[B Grant]

Bivol, I think you hit the nail on the head when you described a model of slavery that is evident throughout Cuban culture (and agriculture!). As much as everyone says that the Cuban people are very friendly and seemingly content, the truth is that the ones I spent time with seem to be to have resigned to the fact that their lives kind of suck. There is no way ahead, and no way out. There is a lot of resentment toward the government and I presume the average population feels trapped in the same way a slave does. It is therefore no wonder that they have a lack of sensitivity toward the being over which they have domain.

As for tractors – I did see a fair number. They of course are all Belarus tractors. Mostly 1960s vintage. Big ones too! They were on the streets of towns (pulling wagons of cargo/people), as much as they were in the countryside. From what I could gather, they are used mostly on the state-run plantations and large dairy farms. The common people do not own tractors, and are instead provided with beasts of burden.

[B Grant]

I’ll try attaching the picture again…

[B Grant]

I took this picture of Tillers’ vertical evener a couple of years ago when I was there. We were using it with a 4 ox hitch on a set of heavy tandem dics. The evener works great, once you figure it out!

Brendan

[B Grant]

@Ixy 24877 wrote:

For your information – oxen can be driven with lines without a nasal bit, or even any bit. I’ve never bothered with any bitting with mine, they are simply driven in a headcollar. As I work singles alone and without anything like an arena to train in, I’ve always used a lead rope/lines as a safety net.

Hi Ixy,

The headcollar is used extensively in Cuba, from what I saw. I don’t know how many animals (cattle, goats, even pigs) that were tied off to a tree along a road ditch, or even tied to a stake in the middle of a pasture. I suppose they are trying to ration the pasture.

I have an ox that I hope to begin between-row cultivation with in my market garden this summer. At this point I was planning on continueing to drive along side of the ox, with a helper on the cultivator. Though, your comment about driving from behind with a headcollar might be another option for me – at least until he is comfortable with taking commands from behind.

What has your experience been with this method of driving?

[Author]

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