[Roscoe]

I recently saw a picture of a team of oxen pulling a wagon, using collar and sidebacker harness and double-neckyoke. But I’m in doubt that it will work by a mixed team due the different heigth of the neck.

[Roscoe]

Hi Vicki,
I saw her on the prarie ox drover’s webpage. I will ask her for some advice.
Thank you!

[Roscoe]

Make sure that you only heat up the tip, do not overheat the live tissue in the horns.

[Roscoe]

What about the kind of driving halter/bridle that they use in europe?
It’s basicly a halter, and you just snap the bit. For logging and fieldwork (hitched abreast), you don’t need blinders anyway.
I got once a driving halter from a old fellow, an then I ordered by Aaron Martin a pair custom made, granite material, nice spotted for my parade harness thatn I used for hayrides.
By short breaks, just snap a rope or chain to the center ring, for longer breaks, take bits out aus well and feed them with nosebags.

http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=602 http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=601

[Roscoe]

@Jim Ostergard 26722 wrote:

We needed a lot of space for turns in order not to loose the draft.

For sharp turns you have to take the lead horse(s) out of draft, otherwise the wheelhorse/team will flip over.
Driving the leader(s) and bucking back the wheel team only works with equalizer system (evener/rope & pully).
If you hitch the front horse to the pole or to the D-ring, you need to drive four-in-hand or a driver for each team/horse.
Even with a equalizer system, for logging, field work in narrow or fenced patches and road work, I would highly recommend to drive four-in-hand. For a tandem or unicorn hitch, it needs a excellent lead horse and a skilled driver.
A couple of years ago, I was breaking old pasture with a two-way plow, brabant style. Two Haflinger (1000#) were pulling on one side, using rope & pulley, two Freiberger (1300#) on the other side, hitched to a double tree, with a offset draft point, using two set of team lines.During plowing, I hung the lines of the wheel teamto the plow and just drove the lead team, while turning I drove four-in-hand.

[Roscoe]

@Ixy 25099 wrote:

How many years in ‘several’? 😉

Probably 20…
I grew up in Switzerland, and I remember that the most (mixed) farms were located in town. Nearly 30 farmers brought their milk twice a day with a cart or motorbike to the laiterie. Now, there are 3 dairy farms left, the milk get picked up at the farm, none of these farms are in town anymore. In the neighbur town was one dairy farm left, and even theiy had to shut down, because they din’t produce a whole truckload.
Time is changing, with or without EU…

[Roscoe]

I like the Beta lines because they hafe no seam, where they hang up on on other harness parts, especially when you drive 4 up.

[Roscoe]

Looks like our steaks will have a name…
Hes behavior is gettig everyday worse. He is challenging everyone and everything, he started even a fight with the waterbucket!
I grew up on a farm and we had bulls as well, so I’m used to them and their behavior, but they are for sure not pets for little kids.

[Roscoe]

Wow, they are really impressive!

[Roscoe]

Nice mules!
For pulling a wagon, I would suggest to use a double tree attached to the tongue, especially when you drive in a small area and make a lot of turns.
When you start a turn, shorten the reins of the leaders a half foot, so the lead team is out of draft and won’t flip the wheel team over.
Watch on youtube the dressage of the 4up

Or make at least some stoppers in the ropes, that you can take the leaders out of draft.

[Roscoe]

Good job!
Do you have rings mounted ( on the backside) to the screws for fastening the breeching?

I made a training yoke for our nine month old steers, with a laminated beam as well. I used three 2×6 pine boards, it’s for sure not heavy duty, but still strong enough for those little buggers.

[Roscoe]

@houstonmule 23303 wrote:

We are in Alberta

How do they like the Albertan winter?
Do you keep them in a barn?

[Roscoe]

Welcome, good to see another albertan!

[Roscoe]

In Switzerland, Austria and Germany is/was the use of halters with bits common for work harness. A little metal piece in shape of a “T” is with a short chain atached to bit. It’s way easier and faster, specially if you really work with horses. Since the hitch is not bigger then a team, there is no reason to use blinders…

[Roscoe]

@goodcompanion 18674 wrote:

All right, here’s a query. I just finished working on the running gear. It’s all painted and ready to go, just not attached to the box yet. The box is still in the shop and needs a bit more work. I am thinking ahead to hitching the horse to the shafts. Problem is, I have never put a horse in shafts before. I use new england d-ring harnesses.

In middle europe, it was common to use long shafts for the single horse. Often they used just one strap (for each side) to attach the shaft to the hame. It was shaft loop and holdback in one. In hilly country, they use shaft loops at the hames and holdback straps from breaching to shaft as well. For my single horse harness, the holdback straps reached to the shaft loops, very similar to the new england d-ring harness. Hitching goes very quick.

Sorry for my clumsy english:o

[Author]

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