Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-03-30
RIDE ON STRIPED HORSES.
Sort Of Zebra Mule Used by Cavalry In
South Africa.

Clovland plain,Doaler,-ln the
photographs OF military maneuvers
taken 1T the principal cities OF German
East Africa all the officers and troop
ers are mounted on striped horses.
On reflection one decides that these
must be 2ebras, and is surprised to
find that SO Wild and shy an animal
has been successfully reduced into
state Of such docile suhservienoe to
human utilities,
Neither superstition, however. IL
correct, hut, rather, the two are equal
~ true and equally false. Tho AMI.
mails In question are "zohrulas,' which
arc hyhrids between the horse AMI the
zebra,
Many experiments In the cross
mCoding of wild animals have been
nado at tho Hagenbock geological gar
dens In Hamburg Many have been
successful, but the gehrula Is the only
product thus far yielded that has nj.
ready attained to great commercial Inn
pnrtanco The first experiments In
the crossing OF the horse and the
zebra were made about nine years
ago With experience they became
more aud moro successful, until the
zohruln, ms tho animal thus artitlcially
produced was called, reached high
state Of perfection, combining the do.
cility of the horse with tho special
qualities OF the zebra,
The German army In Africa had
suffered great inconvenience from in
convenience from inability to aocll-
mate the horse and mule In that part
OF tho world and secure them from
the ravages OF the deadly tse.tso ny.
which has destroyed tens OF thous-
ands Of mules since the first attempts
nj tho introduction OF the latter.
AS soon as the military officers OF
the German government heard OF tho
Hamburg experiments they began to
watch them with close attention ana
as soon as possible undertook to test
the applicability OF the zebrula to mil
itary uses The zebra, which IL native
10 tho country, can only be broken TO
the saddle or the harness by many
years OF sklllful discipline, and even
then never becomes Trustworthy, but
the new animal was found to be gen.
tie ms horse. much stronger than n
mule and entirely immune from tho
tsctse,
The imperial government Of Ger
many then established breeding sta
tion In Its Africa colony. At this sta.
ton zebrulns are being bred as rapid
~ M possible, and already they are
regularly used In the mountain bat
teres OF the colonial service. They
are being introduced for mounting Of
ficers and men and for draft purposes
In the other branches of the service as
fast as they become available In SUI.
ilclent numbers.
Several specimens of the zebrula
were exhibited In the great live stock
pavilion OF the worlds fair and made
quite sensation there because OF
wonderful beauty. They were then
removed To the Hagenbeck collection
Of Wild animals In another part OF the
grounds. Those exhibited are per-
fectly broken to the harness and pres
ent 80 many good paints that nnmer-
ous persons have made inquiries with
view 10 acquiring similar ones for
fancy driving.
Germany will probably absorb for
military purposes all the available
supply for several years to come. but
whenever these animals have been
produced in sufficiently large mum
beers 10 enable them to be placed upon
the general market II Is likely that
they will become one Of the fads OF the
hour, and no member OF what we used
TO call the smart set" will be con-
tented TO drive otherwise than behind
spanking pair Of zebrulas.
Besides the cross between the horse
and the zebra a similar hybrid Is dis
played which is combination OF the
zebra and the donkey. and therefore
sort Of zebrula mule.