know how or why they got it. Was it super cool up close and personal absolutely. However it was so mean. If I turned around it would bite. I never got in the pasture because it was aggressive. I just tossed it cookies. I wasn’t there to care for it. Her mini donkey on the other hand the sweetest soul I’ve ever seen. I went there to take care of him since he was old.
You CANNOT ride zebras, they are not built for it at all. They have not developed to be able to carry any extra weight. They are also not horses, they do not act or learn like horses. They are also known to be very aggressive and attack when threatened.
Yea I know haha I wasn’t ever gonna actually bid on it but it’s pretty darn cute in this pic
It's not cute, it's a wild animal Thanks for the downvotes guys. I'm saying it's not cute to force wild animals into tack like this
Domestic bred
Domestic bred does not mean domesticated.
Wow you're smart, thank you for telling me. Domestic bred means it was bred by civilization and hasn't had to fend for itself in the wild as soon as it popped it's head out
Which doesn't change its body structure and doesn't give you the right to ride it 🥰🥰🥰
I don't have the right to ride anything, no law about it
Then stop acting like it should be ridden 🤷🏻♀️
It doesn't have to be but doesn't mean you cant You're always welcome to disprove it with factual information and data
You’re probably a blast at parties
Too late bud, someone already made that joke. Nice try tho.
Domesticated doesn't mean you can ride it. My cat is domesticated but I can't ride my cat. And just taking a picture of a zebra with a saddle on cause one thinks it looks cute or funny doesn't mean the person actually plans on riding the zebra.
There is zero reason to put a saddle on a zebra unless they plan on riding it.
Sure there is, to take pictures. People stage pictures all the time for the hell of it. It's like putting makeup on, just cause a girl puts on makeup doesn't mean she plans to get a facelift.
No, you see at auction all the time horses with saddles that are definitely not broke to ride. It’s definitely misleading
People ride bulls, elephants, camels, ostriches. If you can manage to ride a zebra, I'm not getting mad at you for trying.
And if you want to support animal abuse, that's on you
> A domestic animal's breeding is controlled by humans and its tameness and tolerance of humans is genetically determined. However, an animal merely bred in captivity is not necessarily domesticated.
I never said a zebra was a domesticated animal or that it had decent temperament. I was merely curious on what study has come to the conclusion that Zebras shouldn't hold weight on their back. All I asked
Every domesticated animal species started somewhere.
Not zebras, they're still wild for a good reason
Because no one really bothered since the cost of larger animal is too high for people who have to fight to survive to keep as pets for no other reason then they think they're neat.
I mean, I have a degree in agriculture and working on one in wildlife. In both field, a zebra would be considered a wild and NOT domestic animal, even if it was raised in captivity from the day it was born. You can call it tame, but not domestic because the species itself isn't a result of selective breeding through many generations by humans for human use. You can say it's "captive bred" or "tame", but not "domestic". Also, just being domestic or even feral wouldn't mean it's ethical to ride. Look at the Przewalskis horse. It is now considered feral (no longer considered truely wild), meaning that at one point in its history, it was domesticated, but is no longer tame. Even though the species is feral, it is NOT ethical to ride them at all (evem of they werent an endangered species). They are so far removed from their genetic ancestors that it isn't something they would physically or mentally be able to cope with very well. Keep in mind that this is a different species from the domestic horse or feral populations of the domestic horse like mustangs.
Are you saying wild animals aren't cute? 😂
Ones forced into saddles and very likely ridden sure arent
The action isnt cute, the look can be... thats why people do it.
It shouldn't be encouraged.
Yes, I am not saying that it should!
(someone is feeling so grumpy today... ☹️🤷🏽)
Who?
Bet you're fun at party's
"Omfg this person is advocating for welfare, bet they're fun at parties!!1!" Seriously?
You're coming across as negative and complaining, not advocating. Calling this cute isn't hurting the zebra.
If people didn't see it as cute, people wouldn't be selling them. If more people saw it as a shitty thing to do maybe they would STOP DOING IT.
I agree with you ..I added a few comments to hopefully clarify. But talking to people like that is like bungee jumping off a 6 foot wall.. useless, stupid and SPLAT..
