[Vicki]

My condolences to you, Virginia, and to the townspeople of Swanze. Ike will miss his life-long partner and brother, but at least the younger oxen are there.

I very much enjoyed the YouTube videos of the boys, and your posts. You have proven again a truth I am sure of: that oxen have done and still do more to build communities and to benefit people–in various ways–than most people ever realize.

You are fortunate to have had a deep and delightful relationship with some remarkable bullocks, and I’m sure the good memories will endure after your loss.

[Vicki]

My off ox Paul has also always held his head down. I’ve probably got worry lines over it through the years, and figure it’s his ploy to have me stop often to check and adjust bow fit.

I’m crazy about those big black oxen, Rob. I hope Jake gets his grub chopped and enjoys some more years.

[Vicki]

I have limited success keeping my mature thrifty Dexters from obesity. They really need to work it to keep it off, and I don’t work them enough.
Mine are trained to be tethered, so I can put them in a place of either better or poorer quality grazing, with a longer or shorter tether. They will graze right down to almost nothing, but it gives them something to do without overeating. I usually give them a small ration of not-the-best first cut hay to fill rumens, and tether them to let them have that grazing instinct fulfilled a bit. Plus they then spread their own manure.
The other way is to keep them tied and feed limited ration of hay, but there you have the work of bringing hay and cleaning stalls. Always when tethering I keep a frequent eye on them that they have not gotten into “trouble” being tangled or wound up on a tree.
In drylot, my guys will press fences to try to get that one blade of weed just a tongue-length away. You really need electric fencing for drylot.

[Vicki]

I trim the tails a few times each year. Also have to cut some length before winter or they drag on the ground. One of my Dexters gets especially long fur on the sides of his tail in winter, and I do have to clip them some in spring or they never shed out all the way. I also clip around horns.

[Vicki]

Wonderful to read about your progress with Z. and H.! Smart oxen are so much more rewarding than dumber ones. Like Howie says, it helps if the driver is as least as smart as the ox. My oxen have been helping improve my IQ to be sure!

I’ve encountered the spatial memory phenomena. So I try to anticipate potentially startling or frightening situations so I can control the “ramping up” excitement. You want the oxen to trust your leadership, and keeping them calm is a big part of that, or else a smart ox will try to think for himself about his safety and comfort.

I’m looking forward to seeing you with Z. and H. at the Gathering…

[Vicki]

I had the same question for Howie a few years ago. Howie said, “Work them, then work them, then work some more.” We had a very icy pre-season so we missed many days in the yoke, and I was doubtful about their readiness, but when we actually got in the sugarbush, they were all heart! So I just want to encourage you.

Tim and Carl are right on. You have two objectives: one is to get the oxen’s heads into working focus; the other is to condition them physically. You accomplish both simultaneously. But just persevere past that first 10 to 20 minutes of friskiness or balkiness, and they’ll settle right in if they’re half-decently trained and handled firmly but calmly.
Tim’s advice is what I would tell you: get them out maybe twice a day to get their heads into a working mentality. You can start a little heavy to keep them from running if you must, but then let up the weight a bit to encourage them and get their blood moving. They need conditioning–time–with only moderate loads to harden them if they’ve been off awhile. Develop the hard necks and aerobic capacity and good attitude with frequency.

Good luck, Rod. Hauling sap was one of the most rewarding–and most strenuous–things I’ve ever done with oxen.

[Vicki]

Howie is making an important point about adult oxen and beef herds. I have Dexter oxen and Hereford beef cows, and often a young bull with the cows. I must manage the oxen separate from the beef, in order to limit feed to the dexters and in order to keep the dexters from mounting cows in heat and from beating up a young bull.

When the cows are bred and no bull with them, I can mix them in a pasture, no problems of fighting or anything. But I need separate paddocks in the long term.

My oxen will try to dominate or fight with a bull. Maybe some oxen are less dominant by nature.

[Vicki]

Wow! Gorgeous! “Covet not thy neighbor’s ox cart…”

[Vicki]

Hi Drafty. Nice looking pair of working steers. Nice sled, too.

To help bring your nigh steer’s horns down, I would scrape just a little on the top of the horns, that is on the opposite side from the way you want them to move. I would use a piece of broken glass, like from an old windowpane, or you could use a small knife. Scrape from the base of the horn pulling the glass at an angle out to about halfway. Scrape off a bit of the horn shell very lightly. It takes time for the horn to exhibit the change, and it changes with the new growth. So do a little, wait and see, and do more if you need to.

It might be easier to use horn weights on him. I think Howie sells them. Or New England Ox Supply. You want to take the weight off before the horn comes as far down as you want it to finally be, because it can continue to drop some as it grows out.

I’m no expert. I’ve had good experience getting my nigh’s horn to come up some by weighting it up with a pulley system that I attached only overnights when I tied him. He was about two at the time; took only a couple months with string tied on just at night. Also saw some widening of horns when they were scraped on the inside curves, so I know scraping does affect horns.

Have fun with them! Thanks for the pictures.

Others may have more/better advice.

[Vicki]

Thanks, this is great! I do a medieval recreation with my oxen. I’ll use this quote. Where/how did you find it?

[Vicki]

Nice work, nice cattle.

[Vicki]

Joshua, I personally like the look of a yoke of oxen of different colors. (Sure, I like the looks of almost any yoke of oxen!) Work with the good ones, eat the dirty one. I hope you get Dexters again soon. My first three oxen are black long-legged Dexters, and I have a small cow, and I enjoy them more than the other breeds I’ve had.

[Vicki]

adorably cute!

[Vicki]

In a doorway. . .Howie, you’re a genius!

[Vicki]

Sounds like a good set-up, Rod.

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