# Riding Zebras?!



## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

My family went on a vacation last weekend and were driving through a very small town. We passed a little stable with an outside arena. There were some kids riding around and one of them was riding a Zebra! I have never seen anyone riding a Zebra before and I never though it was really safe. I saw the move Racing Stripes a few years ago and I thought it was silly. I mean, they are wild animals!!! 

So I was wondering what everyone else thought about riding Zebras?


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

i have heard that they can be mean as hell and I know the zorses are not usually very nice. It's possible to do I also suffered through the movie Racing Stripes and it was a sure enough zebra. Also in Swiss Family Robinson one of teh characters rides a zebra.


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## MuleWrangler (Dec 15, 2009)

Zebras are notorious for aggressive behavior--they are wild animals that don't have the centuries of domestication that horses have. I would stay far, far away from personal interactions with a zebra unless it was through a fence. One zebra that seems to have great socalization traits is NOT an indicator of the whole species. It's like raccoons--some people have them for pets, but once the raccoon feels trapped or in a bad situation it reverts to its feral roots and may take your face off. It is not domesticated and does not understand human interactions as such.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

Yeah, I could imagine them being mean and they are so small, only a child should ride them. I would not want a child on such an unpredictable animal, it just doesn't make sense to me.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

The size would depend on the type of zebra. There are several types and some are quite large. If you just drove past and saw it I would say that it was more likely a white pony with black stripes painted on it.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

Oh, I diddn't know they were different sizes. 

No, the arena was right next to the road and I could tell it was a Zebra and not a pony. It moved a little differently (it was more stiff and choppy) and it had the standing up mane. I wasn't paying attention at first, but the black and white really caught my attention lol.


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## MuleWrangler (Dec 15, 2009)

I sincerely hope they don't eventually regret putting their kids around that zebra.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

MuleWrangler said:


> I sincerely hope they don't eventually regret putting their kids around that zebra.


 
Me, too!


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

CheyAut has a zebra (or is their's a zorse?) - rather is in partnership on one I believe --- you should get with her and talk about them, I'm sure she'd be full of information.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Your post made me think back - we once painted a white mare of our's up as a zebra for a parade. The coloring lasted a couple of weeks and we'd see people going by on our road slam on their brakes and sit down there when they would notice her out in the pasture.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

themacpack said:


> CheyAut has a zebra (or is their's a zorse?) - rather is in partnership on one I believe --- you should get with her and talk about them, I'm sure she'd be full of information.


 
Thanks, I def. will!


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## jumper25 (Dec 23, 2009)

In Zimbabwe there was a herd of zebra living near the stables and when one of the men who worked there was walking home the stallion tried to attack him and chased him up a tree! His hand was bitten and became paralyzed. Zebra are mean! I would never try to ride a zebra. Other than being unpredictable I've also been told they have weaker backs and joints and not very suitable for riding. Although I'm not certain the last bit is true, you could try and research it.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

themacpack said:


> Your post made me think back - we once painted a white mare of our's up as a zebra for a parade. The coloring lasted a couple of weeks and we'd see people going by on our road slam on their brakes and sit down there when they would notice her out in the pasture.


 
Lol, yeah it really suprised me! I was hoping it was a painted horse, but it wasn't.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

Hmmm, I can't seem to find much about their strength, but I have heard that. This site is interesting: DRAUGHT AND RIDING ANIMALS OTHER THAN HORSES (1) strange, but interesting pictures.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

That link was very interesting! "Natural Horsemanship" was around even before the turn of the last century.


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## spence (Nov 8, 2009)

hm, speaking of riding zebras and racing stripes... had a farrier come out and shoe my horse last fall who at least claimed to have been involved with going to africa and finding the zebra they used for that movie. i have no reason to doubt that he was involved with stunts in hollywood or doing a lot of shoeing for various people/horses and movies, etc. 

but hell, i dunno. said he was born out here in ks but wound up in CA for a lot of years, went to shoeing school out there, and finally got tired of all the hubbub. all i know is 1) he did good work, but 2) he won't answer the phone to come out again. which sucks because i CANNOT find a farrier!

anyhow, sorry about the hijack...


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

This little guy seems pretty nice!




I feel bad for him though, that girl looks a little big for him and that saddle probably doesn't fit him right


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## Horsesrawesome (Mar 7, 2010)

I heard they like biting you and they also kick! I saw a zebra at a ranch one time he was with a horse=]


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## Horsesrawesome (Mar 7, 2010)

Heres a video


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

dynamite. said:


> This little guy seems pretty nice!
> YouTube - Riding Zipp the Zebra
> I feel bad for him though, that girl looks a little big for him and that saddle probably doesn't fit him right


You better watch the video a little closer. *That "girl" has a beard!!!* There is a much larger zebra in the background so I would assume that the one being ridden is young. The saddle needs a britchen like mule riders use to keep it from sliding forward.


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## thunderhooves (Aug 9, 2009)

interesting............
EDIT
omg, lol, kevinshorses! it IS a guy! XD


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## Horsesrawesome (Mar 7, 2010)

I think an english saddle would be much better for a zebra xD Lighter


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

The naration on the second video says that it may be the first time a zebra has ever been trained. It's sad that anybody would think that. It also leads a viewer to believe that it is showing clips of the zebras training over time but the trainer is wearing the exact same clothes when he is driving the perfectly well mannered zebra as he is when he is trying to ride the wild rogue man killing zebra.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Kevin: hahaha that was funny when you were like, "look a little closer, the girl has a beard" lol Love it dude! I'm also with you on your first post to this thread. Although I always thought it would be very intersting to ride a zebra, I agree with the fact that they can be *******s, and zorses too! But, I do have to say, zebras are really pretty looking.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

I just looked at that weird website about riding animals other than horses. I found that pretty interesting! I've always wondered if it was possible to ride a deer or something rather, yet thought it would be mighty uncomfortable too haha. As for the ostrage (or however you spell it lol) I've seen people ride them before, I've always wanted to do that! Who would have ever thought of riding a large bird? lol weird.


