[fabian]

@Howie 8872 wrote:

I woud like to see the yoke a little bit more forward on Bella, If you raise her bow a bit she should carry it better.:(

Howie

Hello Howie,

I was a little bit afraid to look at your post…..because you are the specialist and I am the greenhorn 😉
But with your critic I can live…….
I thought the same as you, when I saw the pic. As I am a youngster in using the neck yoke, I am partly a little bit reserved in “raising the bow”.
Molly’s bow was first raised up more. When I noticed that she coughed, I set it a little bit deeper.
Bella’s bow was first deeper (when pulling with Becky (R.I.P.)). The yoke slipped to high on the withers. So I set it higher and thought, that it was high enough. But on the pic I saw that the bow could just be a little bit more higher.
But the tour on the pic was her last tour before going in “mother protection because of high pregnancy” (think, it’s a new word…;)) and I did not yet have the occasion to try a tour with a higher set bow. But I will do so….
promised….:D

Wolfgang

with a sorry for my clumsy English

[fabian]

@bivol 8869 wrote:

nice!

but i’m a little confused…. the yoke isn’t tilted to the back, it isn’t pulled in the shoulders. what do you guys (and gals, ofcourse) think of it? maybe it’s because they are not pulling much load? but the wagon does seem heavy enough….

anyway, nice pictures! keep us posted, and good luck!

Hello Bivol.

You must not be confused. Look at the vids from Tillers and you will see, that the bows don’t slip into the shoulders under “medium” load. Only in heavy pulls you will see even on pics the “deep into shoulder slipping bows”.
I think the yoke of my team sits nearly correct because:
The animals pull the load without any coughing.
The bows don’t interfere with the movement of the shoulders.
The yoke does not slip onto the withers.

And (the most important):
The animals don’t show any sign of discomfort.

And please do believe me: I know the behaviors of my girls and the boy !;)

[fabian]

posted two new pics in the gallery.
Be critical in your comments, but also gracious, please 😉

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@Tim Harrigan 8836 wrote:

I have heard there will be an ox event at Ecomusee d` Alsace in Ungersheim, FR in the next few weeks. Will you be going?

That’s next week (23. and 24. of may). I won’t be there, because I have to sell my products on another market.
But in June, 27./28. there is an ox event at the museum of Kommern (International oxmeeting), which is about 90 km from here. There I will go (but without ox ;), so that I can enjoy the other oxen more.)

Wolfgang

[fabian]

Hello Tim.

I do not have square corners on my yokes. The are well rounded. But the mean surface area is flat. I thought that it would have an advantage when carrying an one-axled cart because the point of pressure with an elliptical neckseat is more “concentrated”.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@Rod 8057 wrote:

Does anyone know where do the folks in the “Praise of Oxen ” book get those nice twisted whips with the long lashes?

Do you mean a whip like this ?:
http://www.loesdau.de/websale7/Holz-Sulgenpeitsche..htm?shopid=loesdau&act=product&prod_index=4466&cat_index=04-peitschen-gerten

You can click on the pic for enlarging it.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@Rod 7825 wrote:

I have tried both the low and hi positions on the bows which are the only ones I have at present (can drill more if needed). QUOTE]

Hallo Rod. Don’t you use spacers for fixing the yoke in the best position ?
Then you would need only one or at best two holes.
Also the spacers protect the yoke.

Wolfgang

A new pic is in the gallery (with wooden spacers on the yoke)

[fabian]

@Howie 7795 wrote:

Hi Wolfgang
I must say that yoke looks really nice.:)

Hi Howie,

THIS to hear from you is the greatest compliment I can get !:)
But you should know, that I’m the most famous neckyokemaker in my area !

I’m the only one !;)

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@near horse 7776 wrote:

Did you fabricate that single yoke?

Yes, I did.

[fabian]

yes he is. Do you know them ?

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@Howie 6767 wrote:

Wolfgang
24 is long enough, the longer you make it the more tendency it has to tip over.

to late Howie 🙁 . The yoke is ready, yet without the hardware. But I have the possibility to shorten it at each side, if it will tip over to often.

@Howie 6767 wrote:

The pull hooks will be on the bottom with a bolt up through and the birchen rings on the back with a bolt through the other way. It won’t matter which is on the inside but the bolts should pass close to each other.;)

Howie

I’ll make the britchen rings outside. The are close to the hitching ring.

Thank you for helping me.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@sanhestar 6753 wrote:

Wolfgang mentioned in the german forum that one can use one yoke with different sized bows.

Before the Americans call me a fool:
What I say has only a validity when using Rattan bows, like I do, which have more flexibility than wooden bows !!!!!

[fabian]

@Howie 6729 wrote:

Wolfgang
I don’t know what is the proper length one supposed to be, but if you were to buy one from me, and not specify the length it would be 24 to 26 inches long.:D:p

Howie:(

Thank you Howie. I thought that 70cm (28”) would be to long and 60 cm (24”) would perhaps be to short. I made the beam ( I laminated 7 boards together) 28” so that I have the possibility of shortening. As I know that you are one of the bests ;), I’ll make it 26” long.

Teh drop of the hitchpoint is 4,8” (12 cm) (0,6 bow width)

The rings for the britchen: should they be outside of the hitchrings or inside ?

Wolfgang

[fabian]

it’s a single “wither’s yoke” often used in Austria (f.e.) less common in Germany

The difference to the bow yoke is that the hames do not push into the shoulders but stand away from them.
It is complete like it is in the photo. no padding.

Wolfgang

[fabian]

@Howie 5946 wrote:

Most people have a tendency to use a yoke that is to big and have the bows to low.

So it is ! When I started with the neck yoke I first set the bows to deep and the yoke slipped upon to the withers. Now I think that I set the bows right. The team does not show any signs of discomfort . And the yoke sits where it should sit.

Wolfgang

[Author]

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