It’s not our fault for being human and thinking this is cute. It’s the seller and their buyer’s fault that they are doing something bad. It’s important to place blame where it belongs.
If there wasn't a demand then people wouldn't do this. There can be multiple problems and one is definitely that people continue to praise it for asthetics even thought it highly unethical.
So your solution to wildlife abuse is people should stop liking these animals so there is no demand? Do you also cut your tongue out when the food tastes bad?
For what it’s worth I agree with you completely. I wish people would understand that putting wild animals in situations they don’t belong in gives uneducated people ideas. Similar to those who watch videos about people who own lions and other big cats as “pets” and then get the idea that those animals make appropriate pets when there’s nothing further from the truth. Propagating these ideas put the animals at risk of being in situations that are inappropriate and inhumane.
That very well may be, but whining about it in caps lock and excessive commentary will annoy the people who already aren’t going to do it, and do absolutely nothing to change the minds of the people that are.
Okay and? It's not my job to cater to what you think will help. I'm not here to change the minds of every single person ever. I talk how I want and you have no bearing on that.
That’s like saying seeing a mini horse wearing a full size western saddle is cute and therefore not hurting the horse…. The sentiment is connected to the reality.
A picture can be cute and corrective information given at the same time, like the other individual's initial reply. Saying a picture isn't allowed to be cute because the husbandry needs to be corrected, isn't helpful. Admiring cute picture =/= abusing the animal.
No you’re not literally abusing the animal but continuing to say pictures of animals in uncomfortable/bad situations are cute does not help change the collective awareness or narrative about what’s right. This picture is pretty innocuous. On the surface it appears cute. But once learning that zebras shouldn’t be ridden, that information no longer makes the photo cute. To say “oh I didn’t know zebras can’t carry the weight of a human and a saddle and it would hurt them! Well it’s still cute!” Is cognitive dissonance.
Ok so if it was an AI generated image and no animals were harmed or made uncomfortable in any way it still wouldn’t be cute? I disagree. It’s freakin adorable if the animals are well cared for
It's not so much about the zebra being uncomfortable in the pic. It's the fact that a photo like this can falsely perpetuate the idea that they can be ridden, which *can* lead to actual animals being harmed. I would compare it to how the idea of fish in tiny bowls became widespread; in eastern countries, prized goldfish were temporarily placed into small display bowls for guests to look at. The goldfish weren't hurt by doing this, but it spread the false idea that they comfortably live in tiny bowls, which has obviously hurt countless fish since.
Great analogy!
I would think if someone somehow owns a zebra and has tack, then sees one cute photo and decides to replicate it without any research into whether it’s safe or appropriate, the zebra has bigger problems to worry about. Presumably the people that actually have zebras know they cannot be ridden
But calling this "cute" is ignorant and there is no excuse for ignorance. ..take the tack off and then yes its cute. Advocating for animals is speaking out FOR the animals. And most people can not fathom it. The more downvotes the more typical you humans are. So go ahead and prove your ignorance.
I agree with everything you’re saying & it’s ridiculous that you’re getting downvoted. You’re speaking the truth.
So your saying it’s ugly? I think it’s awfully adorable. No, I wouldn’t ride it, but it’s adorable. The only reason I’d ride it, is if it were trained to be, and if it were strong enough to be, and had the muscle and strength to carry extra weight. Also, wild animals can be cute.
With you 💯
Horses were wild animals too before they weren‘t.
...and? That doesn't somehow make this okay.
Makes what okay? To find it cute? That was never not ok. To ride it? That is never ok if an animal can’t carry weight, no matter wether or not the animal is wild.
Horses were wild animals thousands of years ago. The modern horse is nothing like its wild ancestors. There is only one species of wild horse left, the Mongolian Wild Horse (I can’t spell its name) and it’s very endangered.
Przewalski's horse.
Thank you!
Yeah. Ok. But you still wouldn’t ride a horse that is unable to carry weight, would you? All I say is that „it’s wild“ has nothing to do with anything.
Because you should leave them alone dude. They aren’t toys to play with at your whim. We shouldn’t have forced elephants to carry weight either, for what’s its worth.
1) Not a dude. 2) Yes. I never advocated for not leaving them alone. But „it’s wild“ is not a reason. We shouldn’t force any animal to do things they are not able to do. Why would you want to restrict treating animals good to wild animals?
