Hybrid animals are often referred to by a portmanteau formed by combining the names of the two parent species: traditionally the father’s species forms the first part of the name, hence: male Zebra + female horse -> Zorse and male horse + female zebra -> Hebra.
A hebra is a cross between a zebra mare and a horse stallion – the rarest of equine inter-species breedings. Horse stallions as a general rule do not like to breed zebra mares.
A zony is a cross between a zebra stallion and a Shetland Pony mare.
A Zonkey (also known as zebrass, zebronkey, zeedonk, zedonk, zebadonk, zenkey, donbra, donbri, donkra, zebrinny, zebrula, or debra) is a cross between a zebra stallion and a donkey jennet (also called a jenny).
"Zonkey" is not the technically correct name for such a cross. The most commonly accepted terms are zebrinny, zebrula, and zedonk.
The zonkey takes the color or dominant color gene of the jennet (also known as a jenny) and the zebra sire gives it stripes.
The zonkey is generally more easily bred for than the zorse as the donkey and zebra both communicate behaviorally using very similar language, but horse language is somewhat different than the zebra's.
A group of horses is a herd and a group of zebras is a zeal.
What is a Zorse?
A zorse or zebrula is a zebroid, specifically the offspring of a zebra stallion and a horse mare.
Like most other hybrids, the zorse is infertile.
The rarity of zebra hinnies and hebras indicates that the smaller number of chromosomes must generally be on the male side if a viable hybrid is to be produced. Before this comes into account, a successful mating needs to be accomplished in the first place.
Many hybrids result from animal husbandry by humans, however interspecific mating is not unknown in the wild. For example, DNA tests have confirmed that a bear shot to death by a hunter in Canada's Northwest Territory was a grizzly/polar bear hybrid. This confirmed scientists' hypothesis that a hybrid zone where such births naturally occur might exist where the two species' habitats overlap.
Zorses are also bred in Africa and used for trekking on Mount Kenya.
Coloration of the Zorse
It is common for people to think a hebra mating produces the solid white patches, such on the animal pictured above, because this animal is one of the few hebras in existance and this picture is widely circulated. Since most people haven't seen another hebra picture, they think it must be the horse stallion - zebra mare mating that produces this color pattern. However, this is not the case.
It is understood that Tobiano (the most common white modifier found in the horse) directly interacts with the Zorse coat to give the white markings. Only the non-depigmented areas will have Zebra striping, resulting in a zorse with white patches and striped patches.
This effect is seen in the zebroid Eclyse (a hebra rather than a zorse - pictured above) born in Stukenbrock, Germany in 2007 to a zebra mare called Eclipse and a stallion called Ulysses.
Breeders avoid using gray mares because the zorse can inherit the graying gene and lose all his stripes in a few years! Even if they lose their stripes, you can still see the stripes on the skin.
Temperament of the Zorse
For example, our common dog breeds are descended from wolves and scientists estimate it took as much as 100 generations for some breeds to become the docile, trusting beasts we keep in our homes today. It takes a minimum of three generations for these wild instincts to begin to dim, and often much longer, before we consider their intensity to be fully domestic. At this time, most zorse and zeadonk crosses are F1s, meaning one parent is a full blood zebra, although there are some on the market that are as much as F17s. Of course an F17 would be a lot more predictible than an F1. You get the idea.These animals are definitely more flighty and stubborn than horses and they can be quite aggressive, so you should have a great deal of horse experience before deciding to get one.
It helps a lot if the mare has a good disposition. Generally, the offspring inherits the striping pattern and some of the conformation of the zebra sire with the size, colouration, and temperament of the domestic mare.You will still have to work harder than with a horse to overcome the natural wild instincts of the zebra, but it helps if the mare doesn't have a nasty dispostion, too.
Males should be gelded as early as a few months old to prevent dangerous studdy behaviour.
Why the Zorse was originally bred
The crosses of zebras with horses, donkeys and ponies were originally done in England and Africa to try to produce a domestic horselike animal that was resistant to diseases spread by the tse tse fly in Africa. Zebras have natural resistance, where domestic donkeys and horses do not.
The experimental crosses were actually becoming popular until early in the 20th century when the auto displaced the horse and mule. At that point cross-breeding was largely abandoned. A revival of interest came in the early 1990s, with just about every breed of domestic horse imaginable is being tried.
Mares of quality, especially Quarter horses and American Paint horses, produce some very beautiful zorses that have a good working attitude.
Longevity of Zorses
Zorses tend to be very hardy and live into their 30s with good care. Their temperaments are generally similar to those of their mothers, but like the zebra they do have a strong flight response. Because of this it's best for a first time hybrid owner to get a zedonk instead. When a zedonk startles he freezes up like a donkey rather than bolting blindly like a horse or zebra.