Show the zebra as a saddle animal a few years ago the zebra ONLY was described as an untamable beast practically all naturalists natura lists agreed hat it could not be broken to harness dut this belief was dissipated as south africa became settled men not only tamed the zebra sufficiently to breed it but they soon learned to break it so that it could be harnessed to wagons now the german troops in south cast africa have done a still more remarkable thing with the beautiful striped animal they have broken it to the saddle and have found that it makes a fine saddle beast lieutenant bronsart von dorf who was in charge of several of the big colonial trading stations until recently is the man who succeeded in doing this he instituted great hunts last year and caught several targe herds these were kept in in closures and men were sent in every day to walk around among the captives and accustom them to the sight and smell of human beings the experimenters discovered to their surprise that instead of requiring a long time to overcome their shyness the zebras became tame within a few weeks and would not only stuffer the approach of men but would permit themselves to be stroked and fed when the animals had arrived at this stage the best specimens were selected and turned over to good rid eri in the imperial troop these men broke the zebras as horses are broken and the result is that now a number of zebras are being used regularly just like saddle horses one officer of the imperial forces has not onla broken a zebra to the saddle but he has actually succeeded in making it learn all the tricks and ways of a first class hunting horse this zebra will lump barriers and ditches with all the energy and fire of a good cunfer and obeys its rider as thoroughly as any horse tp ringing from generations of trained steeds another rider ha taught his zebra all the artificial gaits ana can mak e it amble gallop and run at will lieutenant abel rode one of these zebras recently during a tour of inspection spec tion that lasted for several weeks and reports that it compared favorably in every respect with the hone he found t not only perfectly obedient and willing but also much better able to withstand fatigue than the ordinary horse used in africa in addition the zebra has the valuable proper quality of being immune to the dreaded csete fly which is so fatal to the horse |