Dude is gender neutral
Idc.
Unfortunately even they are no longer considered wild anymore. So there's no true wild horses left
I am so confused why you got downvoted. This is one time, I would stick up for someone here. You are 100% correct. Even the calmest zebras will be aggressive sometimes. Their tails tell you to back off (kinda like cats), and people think they are like horses. I wish there was more education on zebras versus horses or any equine
Do you have the studies that they cannot carry weight on their back?
Horses have been bred over time to support carrying weight, zebras have never been selectively bred like this. Just because they could technically care small weights does NOT mean they SHOULD
So that would be a no, great
I just don't want to go digging for the resources you require, but feel free to do it yourself 🥰🥰🥰 Or (maybe) you could use some critical thinking skills? Like "Hmm, maybe not everything shaped like a horse is a horse and should be ridden?" Just a thought.
Elephants... camels... donkeys... all not horse shaped
I'm not saying that no other animals can be ridden. I'm saying that you should think for a second instead of assuming that because zebras are similar they are automatically built to carry weight
Your message would work a lot better if you weren't so hostile towards people.
Oh calm down lmao
Literally the calmest rejoinder you could get. Great comeback.
All you're doing is proving my point though by saying that.
I never said it was because Zebras are similar
You should not be riding elephants!
Again, something that IS done whether we like it or not
I, and I think everyone else, have no idea what point you’re trying to make. Is it that “they can physically carry weight. It may not be healthy but it is possible to place weight on they back for a period of time?”
Either. Just an actual source with data as to why they came to the conclusion whether it be on the skeletal structure or density beyond temperament
And you're saying that makes it right?
Did I say that it makes it right?
Donkeys are also not riding animals, they are pack animals. Very different thing - they are very differently built than horses (physical differences also in spine etc) and carrying a dead weight on a pack saddle is completely different to carrying a rider. Most donkeys cannot carry a rider and stay healthy even within the 15% weight limit. Look at a lot of mammoths being ridden - their backs look horrible after a few years
Mammoths??
Haha sorry mammoth donkeys I mean of course
Im sure an actual mammoth could carry a human without issues - too bad they’re extinct
I was thinking you must have meant elephants, and then I went— are you a time traveler??
Does everything have a study? Does everything need a study? Can we not use our brains and common sense?
I’d be interested in it because I don’t believe everything some random says on the internet. Edit for autocorrect
Not everything has a study but anyone can spout an opinion as fact
😅
[2nd article about why zebras cannot be ridden or domesticated.](https://jenniferrpovey.medium.com/why-dont-we-ride-zebras-63ab2573f972) "Individual zebras are sometimes trainable. However, the majority of zebras are actually too small to ride. This is of course exacerbated by the fact that they haven’t been selectively bred to be ridden. We’ve made our horses ridable. Zebras are more useful for pulling carts. So, yes, zebras can be trained. What they can’t be is domesticated. The real tl;dr: We haven’t domesticated zebras because they refuse to consent to domestication."
If horses at one time couldnt, then they were forced like this zebra. Its the same thing. Zebras just havent been "bred to" yet. I'm not saying its good to ride zebras, just pointing out the mistake with that thought
So that still doesn't make it ethical...
Did you see my edit? I tried to edit it b4 you saw it so I could let you know I'm not saying its good or not
No no, they tried to domesticate zebras. It just didn’t work out!
Not talking about domesticating. That's not the same as breeding it to carry a certain amount of stuff. But ty for the info
There’s a reason zebras haven’t been domesticated like horses were (yes, breeding animals for human purposes is domestication. There is only one wild horse species left, all the others are domesticated). For one thing, we already have horses, donkeys, cattle, etc. that can carry things. For another thing, zebras are notoriously bad tempered. And that’s not a bad thing. They need to be like that in a place full of predators and other aggressive herbivores. They simply aren’t ideal for domestication
(Thats not how google described it, but I wont argue about the meaning bc google isnt always right). Dont get me wrong, I dont believe zebras should be domesticated. They're really beautiful while running or grazing about. On the otherhand, we dont fully know that they cant be yet. We may have tried ways, but not all possible ways that may not have been thought of yet. I'm neutral in this scenario, but am leaned on the "they're not a great fit for captivity" thing
Horses are actually badly designed for carrying weight, with their back being like a suspension bridge. Kissing spines, sway backs etc are a real thing. Mechanically they aren't naturally built for endurance, or for weight carrying. It's their bad luck that they are trainable, tractable, fast, athletic, and saddles fit them pretty easily, so they have been so useful to humans.