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## dynamite. (Jun 21, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> You better watch the video a little closer. *That "girl" has a beard!!!* There is a much larger zebra in the background so I would assume that the one being ridden is young. The saddle needs a britchen like mule riders use to keep it from sliding forward.


OOPS 
I could have sworn watching it the first time that it was a girl... but now that you told me that I have no idea how I could have mistaken it!


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

dynamite. said:


> OOPS
> I could have sworn watching it the first time that it was a girl... but now that you told me that I have no idea how I could have mistaken it!


I kept watching the video waiting for a girl to get on the zebra. It did look like a nice well mannered little thing.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

i can't remember where but i was looking through horse breeding websites around the states. and found a zebra farm. where the breed zebras and zorses. and they trained their zebras well enough for kids to ride. and they were perfectly well behaved. people even rode them backwards. and laid out in the pasture with them while the zebras were laying down. so saying it isn't possible isn't true. you just haven't found it yet. and as for saying we shouldn't who says we shouldn't? we shouldn't have captured and raised horses in the beginning either but now i'm glad we did. dogs also came from wolves and had to be domesticated. it may be stupid to train a zebra now but once we (if we) get them more domesticated who knows that might be as a good as a horse!


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## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

kevinshorses said:


> You better watch the video a little closer. *That "girl" has a beard!!!*


Oh dear. That tickled me to no end! :lol::lol::lol:


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## SeeinSpotz (Jul 15, 2009)

Not to sound rude.. but you guys are kinda *"judging the book by the cover"*


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## SeeinSpotz (Jul 15, 2009)

i mean yeah there are bad zebra's out there but oviously there are some good ones. =)


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Seeinspotz: Agreed. Although, a majority of them are pretty mean. I also believe that some can make great pets like horses, but in that one video, that man was wayyy too big for that zebra. Maybe they should only be rode by smaller people, unless you have one large enough.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

zebra's come in many differeny sizes and some are almost as large as horses. he just happened to either have a younger one (as kevein said there was a much larger one in the back ground) or he just could have had a smaller species of zebra since there are several species


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## Twilight Arabians (Dec 14, 2008)

The lady I got my horse from had a zebra that was used in close contact with individuals seeking help for their mental health troubles, she was only 2 1/2 when she passed away so she was never riden, but she was very sweet, i never saw her try to bite or kick anyone.


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## englishrider (Feb 4, 2010)

themacpack said:


> Your post made me think back - we once painted a white mare of our's up as a zebra for a parade. The coloring lasted a couple of weeks and we'd see people going by on our road slam on their brakes and sit down there when they would notice her out in the pasture.


LOL that would be funny


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## halflinger (Mar 11, 2010)

well horses were all wild animals too one daybefore humans decided to use them for working the land..if people can ride ostriches then why nt zebras!!!!


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## myhorseisnot4you (Mar 14, 2010)

Interesting, i never thought of a kid riding a zebra


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## SeeingSpots (May 29, 2011)

I have met many Zebras and none have been mean. What's with everyone on here thinking Zebras are mean...

And unpredictable? Okay I understand saying that but that really does not say anything about the Zebra, horses are just as unpredictable. Just saying.... 

Just like mares and stallions some say stallions are more dangerous and unpredictable I disagree. A horse is a horse. A 1000lbs ou have the same chance of getting killed by a mare then you do by a stallion, a gelding, and a zebra. 

Just saying  

Anywho...


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## musicalmarie1 (Dec 8, 2010)

After reading this thread, I think that saying that all zebras are mean would be like me saying all Arabian horses are crazy. Just because the ones you've meet have been less than desirable doesn't mean they all are. 

And like someone said, it took thousands of years for horses and dogs to be fully domesticated, and we're still catching wild mustangs and gentling them. Who knows that the future holds?


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## PoniBoy (Nov 21, 2010)

I like zebras


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

I also like zebras...Caped out and on the wall :wink: 

I would give zebra training a whirl, after I do research of course. This animal is not just a stripped horse as alot of people are applying.


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## PoniBoy (Nov 21, 2010)

I looked at some of the prices of em. expeeeennsssiiiive


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

They require a certain way of training, a certain knowledge level that most don't possess. They can definitely be more difficult to train as they aren't nearly as domesticated as horses. Much akin to saying that a lot of wolves or other wild dogs, or their hybrids wouldn't be a good choice of dog for most people.
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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I must say that it is actually not that hard to train one. A friend of mine owns one, and he is being trained for dressage. Im not saying it isnt hard, but not as hard as some people believe. It is rather like training a VERY stubborn horse, my friend told me once. The first time i rode him, he acted up a bit, but once i got him to understand that i am the boss, he was as laid back as my mare. I now go at least twice a month to give him a spin, as she is to big for him... Im teaching him to jump  and hes quite good. I will try get pictures next time i go
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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

Are Zebras like donkeys or mules at all? Just wondering.
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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

I know people with a Zonkey, he's the cutest darn thing! He is broke to ride but can be quite the handful if the mood suits him. They do more driving with him, at that he is wonderful. His personality is much different than I'm used to with my quarters, but that may be as much donk as zebra, I haven't spent much time around donkeys either. He's very opinionated and they say it takes him 10 to 1 the amt of times on a correction as it does any of their horses because he is very strong willed. He's adorable and I love watching him in their pasture (he is definitely the alpha) but don't think I'd own one.
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