Spirit of Zeb lives on

pennyspike

10

5 Jun 2009 - 12:37 PM

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Down in Deepest Dorset there is another way of travelling to meets

keith selmes

9

5 Jun 2009 - 1:09 PM

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I've been puzzled by the reputation the zebra has as difficult to break in, as Captain Hayes wrote, in Points of the Horse, the "Burchell zebra is comparatively easy to break in, and as it will breed in confinement, there is but little doubt that it will in time become domesticated"
Hayes actually spent some time in South Africa, and did work with a zebra, but it isn't clear how much real experience he had.

Perhaps its the dodgy personality problems they have ? or they just haven't been bred long enough to work out the problems and develop a useful type.

Anyway, that was in 1892. In 1893 Carl Benz built his first four wheel motor car, or zebra-less carriage as you might call it. Might be relevant.

Overread

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5 Jun 2009 - 2:31 PM

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I suppose its the simple fact that without a long selective breeding program zebras still retain too much independance and too much skittishness (run away is a perfectly valid tactic to escape lions when you have 4 legs!).
Thus they are just not that amenable to training - I am sure that a selective breeding program could make them tame - though it would take a long time to get stable bloodlines - just as it is with most mammal species.
I suppose with an already extensive horse breeds market - with many often coming under threat due ot shifts in popularity and working use - that there is just no gap for them outside of the odd hollywood movie (and they prefer the cheaper painting option )

JJGEE

8

5 Jun 2009 - 5:57 PM

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I thought "Zeb" was the epz meets mascot that got sent on from one to the next for the meet "Team" photo.

Kris_Dutson

10

5 Jun 2009 - 9:00 PM

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I think it laid down outside the pub for a kip and someone from the highways dept stuck some belisha beacons in it.....