English Ox Under Saddle…

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Just thought you may like to see Angus’ 15mins of fame – we bought a treeless saddle recently which works very well, and the company liked the idea of their product on a ‘cow’:

http://www.libraequestrian.co.uk/libratrec.html

😀

[sanhestar]

this ist great – thanks for the update.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Angus has always had an attraction to sheep, so we have tried him at rounding them up and he did very well indeed! We did a fair amount of canter over a rough field with long grass and he was so sure footed, never stumbled once and I stayed on without stirrups – my partner said anyone who thinks oxen are slow should see this! 😀 He had a good hold over the sheep too, once put in a corner they didn’t dare try getting past him, and he watched them very intently the whole time!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o283/sprogspawn/sheepherding1.jpg

[mother katherine]

Ixy,
I can’t wait to go to the library to see you and Angus!
I’ve been sitting on bRod frequently. He’s decided he’s not too happy with it: probably a dominance thing related to his 18 month old age. I just tie him and sit there rubbing and praising him for 5 minutes at the most, then get off and praise him some more. I think he’ll get over it, as he didn’t mind at all when he was little.
The linebacks are less problematic at this time so I want to try with one of them, as well.
I think our sheep would keel over with heart failure if I ever tried rounding them up with a steer.
oxnun

[citternman]

Ixy – Are those Rough Fell in the picture? I won’t admit to knowing sheep breeds very well, but I seem to remember those markings.

[bivol]

nice one!
a riding ox AND a round-up horse in one piece!

guess Angus beats the traditional view and shows just how vertisile cattle can be. cattle have as much potential for stockmanship, riding and related work, as horses (even if it’s a random search to find it), and people who think only horses have such potential forget that horses were bred for various specific purposes revolving around work for centuries while cattle weren’t.
so if a random, non-selected-for-riding steer like Angus can do rounding up and riding with such ziel, and obvious attention and care, this shows that some cattle have this kind of “talent” too!

i’d feel loads safer on an average riding ox than on the best horse money can buy! i know i’m biased, but don’t blame me, i’m an ox-person!:D

i’d really like to know more about pack-and-riding use of bovines, it’s so neglected, and can be so useful!

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Pack and riding is my favourite aspect of any use of animal – I just love travelling with the aid of animals – hooves are better than wheels for me! Sadly I can’t develop it much, as only horses are allowed to roam in this country 🙁

I have always thought that horses have an unfair advantage in comparison for work, as they are solely bred for that purpose, for many years! Cattle are just bred to eat thesedays, so of course they will not be athletic or as ‘fine-tuned’. I really can’t explain Angus’ attraction to sheep – he’s just a dairy x beef animal and he grew up around sheep, but so have the other cattle and they don’t care about them!

The sheep are kerry hills – rough fells have markings the other way round – a black face with a white or speckled nose, but no eye patches. Kerrys are white with black ears, eyes and nose. Rough fells also have horns and a more hair-like rough fleece (but you wouldn’t be able to see that in the picture)

[Author]

Posts