# What's the difference between zebras and horses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330 "2003-03-05T20:28:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/21 "2003-03-06T01:45:27Z")
Thanks, Alias. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/22 "2003-03-06T01:52:50Z")
The Mr Ed/Zebra thing on snopes was a joke, in the “Lost Legends” section. > [@](#): > > Claim: Mister Ed, the talking equine of television fame, was a horse. > Status: False. > > Origins: Although the Mister Ed television show enjoyed a five-year run on CBS in the early 1960s, it was actually one of the very first series to start out in syndication and then be picked up by a network. (Mister Ed premiered as a syndicated show in January 1961, and CBS added it to their prime time schedule the following October.) Without network backing in the beginning, however, the show’s budget was extremely tight. During the filming of the pilot episode, production costs mounted as the recalcitrant horse cast as Mister Ed refused to perform on cue (if it performed at all), resulting in large expenditures to cover the costs of additional training fees and wasted footage. > > The producers of the show were ready to throw in the towel and write off the venture when one of the putative Mister Ed’s trainers came up with a solution: the nearby Jungleland animal park in Thousand Oaks, California, had a trained Grevy’s zebra that was being used in live shows for the park’s daily tour visitors. The zebra (a female, called “Amelia” by its Jungleland handlers) was trained to perform many of the same actions (e.g., opening and closing its mouth, stamping its feet on cue) required in the Mr. Ed role, and Jungleland consented to lend her out for a few days’ filming. > > Amelia worked out fantastically well, exceeding everyone’s expectations, and the pilot was quickly wrapped up and sold to the syndication market. The producers made a generous donation to Jungleland in exchange for continued use of Amelia, and she appeared in all the syndicated episodes as well as all the shows comprising the series’ entire five-year run on CBS. Amelia retired to Jungleland when Mr. Ed was cancelled after the 1965-66 season, where she lived for three years before being sold at auction when Jungleland closed in 1969. > > The show’s premise, of course, called for a talking horse, not a zebra. The producers felt the concept was already absurd enough without stretching credulity by having to explain why someone would have left a zebra (let alone a talking one) at a country house, so they chose not to explain it at all. They stuck with the original premise instead: Mister Ed was always referred to as a “horse,” and since the series was filmed in black and white, the viewing audience couldn’t tell the difference. > > (The difficulty in resolving closely integrated black and white images on non-color television receivers was one of the primary reasons NFL games were not regularly televised until the mid-1960s, when sales of color TV sets started to outstrip those of black-and-white models. When black-and-white television predominated in the nation’s living rooms, football games were too often disrupted when players ran into the referees, whose black-and-white striped uniform tops made them nearly invisible to onlookers. Likewise, Johnny Cash’s famous televised live concert performance at California’s Folsom Prison in January 1968 proved disastrous when several inmates wearing the traditional black and white prisoner’s garb slipped unnoticed past guards, who had been provided only black and white monitors with which to view the proceedings.) ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/23 "2003-03-06T02:12:56Z")
That stupid Snopes joke… Cecil must get about one letter a week, referring to that idiotic story. Note that the tag line of the Snopes joke is something like, You can trust what Mr Ed says. (“A horse is a horse, of course.”) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/24 "2003-03-06T04:08:11Z")
I hear hoofbeats and think zebra. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/25 "2003-03-06T04:26:56Z")
It had a green dot next to it. I thought Snopes was a credible source. Never again. Assholes! ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/26 "2003-03-06T05:06:40Z")
Since no one has mentioned them yet, allow me to introduce [zorses](http://www.spotsnstripes.com/ZorseInfo.htm) into the discussion. And, apparently, there are [zebrasses and zonies](http://www.geocities.com/zedonknzorse/basics.html), too! While the first link mentions “hebras”, the second link indicates that the “proper” term for a horse stallion and zebra mare would be “hobra”, rather than “hebra”. ---
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/27 "2003-03-06T15:27:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Road Rash \* > It had a green dot next to it. > > I thought Snopes was a credible source. Never again. Assholes! You really should have read the whole thing. Here is the part you obviously missed. > [@](#): > > Claim: Common sense dictates that you should never fully rely upon someone else to do fact checking for you. But who has time for common sense? > Origins: If you’re reading this page, chances are you’re here because something about one or all of the entries in The Repository Of Lost Legends (TROLL) section of this site struck you as a tadge suspect, if not downright wrong. > > If any or all of the stories in this section caused your internal clue phone to ring, we hope you didn’t let the answering machine take the call. That niggling little voice of common sense whispering to you in the background was right – there was something wrong with what you read. > > You’ve just had an enounter with False Authority Syndrome. > > Everything in this section is a spoof. Mister Ed was no more a zebra than the origin of the nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence had anything to do with pirates on a recruiting drive… Simply put the whole TROLL section is fake. The rest of the site should generally be right. But as the point behind the section proves even with reputable sites (including the Straight Dope) one should never check his/her common sense at the door. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_The\_Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Buck\_The\_Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_The_Diver)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/28 "2003-03-06T16:53:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dr\_Paprika \* > \*\*I hear hoofbeats and think zebra. \*\* Doc, I’ll bet that not too many folks outside of the medical professions get this, but in the context of this thread it’s pretty darn funny. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/29 "2003-03-06T18:09:42Z")
