ox visit

I got a visit from Andy and Howie Van Ord yesterday. Very fun to get to show my boys to someone who know about oxen and get some tips. It is great to get to talk in person, and wonderful to talk to people that I don’t have to explain why I am not using a tractor (as with most farm visitors). I also got a new yoke that Andy made for me. It seemed a little big at first, but it settled back when they pulled nicely. I guess my team has jersey necks and shorthorn shoulders. Who knew? 🙂 I cultivated a bit while they where here to get some perspective and thoughts. It is great to get thoughts on so many things that it is hard to judge without experience, like body condition, speed, etc. My team moves at a medium speed for oxen, which is good to know because sometimes I want a little more speed and there are breeds out there that move fast I will likely use for my next team. Andy drove them for a bit too, and i was happy to see they worked well for him. We all discussed too many things to list. Great visit, thanks for coming guys!