Oxen Team Driving with one person??

[hardpan99]

My experience is with horses and am preparing to get a team of horses. However, a neighboring farmer recently offered to GIVE me a team of Jersey Steers which have had some training. Initially I turned them down mainly because I have always assumed that driving a team of oxen requires two people. One up front to direct them, and one behind on the implement. I have many horsedrawn implements (walking plow, roller, sulky disc w/pole etc). The two person thing is just not possible for my farm. Am I right to assume that oxen really require two people?

Thanks for any inputs.

[CharlyBonifaz]

depends on how they are trained and what their work is…… mine is driven from behind, or walks besides me depending on the situation…..started to add a second ox (the neighbour’s) recently by walking up front, but he’s getting better and better with commands from behind

[bivol]

i know exactly what you mean!
now, i don’t know how others will look at it, this problem was my main motivation in learning to drive oxen with nose rings.
DO read the topic concerning nose rings.

in some parts of the world, Ethiopia and Peru, oxen are commonly driven from behind with no nasal control whatsoever. but, the trick may lie in the way they are using them: exclusively for plowing. so they learn them to walk along the furrow, turn, walk along the furrow again, and that’s all they learn. but, for modern agriculture, they have to be more vertisale, and them so lively and likely to test you, nose control may be the best solution to the problem.
have you ever worked with cattle, in particular jersey? they’re pretty lively to say the least, you have to establish firm control, and they like to test you. also, they’re light boned, and can’t handle as much work like plowing, as other, bigger oxen.
if you have to plow a lot, maybe get something bigger. how much land do you intend to work with them?
overall, it could be a good bargain, but i personally think it’s rather unlikely to have a team of jersey oxen plow and do stuff without the teamster (and without any physical restraint) without A LOT of training if not drilling.

[Tim Harrigan]

Hardpan: It is certainly possible to drive a team of oxen alone and from behind, and it can be done with voice, ropes to the halter or more restrictive ways as discussed in this thread. But in some ways driving from behind without heavy restraint is a step up from driving from the front or side so it will take a commitment. So the question is, do you really want to work oxen rather than horses? If you are not sure you might be better off with horses.

[Rod]

I can sympathize with the desire to ride sometimes and am slowly working with my oxen so that I can do that, especially going up the hills to some of my fields. I have horses but prefer the oxen because it seems to me they are safer, more laid back, patient and much easier and quicker to yoke and unyoke making them more practical for small or short duration jobs. Oxen are also easier to keep, more rugged, and less demanding that a horse with less health issues to be aware of.
I think the use of reins on a halter or even nose rings for some animals could be a practical help even if used on occasion and if added to the oxen’s gear would still make the oxen a preferred choice for all the reasons stated above. I agree that driving them without this added help is easier (less gear to deal with) but less secure from runaways and I wonder about the precision of control that is sometimes needed in tight spots without this help. Folks with flat farms and mostly open work areas for projects may not see this need as acutely as those with hill farms, old legs and tight quarters to negotiate.

[Tim Harrigan]

If a team is reasonably well trained, reins or ropes to the halter along with voice commands and the goad to touch one or the other ox to speed them up to tighten a turn could be very effective. A little tug on the rope would focus their attention and make them a little more responsive and maneuverable. And there are times you may want to remind them that their attention needs to be on you. I have thought about experimenting with reins but my team does fine with the things I ask them to do with voice and touch. But it depends on what you are asking your team to do, and where. Reins would make most folks feel a little more confident driving from behind, and would probably make most teams a little more responsive.

I agree with Vicki, again, though. While nose rings do not have to be abusive the potential and perception are there for everyone to see and question. In our part of the country that would be a take-home message that you would rather have people forget.

[hardpan99]

Thanks for all of your inputs. I think that I would have the ability to train a team of oxen to be precise, but I just won’t have the time, nor the ability to have us “learn the hard way” by taking out half the crop while trying to cultivate lettuce or something;) For now, given my experience, a team of horses is the way to go for me. I need something with experience that can get right to work. Oxen definitely fascinate me though. And I like the idea of the relative ease of feeding them.

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