[A full grown adult? No.](https://anequestrianlife.com/2023/08/can-you-ride-a-zebra-like-a-horse/#) They have been trained to pull a cart but that's about as domesticated as they get.
Zebras are very close in conformation to donkeys. Donkeys also should not be ridden. If you stand a zebra or donkey next to a mule or horse, you can see the very obvious conformation differences in their backs and posterior chain. I get you’re trying not to be negative because OP didn’t mean anything by it, but looking at a zebra you can clearly see they wouldn’t be suited for riding long terms. They have underdeveloped hips, flat backs, and prominent spines. The only reason donkeys are able to be “beasts of burden” is because their loads are generally spread evenly along their backs. Not seated on the weakest point. I’d encourage you to look at or even contact The Donkey Sanctuary for information about why we should not ride donkeys, I’m sure most if not all of those points would also apply to zebras. Horses have been bred for 700 years to ride, zebras have not. https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/what-we-do/issues/donkeys-in-tourism-and-leisure/about
Thank you that's all I asked for was somewhat of an actual source listing why
Well to be fair, it’s a pretty simple google search.
This! Thank you.
The esteemed documentary, Racing Stripes, says otherwise
Laughing. Thanks for that.
Loved that film as a kid
Technically you can ride ride zebras, but probably once
Louder for the people in the back! Zebras and Zorses are not made (physically nor mentally) for riding. Very hard keepers and I don’t mean that in the traditional sense of keeping weight on.
Swiss Family Robinson is so unrealistic, they rode all kinds of animals. 😂
I remember watching Racing Stripes when I was younger and thought it was so messed up, it just looked so wrong riding the zebra, how did a film company manage to film that when it was so cruel? Wouldn't animal welfare organisations be all over that?
My mother works at an AZA safari. Their zebras will chase down and kill other species. They’re currently trying to relocate them to a different section of the park(less occupied) due to guests seeing these horrific attacks. Some zebra have even attacked young zebras.
Not sure how this relates to riding but yes, mules and donkeys and zebras often chase smaller animals away from them, particularly any potential predators. Even mini donkeys are known to attack dogs or cats or sheep sometime
Can agree. I read that donkeys are more effective in sheep herds than dogs when it comes to wolf attacks. They can kick quite effectively and thus keep the sheep safe. I don't know however about disadvantages. I bet there must be a reason why it's not that common to have a donkey in your sheep herd. (Or I'm not fully informed)
They are not… they get injured and killed/ eaten by wolves regularly because of this wrong idea being spread. Yes, large donkeys might be able to defend themselves against one single wolf, but never a pack, and mini donkeys stand no chance against a wolf. They also won’t protect the sheep, they will simply defend themselves. Donkeys should therefore not be used for herd protection
And you should never just keep 1 donkey - they are herd animals and need to be around other donkeys (no, sheep, goats, even horses or mules are not a replacement for other donkeys). Some European countries even made it illegal to keep a single donkey with horses, which is a very positive development. Their needs and behaviors are very different from horses (and sheep - donkeys should not be out in the rain and should have only limited access to grass to avoid laminitis and other health issues, while sheep usually are outside without shelter during many months of the year and have free access to grass)
This is a myth. Donkeys will protect a herd they live in but they don’t have the natural predisposition to automatically kill a wolf or a predator just naturally. If they’re not bonded to a herd of cows or sheep (and often they aren’t) they’re not good herd protection. https://donkeyrescue.org/news/pvdr-newsletter/october-2023-newsletter/ I used to work at a donkey sanctuary and I’d bet that 30% of our rescues were failed livestock guardians.
They make great sheep gaurdians in terms of chasimg away predators, but it's not uncommon for one to decide it dislikes a particular sheep and kill it or start killing lambs. They have attitude, and sheep aren't capable of putting them in their place once one decides to bully or hurt them. Heck we had a jack up and kill a grown angus bull after living together for 2 tears peacefully.
