the single ox…again

[bivol]

hi!

as realestate prices are going up in my country i will probably never be able to own much land, and as i like cattle, i hope i will have at least one ox on my land for fieldwork, plowing.
the single animal is recomended for small farms

now, how do you train him to go in a straight line for plowing?

does a single steer need more attention when growing up, and overall, without other bovines around?

does a single ox tend to be more affectionate to its master (if treated right) then an animal with a teammate?

which system of control is the most appropriate? bits? ring? i’d prefer the ring.

i was having in mind this harnessing system, it’s simpler than harness or yoke.
is it important to have the animal castrated late so the neck muscles develop?

[becorson]

there are others with more experience than me but i’ll start the discussion by replying to your questions. I have trained 3 single oxen over the years and have talked with several people who have also trained singles. it seems that a single calf does indeed get attached to his human handlers but sometimes this is not an advantage: without someone Larger and sTronger than him around, it may be harder for him to learn to be submissive. not that it can’t be done, but just something to keep in mind. i think the termperament of the individual calf has a big effect, too, as much as how many animals are around.
I have never succeeded (yet) in training an ox to follow a furrow and have always had to resort to two-person plowing: one person drives the ox (or oxen) and concentrates on keeping them straight… and the other person handles the plow. having said that, i think others have succeeded in teaching oxen to do just about anything, including plow straight, with enough time and practice.
in any case, you need to start with a furrow that is already straight and spend time driving the animal along the furrow, getting him used to walking at the edge, without pulling the plow. i think the more time you could spend doing this step, the better.
once the animal is used to walking along the edge of a furrow pulling something like a large tire, it would be time to start plowing but you would want to use a small plow and nice well conditioned soil. You wouldn’t want the first plowing attempt to be in a hard, stony field. at least that would be my recommendation.
I have never used a nose ring on any of my cattle but i do use a rope around the base of the horns, or a rope halter. the best ox-man i know personally (Worth McClure in Lancaster co Pa) said that he used bits on some of his teams back in the 40s..
. he didn’t recommend a nose-ring because he said it made cattle “head shy”… once you have punctured the ox’s nose to put a ring it, worth said, the ox will never forget that you hurt him. as i see it, the advantage of a bit is that it is less painful and is also reversible.
as far as harness, i have used wooden neck yokes on my cattle, and also two different types of neck-collars. with either a neck yoke or a neck collar on a single ox, its useful to have some kind of breeching or britchen to help stabilize the collar and keep it from falling forward.
i have never used a head yoke which i think is illustrated in your picture ? but maybe someone else will comment on that.

[Howie]

The fore head yoke is fine although I prefer the neck yoke with a britchen.
When you casurate him will make little if any difference.
I have used a bit but I don’t like it because it makes it very hard for him to chew his cud. I prefer a halter with a wraped steel nose band formed to fit the front of his nose. I don’t like a ring because I think it disfigures him.
Have some one help you cut a back furrow and then teach him to walk the furrow.
If you use him enough and treat him right he will become a great buddy.

[becorson]

just wanted to add a comment on the time to castrate…. it’s true that bulls get bigger neck muscles –to the point that a neck yoke won’t fit them well — but steers grow taller and get heavier overall and combined with a more docile temperament i think steers make much better draft animals. it’s also kinder to the animal to castrate them young, i think. as well as less risky for everyone to work on a 150 pound animal instead of a 1500 pound one!

[CharlyBonifaz]

mine is worked as a single ox and since he’s the first, I have no way of comparison with oxen teams
I use different harnesses for different work but the same headset
since I plan to ride him, when he is fully grown, I have trained him to a bit, a leather bit; it actually consists of a small leatherbelt run around his lower jaw and through the ends of a regular bridle on the right and left of his mouth; since leather turns soft when wet, it has taken the form his tongue and mouth are most comfortable with. He will eat and drink with it; chewing cud hasn’t been a problem, but he had to learn how to eat long gras with it; when it starts to build up around the leather, he works it loose with his tongue and swallows it with the next bite. the one we are using now has worked well for more than 18 months, although I started him on a new one in between to have one “chewed” ready to go in case the old one eventually gives way…..
he was castrated when he was 3 days old, very early.

[Rod]

Is the head yoke in the photo bound or attached to the horns or just a pad on the forehead? The other question I have is what breed on oxen did becorsen raise?

[CharlyBonifaz]

Is the head yoke in the photo bound or attached to the horns or just a pad on the forehead?

If you look at the picture closely, you can see 2 leatherstraps about where the the hornbases are (you can even see the buckle on one side); from the forehead yoke they go all around the horn on each side and thus fix the forehead yoke to the front of the head, actually this implement “falls into place”. Hard to make a mistake there….. Were it not for the straps, it would fall off the animal at every stop….
elke

[Rod]

Where do you get such a setup, looks easy and comfortable and adjustable as the steer grows?

[becorson]

The single oxen i have trained were milking shorthorns.
The book “In Praise of Oxen” shows a picture or two of a single ox in a head yoke, if i remember right.

[Rod]

I took a look at those photos and made me wonder why the single ox has a wooden yoke at all, except for spreading the tugs away from the ox body. It seems the pad could do it all unless I am missing something.

[CharlyBonifaz]

except for spreading the tugs away from the ox body. It seems the pad could do it all unless I am missing something.

no, you didn’t miss it; That is the reason: keep the body clear of pressure/rubbing by spreading the tugs
elke

[bivol]

@Rod 3714 wrote:

I took a look at those photos and made me wonder why the single ox has a wooden yoke at all, except for spreading the tugs away from the ox body. It seems the pad could do it all unless I am missing something.

thank you all for showing such intrest…
you’re absolutelly right Rod. the head is movable and there are no problems with size, yoke gall, gaining or losing weight, making bows… that’s more practical than any neck yoke to me…these pads were extensivelly used in europe. furthermore, i believe they are most practical on single ox. i think what can make people weary of such system is the fact that drew conroy in his book states that the forehead yoke causes skull damage. but i think he meant the wooden horehead yoke, with no padding between head and forehead.

[Rod]

Any idea where I could get a harness of that type or a better description/plan to make one?

[bivol]

@Rod 3801 wrote:

Any idea where I could get a harness of that type or a better description/plan to make one?

well, i know german and have searched for plans for making it but i found nothing… si you ll have to improvise. this type of yoke is basically a flat iron piece whose shape can be determined by looking at it, and padded with hard padding.

its best to improvize. i think flatted 1″ steel pipe bent at the ends with holes drilled for holding padding should work good. put some padding, like a few layers of blanket or straw in cloth. ox’s forehead is the toughest place.
or show a picture to a blacksmith and he’ll make the frame. than go to a saddler to put the padding. check out pictures on my previous post “the forehead yoke” for some details about design. good luck!

marko

[bivol]

actually here is the link.http://www.draftanimalpower.com/showthread.php?t=474

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