Hornless + yoke?

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Things have changed and it looks like we have real work to do with the oxen, not just riding, as soon as possible. I think a pair in a yoke is my best bet, as a yoke is just so quick and simple to use every day compared to a harness, even though I like working a single, and have no complaints about a harness other than the time it takes to tack up, hook up etc. My stepdad is also a woodworker and can knock up a yoke easily and cheaply for me!

I can easily retire my bossy hereford x holstein (she is due to calve anyway) and sub in a new pair of steers, I wanted to train her dexterX calf, but that leaves me back to having a single……I like Jerseys, they have a great character and work ethic, heat tolerance is handy and they are cheap and easily available. I rear them for beef so always have a few around and am going to try skipping a bit of time and expense by picking two out of my beefers rather than starting (again!) with calves.

The tedious bit is that without asking me, the farm I got them from dehorned them as a favour….nice thought but – ARRRRGH! I love horns! :rolleyes: But I have to think of practicalities rather than beauty right now and I really would like to avoid starting right from the beginning again. What are my options working them hornless in a yoke – I’m guessing you could just rig up some simple breeching? Our land is flat as a pancake so that will help!

They are 1yr old and still entire, but I’ve picked on temperament rather than condition. Rum & Raisin as they are now called are on the small side and displaying no bullish behaviour at all, I can get them pinched a.s.a.p.

I’m just starting by getting them used to handling – they are all pretty easy going with people being jerseys and when out at grass we see them every day to move them to new grass. I’m also always brushing and messing with the oxen around them so they have *seen* it happening. At first I picked the biggest to brush, but it took a loooong time to get him to calm down to be brushed, he’s more bullish. These two smaller ones were both fine with it in seconds – a much better start. Once they are totally happy being touched and brushed I’ll slowly try getting a halter on them.

[dominiquer60]

My beef had no horns and were great for pulling anything without wheels. Here is a picture of one of Howie’s Devons in a single yoke with britching, the link is the third one down next to harness http://softchalkconnect.com/lesson/files/2PEXjrOsLHiz5k/TexttoSelf6.html.

If I had kept the working beef team I would have had britching made for them so that they could hold and back a load comfortably. There are some that use britching on a horned team because it seems a little kinder to them, I suppose it depends on the situation and work at hand.

Go for it if they are handy, I am sure you will be able to get around not having horns.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Thanks for that!

[Tim Harrigan]

@dominiquer60 33040 wrote:

My beef had no horns and were great for pulling anything without wheels. Here is a picture of one of Howie’s Devons in a single yoke with britching, the link is the third one down next to harness http://softchalkconnect.com/lesson/files/2PEXjrOsLHiz5k/TexttoSelf6.html.

I am sure you will be able to get around not having horns.

I agree, unless you need them to back up a cart or wagon they can get by without horn just fine. I would, though, be careful to not let them graze in the yoke, particularly when they are young and you are training them so they do not drop their heads and figure out that they can unload the yoke. That could be a tough one to unlearn.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Good tip about no grazing – I was wondering about drilling through the outside edges of the yoke and passing a rope around both their backsides to hold it on?

[Tim Harrigan]

@Ixy 33057 wrote:

Good tip about no grazing – I was wondering about drilling through the outside edges of the yoke and passing a rope around both their backsides to hold it on?

That would probably create more problems than it solves. I would just make sure they behave.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

problems such as…?

Also, when hooking them up to a two wheel cart, how does this physically attach to the yoke? deadweight stuff would just be chained but I thought just a chain to the pole would make it a bit wibbly wobbly up and down? Would it pass through a ring that I often see on yokes instead?

[Vicki]

Ixy, as encouragement to use the dehorned Jerseys, let me tell you that two active members of MODA have dehorned steers that they work. A vet and her family have nice Brown Swiss, and another man has a dehorned Holstein. You can use brichens on them for wheeled work.

For hitching carts, a quick hitch is a T-pin through a hole in a tongue having a backstop, or dropped at an angle through the ring so the ring acts as a backstop. Another way that I prefer is to have two rings in the staple. The front ring holds the tongue with backstop; the rear ring which can be a grab ring holds a chain connected to the cart or to the rear of the tongue. The tongue in that case stabilizes the load but the draft force is in the chain.

[fabian]

I said it here more than one time: I always drive my horned team with britchen because I want to make work for them as easy as possible. These britchen do not cost the world (about 44,– $ each) and work well in breaking and backing a waggon/cart.
And with britchen it makes no difference whether horned or not.

[Anonymous]

Tim
You may want to add britching to the list for the MODA gathering:)

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Thanks vicki that’s really helpful – I like the two rings idea, just like shafts and traces with a single – makes sense. I think breeching is pretty handy from the sounds of it too – shouldn’t be too hard to rig up really, I’m becoming a dab hand with nylon webbing thesedays!

[Nat(wasIxy)]

In a little update I’ve been brushing them and it’s amazing how they now love a good scrub within just one day, after a year of never being physically handled at all. They’re not even fussy about their legs which still takes me by surprise after working with horses!

[Kevin Cunningham]

I do think that one of the most important oxen training tools is a good stiff brush! they love it

[Tim Harrigan]

I agree, that is the reward they get for coming up for yoking, and then when the work is done, although in the winter I also give them a cup or two of corn/soybean mix when they come up. No grain afterwards though. Will is good at stretching and turning his head to make sure I get the right spots, and if I forget to brush his chest underneath he kicks at it a few times to remind me.

[Oxhill]

Brithchens are always handy but I almost consider them a must have for a single ox. I have never had a ox without horns but I would think a britchen would be a requirement to properly back or hold back a load. Here are a few more pics of britchens. In the first one the trace chains are too long because it was a timed contest and the driver chose not to take the time to adjust them.

Andrew

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