Emily Chan
Animal hybrids aren’t anything new. People have been merging different species together since at least the nineteenth century.
There have been crosses between animals like lions and tigers, buffalos and cows, and, of course, zebras and horses.
It’s not every day that you see a zorse! This unique, eye-catching animal was created when humans decided to breed a male zebra with a female horse. Zorses are just one of the many equine hybrids that are referred to as zebroids.
Zebroids are the result of breeding a zebra with any other equine, such as a horse or donkey. They were originally bred in Africa as pack animals to pull heavy loads and for their abilities to resist diseases native to Africa.
Zorses vary in size, shape, and color. However, they typically reach 51 to 64 inches tall. They often come out looking like their mothers but with the dark striping of their fathers. So, they’re basically horses with stripes.
Unlike zebras, their stripes do not cover their entire bodies. Instead, the zorse’s markings tend to be confined to their legs, neck, and backsides.
The zorse is known for being a sturdy and hardy animal. Its zebra genes help make them more resistant to the diseases that horses and donkeys are usually affected by. Compared to regular horses, zorses are more aggressive.
Those who have worked with zorses have found that their disagreeable temperament makes them harder to train than the long-domesticated horse.
It is possible for a zorse to live up to thirty years, but as with many other animal hybrids, the zorse is born infertile.
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