[fabian]

@dominiquer60 28233 wrote:

I am not saying that the bow that Wolfgang made for his friend was bad

The bow WAS bad !:o

It was to weak for this job because it was made from Rattan, which is strong enough for pulling my waggon or cart.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

A friend who logs with a single ox first cracked the bows I gave him. Then he used an iron bow. Finally he cracked the yoke.

I trust in Tiller’s and in Drew Conroy 😉
Which yokes do not require bows ? The wither’s yokes ?
They mostly do not have a dropped hitchpoint. The deeper the drop of the hitchpoint, the more power the bow has to catch. So I learned it and so I believe it . 🙂

[fabian]

@dominiquer60 28218 wrote:

the bows are only supposed to hold the yoke in place.

I think that this is not totally correct.
If the bows were only supposed to hold the yoke in place they could be made from material which is easier to bend than hardwood. At the Tiller’s site I found a statement that the yoke does 2/3 of the work, the bows 1/3.

[fabian]

up to know I thought that the bows are the weakest points of a yoke….

[fabian]

Thank you CB !

And these are the links to the vids of the oxdrovers gathering in February 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMZX6-JAsA&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLla9meCnh0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGn59M3HFhc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTC6caN8Yoc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdjqO1H_xXQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOywkDdm-ZQ&feature=player_embedded

Wolfgang

[fabian]

Thank you CB !

And these are the links to the vids of the oxdrovers gathering in February 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMZX6-JAsA&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLla9meCnh0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGn59M3HFhc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTC6caN8Yoc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdjqO1H_xXQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOywkDdm-ZQ&feature=player_embedded

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@mitchmaine 28003 wrote:

what are the names of the yokes in the photos above?

These are also that what you call headyoke.
The name we use in Germany for it is “Genickjoch”, would be translated as “napeyoke” (may be)
The foreheadyoke is without wood behind the head, only iron or wood in front of the head.

[fabian]

@mitchmaine 28003 wrote:

what are the names of the yokes in the photos above?

These are also that what you call headyoke.
The name we use in Germany for it is “Genickjoch”, would be translated as “napeyoke” (may be)
The foreheadyoke is without wood behind the head, only iron or wood in front of the head.

[fabian]

@mitchmaine 27985 wrote:

sorry, wolfgang. my english is poor sometimes too. i meant to say headyoke there or forehead, like you say.

“headyoke” and “foreheadyoke” are two different kinds of yoke .

[fabian]

@mitchmaine 27985 wrote:

sorry, wolfgang. my english is poor sometimes too. i meant to say headyoke there or forehead, like you say.

“headyoke” and “foreheadyoke” are two different kinds of yoke .

[fabian]

My English is not as good as it should be but I try to do my best :
I was always a proponent of head-pulling technics with oxen. And I am still up to now.

But despite all critique I have to the manual of Dr. Minhorst, I think he explains very good the shortfalls of the head- yoke. In pulling contests these disadvantages don’t play a role because the contests occur on EVEN ground. Most of the drawbacks of the double head yoke can be eliminated by using the single forehead yokes. But Dr. Minhorst does not accept another hitching than the three pad collar.
But everyone I talked with about the three pad collar agreed that it is NOT appropriate for really heavy work.
pulling a cart or waggon, which is the most action bovines do here, is not classified as “heavy work”.
Meanwhile I prefer the american neck yoke because
1. the animals learn quicker to work in a neck yoke than in a forehead yoke
2. the hitching is very easy, I can hitch to a one-axled cart and
3. I can make them myself.

@mitchmaine 27971 wrote:

and it makes me wonder, if as a rule its easier (?) for the cattle to pull with a neckyoke, why would it be forbidden in eastern europe. and is it actually easier?

I do not understand (because of my poor English) what you mean with this.
Fact is that the NECK YOKE is not forbidden. And Eastern Europe is definitively “neck yoke- resp. withers yoke- country”

Wolfgang

[fabian]

My English is not as good as it should be but I try to do my best :
I was always a proponent of head-pulling technics with oxen. And I am still up to now.

But despite all critique I have to the manual of Dr. Minhorst, I think he explains very good the shortfalls of the head- yoke. In pulling contests these disadvantages don’t play a role because the contests occur on EVEN ground. Most of the drawbacks of the double head yoke can be eliminated by using the single forehead yokes. But Dr. Minhorst does not accept another hitching than the three pad collar.
But everyone I talked with about the three pad collar agreed that it is NOT appropriate for really heavy work.
pulling a cart or waggon, which is the most action bovines do here, is not classified as “heavy work”.
Meanwhile I prefer the american neck yoke because
1. the animals learn quicker to work in a neck yoke than in a forehead yoke
2. the hitching is very easy, I can hitch to a one-axled cart and
3. I can make them myself.

@mitchmaine 27971 wrote:

and it makes me wonder, if as a rule its easier (?) for the cattle to pull with a neckyoke, why would it be forbidden in eastern europe. and is it actually easier?

I do not understand (because of my poor English) what you mean with this.
Fact is that the NECK YOKE is not forbidden. And Eastern Europe is definitively “neck yoke- resp. withers yoke- country”

Wolfgang

[fabian]

The use of the head-yoke is forbidden in Germany since about 80 years because of animal-welfare.
Due to the unification in the EU I think it will be so in the complete EU. The forward use in parts of the EU does not change this. And in my opinion the forbiddance of the head-yoke is right.

Off topic:
Tim, what’s with Will and Abe ? I missed them in the pics of the Moda-gathering.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

The use of the head-yoke is forbidden in Germany since about 80 years because of animal-welfare.
Due to the unification in the EU I think it will be so in the complete EU. The forward use in parts of the EU does not change this. And in my opinion the forbiddance of the head-yoke is right.

Off topic:
Tim, what’s with Will and Abe ? I missed them in the pics of the Moda-gathering.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

Tim, what do you think about the future behavior of the well trained team if the new teamster is not as experienced as he should be (and the former trainer probably was) ?

Wolfgang

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