Equid hybrids, also called hybrid equines, are created from the crossing of members from the horse family such as a horse, donkey and zebra.Equid Hybrids. (2014, June). Retrieved from http://www.best-top10-list.com/view/article/2811/equid-hybridsHYBRID EQUINES. (2014, March). Retrieved from http://messybeast.com/genetics/hybrid-equines.htm

History

Hybrid equids have been created since ancient times. As early as the

3rd millennium BC The 3rd millennium BC spanned the years 3000 through 2001 BC. This period of time corresponds to the Early to Middle Bronze Age, characterized by the early empires in the Ancient Near East. In Ancient Egypt, the Early Dynastic Period is followe ...

Mesopotamians Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

crossbred the domestic

donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as ...

with the now-extinct

Syrian wild ass The Syrian wild ass (''Equus hemionus hemippus''), less commonly known as a hemippe, an achdari, or a Mesopotamian or Syrian onager, is an extinct subspecies of onager native to the Arabian peninsula and surrounding areas. It ranged across present ...

to produce a hybrid known as a Kunga. Horse-donkey hybrids (the

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two po ...

and

hinny A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The ...

) are also of ancient vintage, as evidenced by their presence in works such as the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...

and the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' Zebroids are known from more recent times; in 1820,

George Douglas, 16th Earl of Morton George Douglas, 16th Earl of Morton, KT, FRS, FRSE, FSA (3 April 1761 – 17 July 1827) was a British nobleman. Life He was the son of Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of Morton, and Katherine Hamilton. He succeeded to the title Earl of Morton in 17 ...

hybridized a domestic horse with a

quagga The quagga ( or ) (''Equus quagga quagga'') is a subspecies of the plains zebra that was endemic to South Africa until it was hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. It was long thought to be a distinct species, but early genetic ...

(see

Lord Morton's mare Lord Morton’s mare was an equid hybrid and once an often-noticed example in the history of evolutionary theory. In 1820, George Douglas, 16th Earl of Morton, F.R.S., reported to the President of the Royal Society that, being desirous of dome ...

). From the 20th century on, a greater diversity of equid hybrids have been created, beginning with the crossbreeding of zebras and donkeys.Kerr, J. (2015, November). INSIDE TRACK: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO HORSE AND RIDER. Retrieved from http://www.intrepidintl.com/inside-track/what-is-an-equid-hybrid/ Equid hybrids can be traced back to Africa where there are vast amount of equid species which resulted in natural crossing, creating hybrid species. These hybrids were found to be more efficient than the original species because they possess certain traits of both species, so scientists began to experiment by crossing other species of horse family and categorizing them as equid hybrids. Equid hybrids are now bred commercially. Mules bred from mammoth studs and stock or draft mares can be as large as 17 hands and are as strong as a normal horse. Other mules are bred for pets or for entertainment such as zoos; these are the miniature horses or miniature donkeys.

Nomenclature

Hybrids are named based on the sex and species of the parents. Hybrids are typically given a portmanteau name, combining the first half of the father’s name and the second half of the mother's name. For example, the cross between a male zebra and a female horse is a zorse. A cross between a male zebra and a female donkey is a zonkey. Horse-donkey crosses are an exception to this naming convention. A

is the cross between female horse and male donkey. A

is the cross of male horse and female donkey; mules and hinnies are

reciprocal hybrid In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...

Zebroid A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine to create a hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and zebra dam are called a donkra and offspring of a horse sire and a z ...

* A male zebra and a female donkey creates a zonkey * A male zebra and a female horse creates a

zorse A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine to create a hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and zebra dam are called a donkra and offspring of a horse sire and a zebra ...

* A male zebra and a female pony creates a

zony A zebroid is the offspring of any cross between a zebra and any other equine to create a hybrid. In most cases, the sire is a zebra stallion. Offspring of a donkey sire and zebra dam are called a donkra and offspring of a horse sire and a zebra ...

or, if a female

Shetland pony The Shetland pony is a Scottish breed of pony originating in the Shetland Isles in the north of Scotland. It may stand up to at the withers. It has a heavy coat and short legs, is strong for its size, and is used for riding, driving, and p ...

, a Zetland * A male donkey and a female zebra creates a donkra * A male horse and a female zebra creates a hebra * An extinct

and a horse created a

File:Bardot dans le Morbihan 04.jpg, hinny File:Cheval broutant l'herbe.jpg, Mule File:Zorse Eclyse, Safariland Stukenbrock.JPG, Hebras File:Carly.jpg, Zorse File:Zeedonk 800.jpg, Zonkey

Nature of the animals

Zebras are usually wild animals, but when they are raised with other domestic horses, they are tame enough to be ridden draught. Mules are smaller, more resistant to heat and exhaustion and much stronger. Horses are much larger, but likely to suffer from exhaustion and heat.

Fertility of equid hybrids

Male mules (johns) are sterile, but fertile female mules (mollies) sometimes occur. The different number and different structure in chromosomes makes it difficult for them to pair up properly. Donkeys have 62 chromosomes and horses have 64, so their hybrids (mules and hinnies) have 63. Zebras have between 32 and 46 (depending on the species) and their hybrids are sterile and infertile. It is harder to cross species if the female has fewer chromosomes than the males, as in the crossing of a stallion and a jenny (female donkey); this results in minimal breeding of hinnies. Przewalski's horses have 66 chromosomes, and can produce fertile offspring with domestic horses.

Conditions

Mules are more tolerant to heat than horses; horses are more efficient in cold weather. Mules, like donkeys, are more effective in deserts. Horses are more likely to suffer from exhaustion compared to mules. While mules are relatively slower than horses, they are much safer to ride. Mules consume less food than horses, and can live longer.

References

External links

The Free Dictionary definition of Equids
{{Mammal hybrids Equid hybrids