German colonial officials ride zebras in Dar-es-Salaam, German East Africa (1914).
One major challenge for colonial powers in Africa was the difficulty of using horses, which were highly susceptible to tropical diseases, prompting efforts to breed disease-resistant hybrids by crossing zebras with horses, donkeys, and mules at places like this German stud farm. Despite extensive attempts, they ultimately discovered that the zebra’s stubborn, untamable temperament could not be bred out.