Best single-ox yoke style

[hillsidehome]

For those of you with single oxen, what is the best yoke style? Is one with a deeper-V slope better than a shallow U-shape? – (which is similiar to the traditional double yoke).

~Audrey

[Droverone]

Head yoke!

[hillsidehome]

O.k. So why do you prefer the head yoke? What is the advantage of using it over a neck yoke?

I’m thinking about training my cow to work and someone told me to be very careful if I do. He said cows don’t have thick neck muscles like an ox; so to have a cow pull a load, leaning into the yoke, might damage her lymph nodes. If this is true would the head-yoke be a better choice?

~Audrey

[Tim Harrigan]

I have been working single for about the last 6 months since I lost the mate for Will. This is a more traditional American style neck yoke with brichen. It works fine, comfortable, and Will has a lot of freedom to move his head and I like that. Better than a forehead yoke or other type of head yoke? I guess it depends on what you like or are accustomed to.

[video=youtube_share;E3XnddNrWCc]http://youtu.be/E3XnddNrWCc[/video]

[dominiquer60]

Head yokes work particularly well with beef breeds and beef breed crosses because of their thicker stronger necks. Your more delicate dairy cow may be more comfortable in a single neck yoke. If you will need to hold a load back britchen may add to her comfort as well, she will be able to hold the load with her rump instead of her head and neck. I am not saying that either head or neck yoke is better, but I think it depends on the animals physical build as to how well a yoke will work and with how much comfort or mechanical advantage it will provide.

[Oxhill]

If you are talking about the diffrence in the two single shoulder yokes below then I think the diffrence is just cosmetic as long as the draft and width of the hitch rings are the same.

The difference between the single head yoke and single shoulder yoke are far greater. Chris’s cows look like they are doing just fine with a head yoke so I wouldn’t be to concerned about the strength of a cows neck. Just use some common sense when conditioning your animal regardless of what yoke you use. A head yoke obviously requires that the cow has horns. It also requires fitting and adjustments by someone knowledgeable and they need the yoke and your animal to do it. These may be big issues or non-issues depending on your situation. What one is better has been disused at length in other threads. Personally what one is “better” depends on too many variables. Both are effective.

Andrew

[Vicki]

Nice photo, Droverone!

Audrey: Like Andrew said, the important factor in the single neck yoke is the amount of drop in the hitch, and the proper width. Otherwise one is not “better” than the other. Anecdotal: I borrowed a single briefly that was of the V-shape, whereas all mine are U-shape; the V-shape performed better than U when the ox was dragging loads: less see-sawing and better angle under load. (I think the drop is a little shallow on my U-shaped singles.)

You must consider what you prefer, what you can get ,and do yourself about yokes, in deciding what is “better.” I think there’s merit in the argument that oxen can pull more naturally or effectively in head yoke, and oxen in them, team or single, are certainly beautiful to behold. But for me, who could not/would not by myself fit and tie on head yokes, they collect dust in a shed. Much “better” for me and my oxen are well-fitted neck yokes that we are often out using for work and shows.

[Droverone]

to all the bow/neck/shoulder yoke devotees,please remember

“No matter how far you’ve gone on a wrong road, turn back!” [turkish proverb]

[fabian]

@Droverone 34276 wrote:

to all the bow/neck/shoulder yoke devotees,please remember

“No matter how far you’ve gone on a wrong road, turn back!” [turkish proverb]

The question after hundreds of years with both systems is still: WHICH system is the “wrong road” ?
But I do not want to feed this unnecessairy discussion……

[Droverone]

FABIAN!!!! even the germanians used a fore “HEAD” yoke

but the quote was all in fun!

[CharlyBonifaz]

@Droverone 34284 wrote:

even the germanians used a fore “HEAD” yoke

ey, we still do 😎
and if it were only because he outgrew everything else….

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