Chautauqua and French Festival 2011

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog visited the Chautauqua and French Festival --- August 27, 2011.      (See also Chautauqua and French Festival 2010)

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog approach the Chautauqua and French Festival with great caution. The Red Lake River flows on the left. During the years of the Red River Ox Carts the Woods Trail crossed the river at this location.The trails ran from Pembina, on the Canadian border, to St Paul, Minnesota.

Scout the Ox poses by a replica of a Red River Ox Cart.  The oxcarts carried furs on their way south and needed supplies when traveling back north. The carts were driven primarily by the Metis.                           History of the Red River Ox



The annual festival is held at Old Crossing Treaty Park, Huott, Minnesota. Scout the Ox was absent his ox cart when the pictures were taken, though he had pulled it through the park earlier in the afternoon.                    Red River Ox Cart Train 



Harry the Dog greets a fearless pooch. My main objective was to get Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog used to being around lots of people, dogs, horses, and new sights, sounds and smells. We accomplished that. Scout was very excited and quite a handful to control when we arrived, but he had calmed down by the time we left.

Scout the Ox was a hit with many of the kids. It sure would be nice to get an authentic Red River Ox Cart for Scout to pull! I've heard the Metis people in Canada have made some in recent years.  Red River Ox Cart Diagram, Photo, and Cartmaking Video.

Book Review: Ox-Cart Man

Excellent review of my favorite children's book. I read this book to my kids years ago. It probably influenced my decision to get an ox. Thank you Lady Xeona.

Grandkids Ox Cart Adventures

Kind-a long, but plenty of action.

Trailering the Ox: Learning to Load

Scout the Ox checks out the inside of the stock trailer but keeps two feet safely on the ground. Harry the Dog gives wide berth, not taking any chances.


Scout the Ox learns the livestock trailer is a safe place to be. Harry the Dog wants nothing to do with it. I set one of his favorite temptations, cat food, inside the open trailer door where he could reach it with two of his feet still on the ground. After several days he still hadn't touched the cat food.

Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog, Summer 2011

The dog days of summer. Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog are both 22 months of age. Scout is an Ayrshire steer being trained as an ox. Harry's a Newfoundland/Pit Bull cross dog. Scout and Harry are companion animals to each other.

Grazing on the lawn, by the firewood pile, is one of several rewards Scout might get after an outing with the ox cart. By varying the rewards we avoid getting into a routine with certain expectations that can become entrenched and difficult to vary from. For example, we get Harry to go into the kennel/pasture by offering a treat. He will refuse to go in without the treat and sometimes will hold out on us for a "better" treat. He has us trained pretty well.

Scout the Ox, an Ayrshire steer, grazing by firewood he helped put up.

April Ox Hauling Firewood with a Sled - Click Here

Scout theOx, an Ayrshire steer, wearing a rope cattle halter and lead rope.

The horn of the Ayrshire breed of cattle. Both cows and bulls
have horns, unless they are removed shortly after birth. Oxen
horns are useful, and seldom removed.

Harry the Dog is a cross between a Newfoundland and a Pit Bull Terrier.
He has an even temperment and gets on well with Scout the Ox.

Scout will not be part of a team of oxen, but is being trained as a single ox.

In the tradition of the Red River Ox Carts, Scout works alone.
 As part of training, he enjoys grazing on the lawn as
 a reward for good work.

(See short video clips in the same setting.)

Through the Woods With an Ox and a Dog

A little sidetrip with Scout the Ox pulling the ox cart. Enjoy.