using an ox for riding and packing

[bivol]

hi!

in the east, riding oxen is historically usual, with many prominent and unknown men traveling on oxback.

now i know that some people are riding steers, but my questions are how much can a holstein ox carry?

riding on ox-back, is it comfortable? with saddle, i mean.

how much can an ox travel in a day?

do they chew cud while walking?

how fast are they?

[IMG]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1248320&t=r[/IMG]
hottentots in africa

i think it would be interesting to make a comparison to the horse on muddy roads, in swampy ground.

for riding i’d prefer a holstein or a holstein cross. they are livelier and agile than brown swiss, and they are easy to buy.

concerning the system of control, i noticed that people in america use horse bits. i don’t know much about it, but i think oxen are not made for this system of control, because they do not have the space with missing teeth horse mouth do.
i, personally, would prefer nasal control, a flat ring or a nose rope.

do you have any experience concerning packing or riding oxen?

[Howie]

If you are going to use reins for control, I do not think you should use a horse bit. With a bit in his mouth he will not be able to chew his cud.
I think the best thing is either a nose bit or a halter. The halter should be a little different than most people use. It should be made of a material like parachute cord. The nose band should be quite low with a ring on each side.
A peace of cord goes from each ring, goes under the jaw and through the ring on the opposite side.

[HeeHawHaven]

We have some people in Kuna here that ride longhorns and take them places for pictures. They’re huge. I don’t remember what they had for steering – I think a halter.

Here’s a link to a ranch that raises longhorns for driving and riding.

http://www.premierlonghorns.com/RidingLonghorns.html

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Here’s a video of them gathering, penning and roping on longhorns!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3n3biKFadw&eurl=http://www.premierlonghorns.com/RidingLonghorns.html

Dave

[CharlyBonifaz]

Dave,
thanks for the link, hit the nail on the head over here 😀
elke

[bivol]

hi!

sorry about the size of the picture!

anyway, here are a few videos about ox riding:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wrdCO9qQkU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7YJSUMU504&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJpoCDsxBZ4

[sanhestar]

I don’t like the look in the eyes and the body language of the oxen in the first two videos, especially in the first video.

[OldKat]

Kinda funny that the guys riding the Longhorns were wearing sombreros and rode Mexican saddles. While the young lady riding the Indu Brazil, or whatever Indicine breed that happens to be, is wearing what appears to be American style western wear and is mounted on an American style stock saddle. I thought for sure that was going to be Argentina, but the link says she is in Brazil.

[bivol]

hi!

found something new on the subject!

i cite from a book called “Lake Ngami”, by Charles John Andersson, on traveling in inland Africa.

On the day of our departure he mounted us all on oxen, and a curious sight it was to see some of the men take their seats who have never before ridden on ox-back… …your seat is no less awkward and difficult; for the skin of the ox, unlike that of the horse, and, notwithstanding your saddle may be tightly girthed, you keep rocking to and fro like a child in a cradle. a few days, however, enables a person to acquire a certain steadiness, and long habit will do the rest.
ox-traveling, once a man is accustomed to it, is not so disagreeable as might be expected, particulary if one succeeds in obtaining a tractable animal. on emengencies, an ox can be made to proceed at a tolerably quick pace; for, though his walk is only three miles an hour at average, he may be made to preform double the distance in the same time. Mr. Galton once accomplished twenty-four miles in four hours, and that, too, through heavy sand!

[Nat(wasIxy)]

wow thats a brilliant account – I’ve read about that trip in vague terms but never found anything more detailed.

I’m finding my simmi is getting more comfy as he fills out 😀

[BIGOX]

Here are a few good pics of oxen being used to ride and pack.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

brilliant! thanks – are they yours?

[BIGOX]

No. They are just a few old pics that I found on the net and I have squirreled away for educational purposes.

[Nat(wasIxy)]

ooo well thanks anyway, i too have squirrelled them now…

[bivol]

here’s a pic i just found. works good enough, i guess.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PAVWag3Du_o/Soy1mqL_OBI/AAAAAAAAAlQ/dTCkkc1RqG8/s1600-h/S5000745.JPG

[Author]

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