Zebra...

[danischi24]

Hmm-I'm thinking of getting a zebra. I come from Africa & always wanted a zorse but never got a zebra for some reason. I now live in Israel & a friend says that there are some Bedouins down south with a few zebras. I want one for riding as I get bored with the usual thing. I've trained horses most of my life & usually work with stallions or wild horses. I've broke in wild donkeys too. The zebra will probably be a 2 or 3 year old stallion & straight out the wild. Any tips from people who have zebras? I know it would be easier to get a weanling & raise him up but I want something that will be ridable soon & I know what I'm doing with equines. Any training tips?

 

[Slinkytoys]

Hope you have good health insurance. There's reasons you don't see natives riding zebras. It's hard to break a zorse raised in captivity, much less a wild captured zebra. Even with excellent training and conditioning, the hybrids are not reliable. I knew a trainer who rode his zorse at the Colorado stock show and did quite well. Same animal almost killed him a few weeks later. I have rehabbed many zoo animals over the years. Trust me, a wild animal with "training" is STILL a WILD animal.
Slinky

 

[danischi24]

The reason most of the people I grew up with didn't ride zebra is cause they are so darn uncomfortable (ridden one) & not worth the trouble. I've known a few people to have them though but most were raised on the bottle & were female. Any training tips from people who have had zebra? I'm thinking that the 1st thing to do is to pole tether it in a pen & feed it everyday by hand til it is used to me. This will also go a long way towards leading etc as it will have learned that it can't fight against the halter. It's what I did with the wild donkeys & is the position my wild horse was in when I bought him.

 

[bagendhens]

after working with zebras both bottle raised and wild caught in a zoo setting...
NOT WORTH IT

particularly a stallion
geldings are snarky and down right nasty enough...
why the heck would you want a equine as unpredictable and prone ot agression as a zebra and ADD to that a wild caught intact one?!

the zebra i worked with...
if you didnt have the whip with you they wouldnt even bother even faking respect...with the whip theyd listen reluctantly but the moment they THINK your not paying attention.
we had to literally lock them out of the barn to clean the barn, without locking they would bite and pull the doors open and happily attack.

ive worked with adult lions, silverback gorilla, adult male orangutan (who could have pulled my arm OFF), hyena packs, giraffe and elephant who could have thrown me in a second..., ive worked with draft horses...sport bred horses, dogs...im 300lbs, mostly muscle ruby player, ive been under foot of bull elephants, ect...
theres only 1 animal i now flat out REFUSE to work with in any enviroment
and thats the zebra.
they are NOTHING like horses in personality...
a horse will learn to respect you, many horses even enjoy human company...
zebra (and ive worked with over 40) just dont enjoy the company of people.
bottle raised are a little easier, they at least associate humans with good things and will tolerate human presence...bottle rasied CAN be halter trained, though they are never anywhere even remotly close to being trained like a horse can be...
but wild caught?

if you want one simply for "looks" and can provide the CORRECT environment for a few in a zoological type setting, sure...
but a single intact stripey with the hopes of saddle breaking...even bottle raise...
its about as smart as keeping a lion in a meat packing plant.

side note, many wild caught zebra do not survive long in captivity, especially the way your describing as trying to keep it...
transportation is very stressfull, tethering a herd animal alone to a post...

*shakes head*

 

[danischi24]

I've worked with a lot of wild animals too & I would like a zebra specifically because they are nasty, unpredictable & aggressive. I have ridden just about everything ridable & they all get sweet & quiet with a bit of mileage, no matter how nuts they are to start with. I would like a challenge & I think this is it. It will be transported for 2 hours in a covered cattle trailer as I know my wild horses would go straight through the front of a horsebox so a zebra probably would too. If I don't have him tethered from the start, my job will only be harder & more dangerous later on. I have heard that they are similar to mules in training method. Horses are also herd animals & the most successful method I have ever seen to train the wild horses in Southern Africa, is the post method.
Now, trying to dissuade me won't work so more positive feedback on training methods would be greatly appreciated & sucked up like a dry sponge.
I've never worked with mules so I'm a little lacking in that department.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
A captive-born weanling that you raise up will be "safely" (insofar as zebras are ever safe) rideable much sooner than an adult wild-caught stud zebra, IMHO. Unless by rideable you mean having stayed on for 8 seconds before you hit the dirt.

Some times the apparently-short way is actually the loooooong (or impassible) way...

(e.t.a. - "don't do it, as it is likely to get someone hurt and turn out poorly" IS training advice, IMHO. If you want something more specific to your situation, I'd suggest "get a few wild donkeys or feral mules and train THEM first, it will be educational and much safer and likelier to end up well")

Ever wonder *why* you've "known a few people to have them though but most were raised on the bottle & were female"? It is probably not because the whole rest of the world is just lazy or stupid... it may reflect people actually knowing something important, there...

Best of luck, hope you don't have any dependants who will be inconvenienced by your incapacitation,

Pat

 

[danischi24]

I plan to hit the dirt as seldom as possible ;-)
I wonder how long that resolution will last? Anyway, what you say is true to a point but jeepers, no ways it will take 2-3 years to break in a zebra. My worst horses take me a day from scratch so I'm thinking that the zebra will take a few weeks to months. I'm thinking that a 2 year old & a weanling will be equally wild anyway.
P.S there are no captive born weanlings here. Only one or 2 zoos have them & for some reason they are not breeding. Plus they are just as unhandled & probably have less respect. The herd I will be getting mine from are owned by the desert arabs.

ETA. 4 months ago I took on 3 wild donkeys & had them going like superstars on the trail within a month. I do not have any dependents & I am actually rather careful & seldom put myself in a position where I am in danger. I've worked with wild or dangerous equines all my life.
Also, the reason that my friends have females that were bottle raised is more coincidence than anything else. They lived in game parks & rescued orphaned babies which happened to both be females. One is now a pet & one is used for movies.

 

[bantamsrus]

I work at a vet clinic (MI) and some idiots here bought a zebra weanling (5mo) to use in their roadside petting zoo. What did they do? Put it outside with their mini horses. It's in the 20's here!!!! The poor thing came into the clinic hypoglycemic, w/ a temp of 85 and unable to get up.

Uh, helloooo.......This is not Africa!!!!

Yes, the zebra survived. But the owners are still idiots! Get information before you but any kind of animal!!!

 

[danischi24]

Yeah, luckily this is Asia Minor so cold isn't a problem. Heat is but if the horses, donkeys & zebra can make it, mine should do fine with some shade & a fan. Also, he will be mature.
Actually though, I had a calf go hyperthermic on me tonight but she had birth problems & was 2 hours old. Nothing like a heat lamp, a warm IV infusion, blankets & a hot water bottle to spoil a sick little calf-she had a smug look on her face when I left ;-)

 

[redhen]

I think you'll do fine with one! You seem to have alot of experience with handleing animals.. Good luck!