Texas longhorns as oxen

@KGerstner89 18838 wrote:

I’m wondering how Texas longhorns would be as oxen since they are the breed that I want to train for just about eavrything they can do on a farm, but since I’m new to the draft animal I’m wondering are they going to be hard or easy to train if I get them as calfs.

You are the guy near Wichita Falls aren’t you? I can’t give you any insight on working them as oxen; my inclination is that they would probably not be the best option there is around based on experiences I have had in dealing with them in the pasture. That is when people that are near by that have them and they end up in my pasture. I will not lease pasture land if a neighboring place has longhorns.

Of course, your qualifier was if you got them as calves and that might be a different story. There are some people around Pauls Valley, OK or somewhere up that way that ride them, rope off them and do all sorts of things with them. I think there was a link to them at one time on one of the threads on the Oxen forum, something about riding steers or similar. They might have more insight or know more about what you are asking, if you can find that link and contact them. Besides, if you are near the Falls you aren’t terribly far away from them.

@KGerstner89 18840 wrote:

Ya I live in Burkburnett witch is just north of Wichita Falls. The place I’ll be keeping them is on my Uncles farm, behind his farm is another one that has about 6 longhorns and 3 donkeys and about 2-3 months ago one of there younger bulls jumped the fence over into our property. Apparently they had just brought the bull and the donkeys were not being nice to it so it jumped the old torn up fence witch they had since then replaced. I’ll try to see if I can find that link. I’ve always liked longhorns since they look very nice. My uncle says that if it dont work out then they will become part of the beef herd that is on the 10 acres.

Burk Burnett; now there was a true cattleman. Quite an interesting fellow, ranks up there with Goodnight, Loving and that bunch of pioneering drovers.

Longhorn bulls will go through the best of fences. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Paste this in your browser.

http://www.premierlonghorns.com/RidingLonghorns.html

Folks are in Stillwater, not Pauls Valley. Still not but about 3 hours or so from you.

Good luck,
OldKat

Here’s a photo of longhorns being driven from the wagon http://www.ruralheritage.com/ox_paddock/longhorn.htm

and a story about a longhorn ox team owner
http://www.americanprofile.com/heroes/article/914.html

Another factor that Vicki and many others often voice is that if you really like the cattle you are more likely to have sucess than if you have a breed that you don’t like.

Joshua