using oxen for riding and packing

hi everyone!

yes, this should rather be under all other working animals topic, as this way of using cattle is rather unusual in west.
although most people use equids for riding and packing, and consider oxen only for pulling, i was wondering about using oxen as riding and packing animals. it is little known that riding cattle actually has a long but hardly known history.
now i know of riding steers, and i was on the page, and i got an idea of how much an ox can carry. there was a large person, larger than me, riding an ox. weighted i suppose about 250 pounds, and the steer seemed content.

why consider cattle?
horses are much more expensive to buy, keep and take care of. but even more unappealing, horses are much more flighty than cattle, and unpredictable when spooked. you don’t want that when suddenly coming face to face with a bear. cattle are calmer and more hardy.
mules are better, but expensive too, and they are rare in my country, and there’s a chance i’d get an abused animal.
cattle are plentiful can always be bought, are cheaper to keep(only straw and hay when grown), hardier, calmer an a stressful situation, and are likelly to stand their ground when threatend, and i can use him to plow my garden.
i’ve seen videos of riding cattle, and they are almost as fast as a horse, AND have a lovely smooth gait.
cattle are not surefooted, but then again, horses aren’t either, and still people ride them in the Rockies.
in east buffalos are also used as riding animals.

any experience, suggestions are welcome.

question: do they chew cud while ridden ?
can a horse saddle be used on ox?
how long can an ox be used as a riding animal?