novice ox-man says hello

Hi, my name’s Ed Berger and I live in the Midlands, England with my partner, daughter and dog. I run a small mixed biodynamic farm for youngsters (16 -22 yrs old) with social and learning difficulties – the farm’s part of a wider organisation that works with these guys therapeutically through crafts, land work and performance
http://www.ruskin-mill.org.uk
So I’ve been interested in draft animals for about 10 years and have gradually honed down onto oxen over this time and have at last got a pair of calves – 2 dairy shorthorn bulls, born after Christmas ’09 – to train up. I’m working on getting them halter trained at present and have made my first 4″ yoke from Ash with bows from blue water pipe. Mind, they’re growing so fast by the time they’re steady in the halter they may have outgrown it!
Well, it’s a steep learning curve (isn’t it always as an adult trying to learn anything new!?) but great fun so far.
I hope that getting involved here will be a chance to share my trials and tribulations with other like minds and perhaps glean some of that invaluable experiential knowledge out there about training and working cattle. And if anyone’s interested in social-therapeutic agriculture and/or horticulture and/or biodynamic/organic principles well I’ve got a tale or two to tell!