Oxen, donkeys and mules?

You might substitute the word Donkey for ox but not the power. My standard donkeys can just about pull my empty stone boat.

Hi Ixy.. good to hear you again… my own situation has been for years Clydesdale dominated but have been more and more drawn to oxen ??.. realy I admire all forms of animal draft used in the right situation.. John

I would guess about 125-150 lbs. I put two 20lb. blocks on it and the bigger one could pull it on the level and a small up grade but Blue the smaller one pulled it a 100 feet and then quit. I had to grab his halter and help him move it. They re not well trained or conditioned to a load but I could see this was reaching the limit of what I could get out of them as they are. I know of oxen the same a little lighter than my two donkeys that will pull 600lbs or more on a stone boat with no problem.

@Ixy 29895 wrote:

Interesting, because legend I’m sure would have it that lb for lb, donkeys would be the stronger. But then again legend would have it that anything’s stronger than an ox apparently!

I have to be careful here because I was mixing apples and oranges in my last post, the oxen I was referring to was a team (senior moment). Having used with both animal types my observation is that oxen appear to be much stronger BUT their are so many variables. My donkeys are basically pasture pets, overweight and under exercised. They are also very smart and able to put on an act to avoid work etc. I used them as a team on an empty 600# sled a few years back and they could barely pull it and could not move it up the 10% grade of my gravel driveway. At that time the donkey team weight I estimate was 1000-1200 lbs.
The young steers I had at that time were a bit heavier but not much and could pull that same sled anywhere with without a hint of being at their capacity. Presently I am looking at a pair of 2 year old Dutch Belts which weigh 1600 as a pair and have pulled 3300 Lbs on a stone boat in a 6′ pull. For short distances trained and conditioned oxen teams can sometimes pull 2.5 times their weight or more. Their is no way the I can see my donkey team doing anything like that even with training and conditioning.

Not knowing anything about oxen; although I have been around a few cattle, I can compare horses, mules, and donkeys to some degree. I currently have all three. A mule is half horse and half donkey, and in my opinion that is how they act. I all ways describe the difference between a horse and a donkey as the difference between a dog and a cat. They both like people and attention, but the dog / horse just relies on it more and excepts it with less question. The donkey, and to some extent the mule, remain more independent even after training and working for people.

I think horses are easier to train than mules, and mules are easier to train than donkeys, but so what? Most mule and donkey folks didn’t set out to do something because it was easy.

I think its probably a matter of the human…if YOU really like that particular animal, I truly believe that that animal knows this…and will respond better for that person…especially if that animal likes you, too. I always heard that oxen were stronger, horses faster, donkeys tougher and mules gave more speed and strength than a donkey, and more stamina/endurance than a horse. Its interesting reading here on how different people view the differences…I feel more attuned to donkeys (yeah, I know that leaves me wide open for comments, here LOL), and find them easy to train – that they prefer human company more-so than horses. Not that I’m really experienced at all. I got into donkeys because from what I studied and researched, they seemed to fit my way of doing things “more better” –> I expect more from them than I do the mules and horses I’m in contact with, in terms of focusing on me, understanding my fumbling attempts to teach and communicate, and such. When I screw up, I noticed that an ear scratch, an apology and a hug from me, and all is forgiven. Not forgotten…but forgiven. I guess I’m saying that I think – for me – donkeys can adapt to me and my limited skills better – I’m pretty sure that if the mistakes I made w/ my girls were done on a horse, I’d have ruined that horse. I’d really hate to have that happen.
As for how much work I can get from them…with this D-ring harness I got (big thanks to Rod!!), my 52″, 650 lb. Jenny-Mae is set to start snigging small firewood logs within the next week or so, starting w/ a 4″ diameter, 6 ft. lodgepolepine I’ve got waiting for her.

Erika said it much better than I did…:o