Why Don't We Ride Zebras? 0 35

Initially, people hunted horses for their meat, but later they were able to domesticate them — this became an important step in the history of migrations and the development of civilizations. Archaeologists believe that domestication occurred in the steppes around the Black Sea.

Zebras, on the other hand, descend from a common ancestor with horses and separated from it about 4–4.5 million years ago. An environment with numerous predators has instilled in them a high level of wariness and a pronounced flight instinct. These animals have a strong kick that can fend off even a lion's attack, and they experience a persistent fear of humans, making their taming extremely difficult.

For an animal to be domesticated, it must grow quickly, have a calm temperament, and tolerate close interaction with humans — qualities that zebras do not possess. Although there are a few known cases of partial taming of individual zebras, they are smaller than horses and, due to their natural behaviors, are not suitable for mass use in riding or transportation.