Featured Equine: The Zorse
(5/10/2010)
by Becki Bell
Photographed in 1899, this zorse (called Romulus) was a part of an early hybrid breeding experiment.
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This is a photograph of a rare "hebra," a zebroid bred from a zebra mare and a domesticated horse stallion.
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The zorse takes on the coat color of its horse parent, and the stripes of its zebra parent.
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Equine hybrids have been coexisting with human beings for centuries, with the most common domesticated hybrid being, of course, the mule. Mules are a cross between two domestic species of equine, the horse and the donkey. But all equines are genetically compatible with one another, and with this in mind it was really only a matter of time before human beings became curious enough to try out some of the other possible combinations.
A "zorse" is a cross between a zebra stallion and a domesticated mare. Originally bred in Africa in the late 1800s/early 1900s for the dual purpose of developing an exceptionally strong beast of burden that was naturally resistant to diseases spread by the tse tse fly, the feasibility of the zorse cross-breed was soon called into question when the automobile began replacing the horse and mule, and when the zorse proved to be much more difficult to train and handle than its domesticated cousins. The novelty of the type persisted well into the 20th century, however, and by the 1990s zorses were gaining popularity because of their flashy looks and, to a large extent, because of sheer curiosity.
Zorses are one of many possible zebra hybrids; others include the zony (a zebra/pony hybrid) and the zonkey (a zebra/donkey hybrid). The hebra is a cross between a zebra mare and a domesticated horse stallion, but this type is extremely uncommon not because of genetic feasibility but because domesticated horse stallions are almost always unwilling to breed with zebra mares. All zebra hybrids have similar physical qualities: the typical stripe pattern inherited from the zebra parent, with the coloring and general shape of its domesticated parent.
Zorses are very horse-like in appearance, with zebra striping typically covering the entire body, though sometimes only on the legs and withers. The zorse gets its coloring from the dominant color gene of its mother, with zebra striping from its father. The zebra stripe patterns are only visible on solid coat colors—for this reason, zebra stallions are almost always bread to chestnut, bay, palomino or similarly solid colored mares (a cross between a gray mare and a zebra will produce offspring with a striped pattern that will fade over time). The zebra striping does not appear on depigmented areas, so a cross to a paint mare will produce a paint pattern, with the zebra striping appearing on the solid colors and the white areas remaining white.
Unlike mules, which are crosses between two domesticated equines, the zorse still retains much of the wild behavior of its African ancestors. Zorses tend to be aggressive and are notoriously difficult to train, so should not be purchased or ridden by novice equestrians. The "flight or fight" response in a zorse is very well developed, similar to that of a zebra, which are regularly hunted by predators such as lions, cheetahs and wild dogs. A zorse will spook with greater frequency and greater severity than a domesticated horse, and will become aggressive if it feels it can't escape whatever is threatening it.
With proper handling and training a zorse can be taught almost any equine discipline, but enthusiasts say they excel especially at jumping and trail riding. To thrive, a zorse needs a patient handler he or she does not feel threatened by. With proper care a zorse's lifespan is similar to that of a horse; zorses can live into their 30s although, like mules, they are almost always sterile and incapable of having offspring of their own.
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