Is Zebra a Horse? Hippotigris Is Closer to Donkeys Than Horses

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Charles J. Sharp )
Is Zebra a Horse? Hippotigris Is Closer To Donkeys Than Horses

Zebra is often compared to a horse, with some calling it a horse with stripes. However, it's closer to a donkey than a horse.

Is Zebra a Horse?

There is confusion about zebra's history, with many wondering if they are horses with stripes. They are not.

The relationship between zebras and donkeys is closer than between horses and zebras. Yes, zebras are much like donkeys beneath the stripes, but they differ in several ways.

According to scientific research, the main Equus genus split into two distinct groups long ago - non-caballoids, such as zebras and donkeys, and caballoids, the "true horses." Zebras and donkeys are technically more related than horses because of this divide in their evolutionary history! You'll have a greater appreciation for donkeys and zebras the more you understand their relationship.

Even though they are all members of the equine species, zebras, donkeys, and horses, each has unique traits. Zebras are nearly impossible to train, which is the main distinction between them and their domesticated cousins. Zebras that have been abducted from their natural habitat and trained by humans are scarce.

This is because, in contrast to their Eurasian counterparts, which essentially only had to contend with wolves, zebras have had to survive in Africa, where there are many enormous predators. This implies that they will naturally defend themselves much more fiercely when confronted.

Zebras are neither donkeys nor horses. Zebras are made up of three distinct species -- mountain zebra, Grévy's zebra, and plains zebra are the three species that make up the zebra family.

Lions and hyenas are the two predators that hunt zebras in the wild most frequently. Most of them live in the wild, where humans occasionally hunt them for meat.

Zebras typically have round-tipped ears, chubby bodies, and straight-up manes that resemble mohawks. Zebras are distinguished by the black and white stripes that cover their body.

ALSO READ: Zebra Stripes Has a Purpose; Monochrome Pattern Helps Protect Them From Horseflies [STUDY]

Zebra Vs Horse: Physical Traits and Personality

Zebras are smaller than horses and weigh lighter than them. Most zebras are between 3.8 and 5.25 feet tall, with a maximum length of 9 feet. At their tallest, horses can reach heights of 5 to 7 feet and a maximum length of 8 feet. Zebras can be longer than horses, but horses are generally larger than zebras.

Horses can weigh anything from 600 to 1,200 pounds, while zebras can reach a maximum weight of about 900 pounds. Horses are often heavier and bigger than zebras. Horses can run faster because of their larger stature.

Regarding personality, horses are not as violent or stubborn as zebras. Zebras are extremely difficult to tame, which is another reason humans don't ride them often, aside from their size and back forms. Once more, since humans have domesticated horses for thousands of years, we cannot be sure that they were formerly as vicious or difficult to tame as zebras.

Although most horse breeds raised in captivity are far calmer than zebras, wild horses are still around and are more afraid than aggressive.

Zebras may originate from an area where they can avoid certain hazards but not all of them, which could cause their aggressiveness. They go into fight-or-flight mode when something gets too close to them, forcing them to make a stand in the hopes of surviving.