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I Photographed A Zorse – The Hybrid Most People Don’t Think Exists (10 Photos)
Last year, I met an animal which I thought would only exist in my fantasy: a zorse, the hybrid between a zebra stallion and a horse mare. Zuri, the mare you see in the photo, was only 1.5 years old and although I’ve been working as a photographer with horses for over 6 years, this was different from anything I’ve known so far.
The wild instinct is very strong in zorses and I had to rethink a lot of techniques to get the animal’s attention during the session. While a horse is a typical flight animal, a zorse is ready to fight. A horse is curious, a zorse doesn’t want to be bothered, which makes the interaction during photo sessions a challenge. In Africa, zorses are often bred to be trekking animals to transport people and goods through tough landscapes. They are strong, light-feed and very resistant to illness – they combine the best features of both a zebra and a horse.
Outside Africa, where I met this particular zorse, these hybrids are very rare and usually bred for simple lifestyle and visual reasons. Zuri is a sweet mare, with a flicker of wilderness in her eyes and I wanted to create photos that express the proud exotic miracle she is.
More info: Instagram
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Proud crossbreed between a zebra and a horse
In the European jungle…
Do you see her marks? Just beautiful!
A sweet mare, as you can see from the soft look on her face
Making of
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What do you think ?
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
It's kind of surprising how few chromosomes zebras have, compared with horses. It almost seem to point to a genetic bottleneck far back in time, perhaps even a near-extinction.
Load More Replies...
Max L. 6 years ago
I used to part time in the biggest italian private stable, were we had two. They were born from the free love of two zebra sisters who were left by a circus, not being in condition to barn them properly, and kept in an open fields with several horses, ponies and even a cow, all happy togheter. The first born her father was an argentinian, the second the dad was spanish so we named him "zelu" (a lusitano breed :D). The first was mad when very young, then somewhat assessed and became eventually good. The second one was still too young and her aunt was guarding her sister and the small half breed by kicking "in the air" to warn : if you get any closer, Ill hit you. zebralla-5...eed9e2.jpg 
Max L. 6 years ago
And this is Zelu :) with mom and aunt :) zelu-5d109...9e7731.jpg 
Jeff Requier 6 years ago
So a Mule is what happens when you breed a Horse and donkey but the best you could do for something bred from a Horse and Zebra is Zorse?
Natasha Forchione 6 years ago
Unless you call it a Hebra? Or Hobra? Zerse? LOL
Load More Replies...
Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
Such a beautiful animal. But seriously, "most" people think they don't exist? I would argue that most people have never heard of them, but not believing they exist is a bit of a stretch.
Teanna Byerts 6 years ago
Stunning photos! Fabulous equine! (wondering if her horse side is Arabian). It takes a very knowledgeable horseman to handle a zebra/horse cross, this one looks extremely well trained and cared for.
SirPatTheCat 6 years ago
OMG IT LOOKS LIKE A PILOHIPPUS, WHICH IS THE MOST RECENT HORSE ANCESTOR LOOK IT UP JDJSNSNJAKAKANAN
Amme Hodgson 6 years ago
At first glance I thought it was a Fjord pony. It is striking, certainly. Such odd conformation , though. She seems... disproportionate.
Laura Perkinson 6 years ago
Damn! she is beautiful! I am surprised more ranchers do not use these for packing ( if they still do that) I would just like to look at her every day!
Brenda Owens 6 years ago
She's absolutely gorgeous, thank you for giving us this precious gift.
Id row 6 years ago
Why do we consider breeding humans with other species monstrous when we do it with animals all the time? If these animals were meant to breed with one another, they would have on their own by now. Same thing with ligers. We are doing this to them simply for human amusement and profit and I find that disgusting. I really hate our species sometimes.
Charlotte Brine 6 years ago
Not all of them are bred by force,take a look at max.C's comment a bit further up. So if left to roam free together, which isn't usually the case for these two breeds in the wild. But when that has been the case, zebra and horses bred naturally.
Load More Replies...
Juan-Carlos Saez 6 years ago
Beautiful, for some reason reminds me a primitive horse, like back 100.000 years in horse´s linage
divydumdrop hello 6 years ago
The photos and the animal are both stunning! Amazing photography!!
Russian Otaku 6 years ago
Not sure why but this images look like a portfolio to a suitor for an arranged marriage or something to me
Bluebell Rizzi 6 years ago
is it me, or does this zorse have more style than every other being on this earth?
Alessandra Ricotta 6 years ago
I NEED ONEEE! Btw, it looks like a fairy animal, almost like a "spirit of the lands" or something. Reminds me of some ancient horse, like a dinosaur one!
Gaya Knust 6 years ago
Their common ancestor looked a but like this, albeit shorter, if my memory on my biology books serves me correctly.
knittin' kitten 6 years ago
Why not have zebras cross breed with horses we grizzly and polar bears cross breeding into some scary hybrid. This one might be "harmless" but it's not natural. You can't replace things with other things it doesn't work. Why is a horse and zebra in the same location anyway? Deer and antelope maybe theres a song so it must be true lol but no song has ever been written for the horse and the zebra.
