switching sides

[Baystatetom]

So after the discussion of using a evener on oxen, I added 2″ to the belly of my yoke. I do believe this acted as an evener to some extent. When hooking my 2200 pound team to 1600 pounds the off bull stayed right where he should have and was unable to charge ahead. However, when on a light load or no load at all he was still a step ahead all the time.
Just this morning I tried swapping sides putting the near steer on the off side. This would give me better control over that fast steer while giving the other one a bit more freedom over there on the other side of the yoke.
If you are in a bad mood or have a short temper I would not try this. To start off with I had a full blown wrestling match trying to get them to stand in the “wrong” spots to even get the yoke on. Finally I unhooked them from the ropes and gave the haw command, away they went until they finally ran the center of the yoke into a tree and came to a crashing stop. First time this team ever got away from me. Come to think of it I am not sure a team has got away from me since I was 12 years old. When I finally got them back and secured a halter to the new near steer this went a bit better, but with out that halter I would have lost them a few more times. I did not put them on a load, just walked them around. They did start to get the hang of it after a half hour or so, but that steer was still a step ahead I had to keep pulling him back with the halter. I am not real sure this is the way to go either. Maybe using the deeper yoke on heavier loads will eventually train him to slow down as quickly as my pulling his nose down with the halter and will require a lot less effort on my part. Whats everybody think?
The other funny thing is I told one to stand in and he stepped out, that’s backwards now too.

[dominiquer60]

Maybe switching my team was a little easier because they are younger and we were in a training pen, but we are all creatures of habit. I imagine if you switched more often stand in and stand out maybe less confusing, or you just need to be consistent with how you trained them originally and go with what works.

[Baystatetom]

I am sure they would get it if I kept with it. They did a lot better after just a half hour, I am just not sure that it is any faster or easier then any other solution to slowing down that off steer.
My last team learned unbelievably quick, I bet I could have switched them around with out hardly missing a step, but they would quit on me when loaded heavy. These guys are strong as hell, but don’t listen quite as good. Always a trade off I suppose.
Would still love advice on how to slow down that fast steer if anybody knows.
~Tom

[Baystatetom]

I bumped into a guy I know over the weekend who has had oxen his whole life both for work and pulling. I asked him about slowing down that faster off steer. He says why are you asking me, you already know the answer. I say know I really don’t. He replies what is the problem with almost any team of oxen. And how would you fix it for somebody else? I stand there with a dumb look on my face. Finally he says WORK THEM MORE! Double their yoke time for a while and they will straighten out.
Hate to admit it but I think he is right.
~Tom

[Vicki]

You’re a brave man to switch sides with those big older oxen! I had a fast/lagging pair of big shorthorns; even my dexters do that to some extent if not working hard. I’ve found that after 20 min. or so, and getting into moderate to heavy steady work, both these pairs evened out on their own. I would rather have the fast one off; that’s usually the lagger. Then I can coax the lagging nigh. Yoke comfort can be a factor. I see that the deeper belly helped. Maybe the lunging off doesn’t like the neck seat. I had a Maine oxman reshape the neck seats on my yoke to be much more elliptical than flat, and those shorthorns evened out much more.

Keep us posted on how it’s going.

[Baystatetom]

I have been playing with my yokes a lot. I have one more unfinished one to try out. I really don’t want to speed up the slow one, if they both had that hot temperament I might not be able to control them. Could also be the age, 2 and 3 year old steers tend to be fast. I think I got good advice in the just work them more idea. Also I was pumping them full of grain trying to get them up to a good working size as fast as possible, I have started cutting back the grain while bumping up the hay and they seem a bit more docile. Could be all that molasses had them on a sugar high. I had not had them in the yoke for over a week (hunting season) until yesterday, I was expecting a fast pace workout but they were calm and cool. Even my 4 year old drove them around the yard.

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