Remember that Shetland/zebra hybrid that was born on '01? Here’s a [link](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_337509.html?menu=news.quirkies) and [another.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1408717.stm) Anyone know if this foal is still alive? I can’t find anything recent about it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/30 "2003-03-06T18:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darwin’s Finch \* > \*\*Since no one has mentioned them yet, allow me to introduce [zorses](http://www.spotsnstripes.com/ZorseInfo.htm) into the discussion. > > And, apparently, there are [zebrasses and zonies](http://www.geocities.com/zedonknzorse/basics.html), too! > > While the first link mentions “hebras”, the second link indicates that the “proper” term for a horse stallion and zebra mare would be “hobra”, rather than “hebra”. \*\* So. . . Maybe we should rename a horse/donkey cross as a “honkey.”:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/31 "2003-03-06T19:20:19Z")
originally posted by Mjollnir > [@](#): > > BTW, the essay is “What, If Anything, Is a Zebra” in the “Hen’s Teeth” collection. Thanks Mjollnir, you beat me to it! In that essay, Gould answers (among other urgent questions) the subject "is a zebra white with black stripes or the other way around? " I won’t spoiler the answer for you, though. Read the essay, you’ll thank Mjollnir (and me) later 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/32 "2003-03-06T22:13:42Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Dr\_Paprika_ > I hear hoofbeats and think zebra. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Buck The Diver \* > Doc, I’ll bet that not too many folks outside of the medical professions get this, but in the context of this thread it’s pretty darn funny. 😃 Don’t bet too much money. In an early episode of ER, Greene said this to Carter. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/33 "2003-03-08T00:33:42Z")
Apart from the simple fact that they’re two different species, the most important difference between horses and zebras is that the horse is a domesticated animal and the zebra (even the one you saw in a circus act) is a wild animal. Horses have been selectively bred for thousands of years to make them tractable and safe for humans to be around. Zebras haven’t. It’s like the difference between dogs and wolves – which ARE the same species, techically, but the one line has been domesticated and the other left wild. A wolf-owner once told me wolves can be socialized but never domesticated; you don’t want one for a pet unless you really know what you’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/34 "2003-03-08T23:03:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BrainGlutton \* > \*\*It’s like the difference between dogs and wolves – which ARE the same species, techically, … \*\* No, they aren’t. Domestic dog = _Canis familiaris_, grey/timber wolf = _Canis lupus_. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/35 "2003-03-09T03:04:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > No, they aren’t. Domestic dog = _Canis familiaris_, grey/timber wolf = _Canis lupus_. Not always anymore :). Many authorities now consider domestic dogs, dingos, and wolves to all be members of the same species - Canis lupus\*. The domestic dog is now sometimes referred to as a subspecies, Canis lupus familiaris. [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/mammalia/carnivora/canidae.html](http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/chordata/mammalia/carnivora/canidae.html) - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Velocity2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Velocity2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity2k)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/36 "2003-03-14T02:29:54Z")
Thanks for all the info; by answering my question I now have unparalleled faith in the Teeming Millions. I now know where to go whenever I have an odd question. Also, regarding the “Mr. Ed as zebra” line of thinking I pulled this quote from a seemingly official Mr. Ed website: "Away from the bright lights and cameras, Mister Ed started his days as a parade and show horse named Bamboo Harvester. He was foaled in 1949 in El Monte, California. A zebra was briefly used in several scenes in the series when Ed was unable to some difficult stunts, but there’s no truth to the myth that a zebra was used the whole time. Ed was definitely a horse!" I think the key phrases are “briefly used” and “several scenes” If you’re a Mr. Ed aficionado then check out Mr. Ed Online at [http://members.aol.com/mwn3/](http://members.aol.com/mwn3/). Again, thanks for all your help! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Velocity2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity2k)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330/37 "2003-03-14T02:29:57Z")
Thanks for all the info; by answering my question I now have unparalleled faith in the Teeming Millions. I now know where to go whenever I have an odd question. Also, regarding the “Mr. Ed as zebra” line of thinking I pulled this quote from a seemingly official Mr. Ed website: "Away from the bright lights and cameras, Mister Ed started his days as a parade and show horse named Bamboo Harvester. He was foaled in 1949 in El Monte, California. A zebra was briefly used in several scenes in the series when Ed was unable to some difficult stunts, but there’s no truth to the myth that a zebra was used the whole time. Ed was definitely a horse!" I think the key phrases are “briefly used” and “several scenes” If you’re a Mr. Ed aficionado then check out Mr. Ed Online at [http://members.aol.com/mwn3/](http://members.aol.com/mwn3/). Again, thanks for all your help! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-difference-between-zebras-and-horses/159330.md?page=1)