Driving oxen

[Rod]

I have a pair of 18 month old Shorthorn steers trained in all the basic commands using the classical method of walking next to the pair with my whip or staff. I would like to re-train them so as to be able to drive them from behind with ropes or lines and have not been successful in finding any information on how to go about this type of training. I have found notations that it is easy to do but not how to do it.
I would appreciate any suggestions or information sources addressing this issue. Thank in advance.

Rod

[Vicki]

I saw your question on the RH Front Porch, too. One of our MODA members, Bill in VA, drives with lines from behind. He could advise you better than I.

But you could start by having a helper drive the oxen conventionally, while you, after having attached lines to the steers’ halters, begin giving cues through those lines.

There are photos of oxen worked with lines on the Hindu folks’ website
http://www.iscowp.org/Ox%20Power/Working%20With%20Oxen.htm

[Carl Russell]

Hey Rod, and Vicki, welcome. I’m really excited to see some oxen discussion going. I drove my Holsteins while behind them using voice and whip. This was accomplished by taking every opportunity that I had when they were working to step behind them, or just stand still as they moved for my command. I couldn’t steer them well enough to cultivate a garden row, but I sat on my logging cart and drove then when logging, and down the road etc.. As I said, I never tried reins, but it seems like it would be a simple matter of degrees as you got them accustomed to having you behind them, putting on the reins. I suppose you’ld use halters to clip into. I’ve seen that example in pictures, never a bit. Glad you’re on board. Carl

[Rod]

I guess I should have said how green I am as I just bought my steers 2 weeks ago and they are pretty well trained in the basics by a competent 4h youth. Any way I got an idea after reading the replies to my post and tried it this morning. I put 2 eyelets in the outside corners of the yoke to thread the halter lines through and yoked them up with the halters on, lines attached.
After some small frustrations I actually got the geeing and hawing and stopping by a combination of commands and pulling on the lines or sometimes by the lines only. I was supprised at how much they picked up on such a short time. As soon as I can get a helper I am going to try completely driving from behind which, I think, based on my experience this morning will be a good training method. Thanks for the responses and suggestions.

[Vicki]

Rod, if you’re really green, you might consider driving the steers conventionally for awhile so you learn how, and so you learn what your boys actually can do, and learn to read them. A good team and good driver won’t need lines even driving from behind, IF you know you can trust them.

[Carl Russell]

Rod, I got to wondering why you want to drive them with lines anyway. This might help you decide whether it’s worth the effort. I can’t think of any time that I ever, in ten years, thought that I could use lines on my cattle. I think Vicki is right though, you should drive them traditionally until you are more comfortable. I want to say however that her comment about trusting them bothers me. I firmly believe, and practice every day (for over 20 years), that it is not the animals responsibility to be trustworthy. The team should trust the teamster, not the other way around. It is a very human trait to place the expectation of trustworthiness on another in a relationship, even on animals, but it invariably leads to trouble. If/when you drive them with voice, whip, or line from in back, don’t do it because you trust them to do what you want, but because you trust yourself for having developed the communication with them that they can count on. Once they trust you, you’ll have it in the bag. Carl

[Rod]

Hi Carl
Good question and is something I have thought about at length. I want to use my work animals in my wood lot and possibly for some parts of my haying and other fram chores. I have a ground driven mowing machine, a sled I built and am restoring some wagons and other stuff which have possibilities for use with the steers.
My frist consideration was to get a team of horses but after thinking it through the add on costs of shoeing, harnesses, special feed and the time required to harness and unharness thought that the steers made more sence for me. We have cows anyway so the keeping of a couple more is not much of an issue.
And my farm is a hill farm. The steers go up and down with no problems but in the process get lots of training is stopping so I can get my breath. I want to ride and have them pull me around where we have to go. I like the extra control of the lines having had a runaway experience already. The steers responded to an excited bunch of my cows on the other side of the fence who thought it would be great fun to race down the fence line parallel to the driveway where I was walking my steers. ( for a bad behavior award I made the steers back all the way down to thier barn (150′)
Anyway maby I could get them to respond to voice from the back of the wagon but the halter and lines seems so much more controlling. They already know to obey the pull on the halter and since the turns are basicly breaking one steer and goading on the other it’s easy to do with my setup. Same thing with the stoping as a pull on both halters works good as this is something they are already trained for.
I have seen some photos of steers being driven and most seem to have some sort of lines for control.
Thanks for your suggestions and observations, all this kind of feedback is helpful.

