He's Breaking Zebras To Saddle, Harness

1989 - Volume #13, Issue #1, Page #19

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Zebras can be broken to harness and will even tolerate a saddle with enough training, says California horseman Virl Norton who's doing what everyone says can't be done. He's training zebras.
Norton bought his pair of zebras for about $5,000 apiece at the annual Exotic Animal Auction in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Within a week after the first animal had arrived, he had the zebra - which is named Zeke - pulling a wagon alongside a mature, patient mare.
"I had to tranquilize the animal before I could get close enough to put a halter on the first time. Then I had to tie his mouth shut because otherwise he'd bite like crazy," Norton told FARM SHOW, adding that during training he made sure he was the only one who fed and watered the zebra so that the animal would become dependent on him. After a week of almost continuous work, he hitched Zeke up and drove down a busy nearby highway, causing a minor traffic jam.
Norton says the problem with zebras is that they've been wild for so long they have little aptitude for training. "You have to start from the beginning again every time unless you work with the animal constantly.
They've been wild for 5 million years or more so a few weeks of training isn't going to make much difference."
In addition to the male Zeke, Norton also owns a large mare that he hopes to breed to an Arabian stallion to produce a "zabian". He hopes the offspring will make a good riding horse. "The zebra is extremely strong and has tremendous endurance. If we can combine those qualities with the personality and brains of an Arabian, then we would really have something."
Norton points out that zebras have al-ready been bred successfully to Welsh ponies (to produce "zonies") and donkeys ("zeedonks"). He notes that there's a lot of interest in zebra crosses from participants in cross country endurance races in which participants ride horses over rough terrain for long distances. Norton himself is in the Guiness Book Of Records for the fastest horseback ride across the United States. Competing against 102 riders from 13 countries, the 70-year-old Norton won the event by averaging 32 miles per day and covering the entire 3,500 miles in 315 hours.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Yirl Norton, 20206 Harry Rd., San Jose, Calif. 95120 (ph 408 268-1745).

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He's Breaking Zebras to Saddle, Harness AG WORLD Ag World 13-1-19 Zebras can be broken to harness and will even tolerate a saddle with enough training, says California horseman Virl Norton who's doing what everyone says can't be done. He's training zebras. Norton bought his pair of zebras for about $5,000 apiece at the annual Exotic Animal Auction in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Within a week after the first animal had arrived, he had the zebra - which is named Zeke - pulling a wagon alongside a mature, patient mare. "I had to tranquilize the animal before I could get close enough to put a halter on the first time. Then I had to tie his mouth shut because otherwise he'd bite like crazy," Norton told FARM SHOW, adding that during training he made sure he was the only one who fed and watered the zebra so that the animal would become dependent on him. After a week of almost continuous work, he hitched Zeke up and drove down a busy nearby highway, causing a minor traffic jam. Norton says the problem with zebras is that they've been wild for so long they have little aptitude for training. "You have to start from the beginning again every time unless you work with the animal constantly. They've been wild for 5 million years or more so a few weeks of training isn't going to make much difference." In addition to the male Zeke, Norton also owns a large mare that he hopes to breed to an Arabian stallion to produce a "zabian". He hopes the offspring will make a good riding horse. "The zebra is extremely strong and has tremendous endurance. If we can combine those qualities with the personality and brains of an Arabian, then we would really have something." Norton points out that zebras have al-ready been bred successfully to Welsh ponies (to produce "zonies") and donkeys ("zeedonks"). He notes that there's a lot of interest in zebra crosses from participants in cross country endurance races in which participants ride horses over rough terrain for long distances. Norton himself is in the Guiness Book Of Records for the fastest horseback ride across the United States. Competing against 102 riders from 13 countries, the 70-year-old Norton won the event by averaging 32 miles per day and covering the entire 3,500 miles in 315 hours. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Yirl Norton, 20206 Harry Rd., San Jose, Calif. 95120 (ph 408 268-1745).

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