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
Grizzly and polar bears are actually pretty closely related and descend from a common ancestor quite recently. So, they have the same chromosome count. Horses and zebras do not, so there's not any danger of them becoming a "scary" hybrid.
Load More Replies...
Susann Campbell 6 years ago
This is absolutely a beautiful horse. New breeds are coming faster and I love it.
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
These hybrids are sterile, so it will never be a breed. Horses have 64 chromosomes, most varieties of zebra have fewer than 54.
Load More Replies... TheExtremeSmell 6 years ago
One wonders when we will stop playing god just to have tastier horse meat
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
It's kind of surprising how few chromosomes zebras have, compared with horses. It almost seem to point to a genetic bottleneck far back in time, perhaps even a near-extinction.
Load More Replies... Max L. 6 years ago
I used to part time in the biggest italian private stable, were we had two. They were born from the free love of two zebra sisters who were left by a circus, not being in condition to barn them properly, and kept in an open fields with several horses, ponies and even a cow, all happy togheter. The first born her father was an argentinian, the second the dad was spanish so we named him "zelu" (a lusitano breed :D). The first was mad when very young, then somewhat assessed and became eventually good. The second one was still too young and her aunt was guarding her sister and the small half breed by kicking "in the air" to warn : if you get any closer, Ill hit you. zebralla-5...eed9e2.jpg
Max L. 6 years ago
And this is Zelu :) with mom and aunt :) zelu-5d109...9e7731.jpg
Jeff Requier 6 years ago
So a Mule is what happens when you breed a Horse and donkey but the best you could do for something bred from a Horse and Zebra is Zorse?
Natasha Forchione 6 years ago
Unless you call it a Hebra? Or Hobra? Zerse? LOL
Load More Replies... Aahzmandus Pervect 6 years ago
Such a beautiful animal. But seriously, "most" people think they don't exist? I would argue that most people have never heard of them, but not believing they exist is a bit of a stretch.
Teanna Byerts 6 years ago
Stunning photos! Fabulous equine! (wondering if her horse side is Arabian). It takes a very knowledgeable horseman to handle a zebra/horse cross, this one looks extremely well trained and cared for.
SirPatTheCat 6 years ago
OMG IT LOOKS LIKE A PILOHIPPUS, WHICH IS THE MOST RECENT HORSE ANCESTOR LOOK IT UP JDJSNSNJAKAKANAN
Amme Hodgson 6 years ago
At first glance I thought it was a Fjord pony. It is striking, certainly. Such odd conformation , though. She seems... disproportionate.
Laura Perkinson 6 years ago
Damn! she is beautiful! I am surprised more ranchers do not use these for packing ( if they still do that) I would just like to look at her every day!
Brenda Owens 6 years ago
She's absolutely gorgeous, thank you for giving us this precious gift.
Id row 6 years ago
Why do we consider breeding humans with other species monstrous when we do it with animals all the time? If these animals were meant to breed with one another, they would have on their own by now. Same thing with ligers. We are doing this to them simply for human amusement and profit and I find that disgusting. I really hate our species sometimes.
Charlotte Brine 6 years ago
Not all of them are bred by force,take a look at max.C's comment a bit further up. So if left to roam free together, which isn't usually the case for these two breeds in the wild. But when that has been the case, zebra and horses bred naturally.
Load More Replies... Juan-Carlos Saez 6 years ago
Beautiful, for some reason reminds me a primitive horse, like back 100.000 years in horse´s linage
divydumdrop hello 6 years ago
The photos and the animal are both stunning! Amazing photography!!
Russian Otaku 6 years ago
Not sure why but this images look like a portfolio to a suitor for an arranged marriage or something to me
Bluebell Rizzi 6 years ago
is it me, or does this zorse have more style than every other being on this earth?
Alessandra Ricotta 6 years ago
I NEED ONEEE! Btw, it looks like a fairy animal, almost like a "spirit of the lands" or something. Reminds me of some ancient horse, like a dinosaur one!
Gaya Knust 6 years ago
Their common ancestor looked a but like this, albeit shorter, if my memory on my biology books serves me correctly.
knittin' kitten 6 years ago
Why not have zebras cross breed with horses we grizzly and polar bears cross breeding into some scary hybrid. This one might be "harmless" but it's not natural. You can't replace things with other things it doesn't work. Why is a horse and zebra in the same location anyway? Deer and antelope maybe theres a song so it must be true lol but no song has ever been written for the horse and the zebra.
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
Grizzly and polar bears are actually pretty closely related and descend from a common ancestor quite recently. So, they have the same chromosome count. Horses and zebras do not, so there's not any danger of them becoming a "scary" hybrid.
Load More Replies... Susann Campbell 6 years ago
This is absolutely a beautiful horse. New breeds are coming faster and I love it.
R.s. Potter 6 years ago
These hybrids are sterile, so it will never be a breed. Horses have 64 chromosomes, most varieties of zebra have fewer than 54.
Load More Replies... TheExtremeSmell 6 years ago
One wonders when we will stop playing god just to have tastier horse meat
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