[Carl Russell]

Rod, more quick bits of feed back. It sounds like you want to drive with lines because that is what you’re used to. Tractors etc. But working with oxen is different. If you are out by their heads they will respond to you in ways that you will only get if you are out there. They are very preceptive and gain a great deal by being able to follow the body language of the teamster. Any animals that are working will benefit from a break as well as the teamster. Working animals that are given breaks work harder between breaks. These cattle are trained in the basics of driving, they do not need further intellectual challenge in new ways of driving. They need purposeful work learning to use the communication system to perform that, and learning you. You will benefit, as they will, by focusing on their capabilities at this point and reaffirming them before making small steps toward your intended future uses. I know that you will be able to ride plenty once you three have a strong working relationship. Carl

[Rod]

More thoughts on driving oxen. I have the table top picture book ” In Praise of Oxen” which is mainly about Nova Scotia head yoke oxen. In that area apparently they drive primarly from the front of the animals which is evident from the many photos. This looks like it is being done by just walking in front with the oxen following behind. I think this method has some real advantages because it looks like the team just follows the teamster both in speed and direction. I also have a video taken in that same area which shows the same thing.
I wonder if anyone has any experience with this method of driving as compared to the New England side by side method.

[Carl Russell]

Rod, in Nova Scotia they drive their cattle from the side as well. I drive my cattle while working them from in front for the very reasons you guessed. Oxen have been used by millions of individuals for thousands of years, there is no ONE way to drive them, only the way that works for you. You ought to keep with some standard expectations in terms of command response, but use your own ideas and abilities to get the cattle to perform to your needs. This is what I, and others, mean by driving/working your cattle. You take the goad, or whip. You take the initiative. You set the pace, by whatever means you deem necessary. Otherwise, they will!!!

It may be well worth your while to seek out some active experienced teamsters, such as Howie. Also Tim Huppe of Berry Brook Ox Supply and Sanborn Mills Farm is an excellent resource, as he offers oxen workshops, and knows who’s doing what as far as oxen are concerned. Also nearer to home, there is Terry Chamberlin in Pomfret. At this point I am not working my steers enough to be able to offer you much experience. Now that you have begun to put together a picture of some of the challenges, you may benefit from experiencing others working cattle. Carl

[Vicki]

I just saw Carl’s comments about trusting your animals, in response to something I said a while ago. Yes, Carl, you are right and expressed that well. It is the human’s responsibility to be trustworthy. I do mean that you know your animals’ “minds”, anticipate their responses, know how much they understand and respect your leadership, so you do not lead them into “trouble.” This requires time.

[BIGOX]

I had a single in a headyoke for a bit and taught him to walk behind me rather than beside me. Personally I was not a big fan because is seems like you are leading him more than driving him. Headyokers always have bells on for a reason. With practice you can tell what he is doing or not doing from the sound of the bell. That is fine until you get in a crowded area with a log or something. Then you have a harder time seeing if you are going to get hung up. Also it is difficult to retrain an old ox to walk up beside you like he should. Dad was hired to train a team of highlanders to drive with bits and lines once but I don’t know exactly “Howie” did it.

Andrew

[Vicki]

Driving from side vs. walking in front:
I had a good head yoke man live here for a summer. We did some little jobs logging. Half the time he walked backwards which is a good way to trip. Or get pain in the neck glancing behind.
I drive from the side, but on narrow paths I can move in front, or behind. Sometimes I’ll move in front temporarily if the oxen want to go too fast.

[bivol]

if you want to learn to drive oxen from behind this topic could be

helpfulhttp://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=777

[Victoria Reck Barlow]

More feedback for you, Rod —
I work with two teams. The pair of big, mature guys (11 yrs old, not trained by me) prefer me to be out in front, unless they feel very relaxed and confident about their surroundings, and don’t expect to be surprised by what I’m going to ask of them. I’m convinced its because they both can see me, that way. Likely its how they were trained and originally worked, mostly for logging.
The young pair (13 months old) of Milking Shorthorns isn’t so set in their ways. If we’re going through a narrow opening, for example, I can tell them to “go ahead” and fall back behind them, drive from behind, then come back up to beside the yoke when the pathway is wide enough again. Once in a while I work these boys singly in a hackamore, driving with rope reins from behind. They’re willing, but we all feel like I’m very far away. Carl wrote about how steers and oxen rely on their teamster’s body language — when I’m in the back, they can’t read me, and they’re a little distressed.
Vicki wrote about taking some time to get to know your team, and I really agree. First, they’re making a huge adjustment to their new home. I’ve been watching a new cow take almost half a year to finally get comfortable with the rest of the herd, to lose her meekness and stand tall. Your boys have so much new information to absorb and process. It’s hard work!
And they have to get used to how you handle them, compared to the person who trained them. That big team I mentioned? It took me at least a year to feel like I knew what was going on in each boy’s head.
You’re going to be together for a long time — for now, going slow and focusing on developing trust will pay off. Bring special treats and give lots of neck scratching, and they’ll do anything for you.
Rockingham isn’t all that far from Swanzey. Let me know if I can be of any help.

[Author]

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