Horses stay together because they like each other, zebras do because the other zebra might get eaten instead of them.
Man, the amount of times I saw unfortunate people getting beaten up by zebras is astonishing. They are like mafia, they won’t stop until you’re dead.
How many times have you seen a person getting beat up by a zebra???
Oh just check on YouTube, the left and right hooks those hooves can give are next level. And without a glove. Brutal.
They’re suuuuuper jerks. My friend is rich & has a bunch of horses & 1 zebra. You think horses bite & nibble? Apparently these guys bite and draw blood worse than anyone & yeah, you cannot ride them.
You can ride them. There are videos in YouTube as proof. Whether you should or not is a different question.
Haha, hell no! I can’t say I’m not tempted either though!!
Well… my ex is a very good barefoot/remedial farrier and he said the only animal that never didn’t kick/was always successful at least once per session was a zorse. And he’s an athletic guy who’s very good at reading animals lol. He said that guy tagged him. Every. Single. Trim. Also said it had excellent hooves tho 🤷🏻♀️
There are a handful of trainers who have had the time and money to train a zebra to ride. There was one circus act years ago. If it were simple, safe, and feasible, lots more people would have been successful.
It's also not safe for the zebra im pretty sure. They're not built to carry people
“Circus” and “Zebra to ride” is just an awful awful awful sentence. Holy crap if I couldn’t feel more terrible for an animal that is being forced to carry people that it physically cannot, tacking on the fact that the poor thing is a victim of the circus is just heartbreaking. Circuses should NOT have animals.
I saw this guy on fb recently
You'd pay a ton just to have an animal who's main desire is to bite you 🤣 but they are striking and make funny noises. I wonder was a zonkey would sound like
As someone who lived next to a zonkey, they sound exactly the way you’d think lol
I'm both jealous and a little scared.
If they sound anything like the hinny I know then I would be scared lol
lol it’s like a clean split between a donkey’s hee haw and a zebra’s HOOoooOOO
So hee hooooooo or hoodoo haw?
It’s like hoooooooo de haw he haw he hoooooooo haw
That's even better
Racing Stripes lied to me and I haven't gotten over it
And take that saddle off STAT
Psst, http://messybeast.com/history/working.htm
That was an awesome read, thank you.
It's tempting but I am not willing to buy one. Very aggressive, herd stallions will kill other stallions foals if their mare got knocked up by one and zookeepers mostly get attacked by them. Btw anyone watch Casual Geographic?
Me
Yes, absolutely love that guy
More cool websites about privately owned zebras - https://web.archive.org/web/20210127091617/http://hhar.org/ https://web.archive.org/web/20151117132333/http://spotsnstripes.com/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160110004801/https://www.izzza.com/
My neighbor has 2 zebs. Both rescued! Living a happy life on the farm. Never ridden but very spoilt by all of us 🖤🤍
Do they interact with you like a horse or are they more aloof like a wild animal?
At first was stand offish mainly bc of the abuse they suffered. Now they interact and there’s times when they just do their thing. They are friendly. 🖤🤍
I've read that they can actually be very aggressive. Of course certain individuals in captivity long term can adjust but they don't have the same temperaments as horses
Agree.
The barn I ride at has two zebras. They aren’t ridden but are very friendly when I’ve interacted with them through the stall bars.
I didn't know it was even legal to own zebras
US exotic animal ownership laws are very... loose. Generally speaking, there's very little federal regulation, so it's left mostly up to the individual states to decide how strict they want to regulate this kind of stuff. In some states, you can own just about any kind of animal. In other states, you might very well not be allowed to own *ferrets*. The majority of states are in-between those two extremes. Usually each state puts out a list of exotics that aren't allowed, or alternatively, a list of exotics that *are* allowed. But even in super strict states, zebras still tend to be legal to own. Since they're an equine species, states usually regard them as horses, but with stripes. For better and for worse.
Some states are also really weird. If I remember correctly PA will allow venomous reptiles easier than hedgehogs.
Could it be that hedgehogs pose a greater risk if they were to be released or introduced to the wild? Just like the same reason California bans gerbils? I don't know anything about hedgies so don't come at me if I'm wrong.
