Some were treated well, some badly pre-1900. But in the near future domesticated zebras would be essentially pets, as horses are today, and would have great lives . They are not needed for work now—we have mechanised transport—but they might be needed in the future.
Even in wealthy countries it’s not easy to be a horse, the fact that they, like all domestic animals are legally commodities, mean there interests will not be respected
This is not to mention the ubiquity of spinal alteration in seemingly well cared for horses, or how nearly all horses are ridden before There growth plates fuse
The comparison is between wild animals and animals in captivity. There is reason to think that the latter have better lives overall (the ready supplies of food and protection from predators provided by humans being obvious examples).
Some were treated well, some badly pre-1900. But in the near future domesticated zebras would be essentially pets, as horses are today, and would have great lives . They are not needed for work now—we have mechanised transport—but they might be needed in the future.
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-soring
https://animalsaustralia.org/our-work/horse-racing/background/
https://awionline.org/content/urban-carriage-horses-out-step-responsible-horse-welfare
https://www.humanedecisions.com/premarin-horses-the-suffering-of-premarin-mares/
https://www.aspca.org/improving-laws-animals/public-policy/horse-slaughter
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/facts-about-horse-slaughter
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2013/03/11/horses-forgotten-victims-of-bullfighting/
This is all from wealthy countries
Even in wealthy countries it’s not easy to be a horse, the fact that they, like all domestic animals are legally commodities, mean there interests will not be respected
This is not to mention the ubiquity of spinal alteration in seemingly well cared for horses, or how nearly all horses are ridden before There growth plates fuse
https://www.writingofriding.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/deb-bennett-maturation.pdf
https://www.pferdeheilkunde.de/10.21836/PEM20070506
Or the congenital defects , intentional or not, caused by purposefully breeding to maintain breed characteristics
I honestly imagine these zebras being used as beasts of burden in poor countries would tbe treated even worse.
The comparison is between wild animals and animals in captivity. There is reason to think that the latter have better lives overall (the ready supplies of food and protection from predators provided by humans being obvious examples).