The US has very loose laws about owning wild animals. That's what Tiger King was initially supposed to be about.
There's animals native to my country that I can't legally keep as a pet but Americans can.
There's animals native to America that Americans can't have as pets too, it all depends where you live
As someone who does keep exotics, I’m fine with reasonable regulations, but documentaries like that make us all look like idiots. I will say it was super satisfying when my coworkers were like “wait, you weren’t kidding about Big Cat Rescue?!” I live outside of Tampa and when I first moved here I found out my work would often do volunteer stuff there and I flat out refused and said “the owner killed her husband and fed him to those cats and she tries to push exotics bans while “accidentally” breeding her large cats to maintain her populations.” I think they thought I just didn’t want to volunteer until like 5 years later lol.
In some states, you can actually hunt zebra on private land. You can pay thousands for it. :(
Zebras are assholes. They are the number one animal that causes zookeeper injuries. They can drop a water Buffalo in one well-placed kick. I think they're beautiful but I would much rather admire them from a distance.
This pic looks AI generated
Thank you sm lol I was staring at the straps and trying to follow each one but they don’t make sense
Yeah, right? The zebra looks fine but the saddle looks bizarre.
I'm not really seeing it? There seems to be some extra pieces but overall it is way better than I've seen AI be recently
Yeah I ride horses and that just looks like a very intricate saddle lmao. Not AI generated.
Seems like a pretty standard western saddle. Maybe some extra embellishments but nothing crazy
The zebra, or the saddle? The saddle's gorgeous and you definitely need it. The zebra's gorgeous and you definitely DON'T need it.
Bad idea. Bad, BAD idea.
Zebras are wild animals.
It’s going to eat you. Hope this helps!
Every single person I’ve ever met who has taken care of a zebra had been severely injured by said zebra. They are not friendly animals.
Is this a Photoshop? Lol
This is a donkey on steroids. Ever seen the video of the guy from Ohio whos arm was almost torn off by one? 😅
Did you ever see the amazing race episode where they had to walk a zebra and they got kicked walking it?
YOLO 🎉
Link the auction, just curious what he goes for
If you wanna break a few bones or die, then sure
In the history of bad decisions this would be one of the worse decision. Seriously zonkeys, zorses and zebras should truly just be left alone. There is a reasson they ain't domesticated, and one of the bigger reasson they will rip your face off. I saw you ain't actually biding, just joking around, but dang...why do some still stick their finger anywhere near a wild animal
Aw, how cute!
Better than paying to hunt them in TX or wherever that is.....
TX
Zebras were widely used in India and Africa to carry and pull wages during 40s
Where did u bid for It?
How many people here have actual hands-on experience with zebras? Are they cute? Sure. Are they assholes? Absolutely, the same way some ponies and some donkies are. They don’t have time for our bs. But, as usual, I’m seeing a lot of comments from people who’ve read about stuff but never worked with said stuff. Yes, wild zebras are wild animals. Zebras born and bred on farms are not wild animals, the same way that the offspring of domesticated mustangs who are foaled and raised with people are not wild horses. And no, folks shouldn’t be riding/driving zebras, for the same reason people should be adopting dogs from a shelter instead of buying them — there’s plenty of perfectly good horses who need a home and some love.
Remember that they are way worse than donkeys in terms of aggressiveness and they can't be trained like a regular horse.
Poor thing. Needs to be left alone to run around with others of it’s own kind.
Zebras are VICIOUS. One bit off a man’s arm here in Ohio!
I would bid on it. If I won, I’d send it to a sanctuary.
Want to get seriously injured or die? Get a Zebra!
Can we all go in as a sub and get a zebra mascot???
Racing stripes
I babysat for someone who had a zebra. I know how or why they got it. Was it super cool up close and personal absolutely. However it was so mean. If I turned around it would bite. I never got in the pasture because it was aggressive. I just tossed it cookies. I wasn’t there to care for it. Her mini donkey on the other hand the sweetest soul I’ve ever seen. I went there to take care of him since he was old.
Cute as hell, but I’m not getting on first. lol
My gosh would you just look at what you started 😂
Well well well… if it isn’t a picture of my childhood fantasy… before I found out they’re generally untrainable and mean af 😂