Ox and Dog Interspecies Play; Toy or Tool?

In the first half of the video Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog play with a section of garden hose; Harry the Dog then switches to using the hose to poke at Scout the Ox ---at which time the ox attempts to take the hose away from the dog. It's all in good fun; as regular readers of this blog know, the ox and dog are companion animals and best of friends.

Is this further proof that the notion, tool use makes humans unique, is outdated? This was completely self-invented use of a garden hose, first as a toy (is a toy a tool when used to engage another?), and then as a pseudo-horn (tool?) to poke at the ox.

Interspecies Behavior: Grooming & Affection (Ox and Dog)

Pit Bull x Newfoundland Dog Licks Ox's Nose
(Horned Ayrshire Steer)

Scout the Ox gets his nose washed. Though not terribly uncommon, interspecies behaviors always fascinate me. (see Interspecies Ear Washing)

Ayrshire Ox Grooms Dog's Face

Harry the Dog gets a face wash. Getting the video was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I sometimes see this behavior at a distance from the window of our house. This time I had just finished shooting a video of putting the halter on Scout the Ox, and the camera was still on the tripod, when they started grooming each other.





Ayrshire Ox and Pit Bull Cross Newfoundland Dog
are Interspecies Companions

Harry the Dog is a herd replacement companion for Scout the Ox.  But, you might also say that Scout the Ox is a pack replacement companion for Harry the Dog  (just as people have been pack replacement companions for dogs throughout the centuries). The ox and the dog were raised together and they have a special interspecies affinity for each other.

Cat Edits Video on Computer

At the end of this three minute video you will see Squeak the Cat editing the video on the computer before publishing it to YouTube.

An Ox and a Horse a Poor Team Doth Make



Ox and Horse Team, Main Street, Groton, New York, USA c1920s 

It takes two to fight. It also takes two to make a team. At times oxen have been asked to fill in for a missing horse when a team was needed.  In this photo the missing horse's collar has been turned up-side down allowing it to be fitted onto the ox.

It has been said that different species cannot associate comfortably or pull pleasantly ---when yoked together. While the mismatched team in the picture seem to be faring quite well, it's not hard to imagine differences in strength and gait, say nothing of temperament and character.

If their differences escalated into fighting, the horse might be more wily (and able to bite), but would be at serious risk of being gored at the horns of the ox.  

A Horse Collar Doth Not an Ox Collar Make

Horse Collar vs. Ox Collar

There are substantial differences between horse collars and ox collars. The power of the horse is transferred to the collar primarily through the lower region of the neck while the oxen's power is transferred to the collar primarily through the upper region of the neck --- the collars are made accordingly.

Horse collars have been used on oxen by turning them upside-down, but not with good results. They may suffice for light cart work but for heavy pulling they are not satisfactory. They can cause discomfort and possibly sores for the ox. 

The ox collar itself has not found widespread favor in most regions of the world. The wooden ox yoke seems to be the most common choice for both farmers and competitive ox pullers. Germany and Switzerland may be a possible exception. Ox collars also hold some appeal when a single ox is used rather than a team.

Pineywoods Breed of Ox Pulls With Sweatpad/Hames Combination

Golem Kennels of rural Pittsboro, North Carolina, use a pair of ox hames padded with a sweat pad (made for use with a horse collar), for hitching their single ox.

Asked if they are happy with the results they replied that they like the sweat pad/wooden hames combination.

"He is comfortable in it, it takes no time at all to put on - just as fast or faster than a yoke," they said, "He's comfy and his movement is not restricted."

Working in the tight spaces of a small wooded farm, they don't want things sticking out that could snag on trees. "His horns are bad enough, but he turns his head and figures those out himself."

Click here to see Albert the Pineywoods ox in padded hames.

Click here to see Albert pulling a hay bale with the combination.

Pineywoods Cattle Registry and Breeders Association (PCRBA)

Ox Collar with Nearly Straight Hames





A Woman and Children in a Wagon Pulled by an Single Ox
Saint-Antonin, Québec, 1918
Marius Barbeau Collection (1883-1969)
© Canadian Museum of Civilization

   

Adjustable Three-Pad Collar for Oxen

 

Richard Roosenberg discusses the merits and demerits of the three-pad ox collar in Tillers International's 1997 Online TechGuide:

 Yoking and Harnessing Single Cattle.

illustration
 Adjustable Three-Pad Ox Collar
Steiman and Boss, 1934

 

Swiss or German Three Point Harness for Cattle






Three Pad Harness for Cattle
from
 Harnessing and Implements for Animal Traction
by Paul Starkey, 1989

 

Paul Starkey elaborated on what he saw as some of the pros and cons of the three point harness in chapter four of his 1989 book Harnessing and Implements for Animal Traction. The book is available online in it's entirety on the Animal Traction Information Gateway website. It can be downloaded in French or English. 

Flexible Three Pad Collar for an Ox





Flexible Three Pad Collar for an Ox
from
Cow-harnessing in Germany, Steinmetz, 1936
World Association for Transport Animal Welfare and Studies (TAWS)

A key feature of the three pad collar is that  each side (hame) swings independent of the other, keeping it in constant contact with the for-and-aft movement of the ox's shoulders. (A work horse's non-flexible collar rests on the horse's breast which remains stationary during locomotion.)

For a more detailed description click on Harnessing and Yoking - German Harnesses for Oxen by Jörg Bremond World  Association for Transport Animal Welfare and Studies (TAWS) website.

Padded Ox Collar, Ox, and Hay Cart: Murray Bay, QC, Canada




Ox cart, Murray Bay, QC, 1896-1900
Wm. Notman and Son
© McCord Museum

  


Detail from
Ox cart, Murray Bay, QC, 1896-1900
© McCord Museum

 

Padded Ox Collar, Ox, and Cart: Quebec City, Canada c.1890




Ox cart, St. Jean Deschaillons, QC, about 1890
Gift of Mr. Stanley G. Triggs
© McCord Museum

    

Detail from
Ox cart, St. Jean Deschaillons, QC, about 1890
Gift of Mr. Stanley G. Triggs
© McCord Museum



Single Ox Training: Gee and Haw

This is a question from YouTube comments on my video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1YJ_7jufYA. (Getup and Whoa with long reigns on a standard halter.)

Q.

This is great! I have a Jersey/Swiss bull that I want to do this with. Just wondering, how do you train him to Haw and Gee?

Stainesa1


A.
Greetings Stainesa1 ---


I find that Scout the Ox is more responsive to physical cues (touches and tugs) than he is to verbal commands. This makes sense as cattle are largely non-verbal creatures except when stressed or hungry.

With reins attached to a standard cattle halter I am able to direct him to right or left. (Bits or nose rings are unnecessary and not recommended.) When I see he is about to respond correctly I add the verbal gee or haw so that he will begin to make the association. You can see this in practice on this video where he is responding readily to corrections made with small tugs on the reins: http://storybrookeripples.blogspot.com/2010/08/ox-training-long-reins-and-verbal.html

My training got put to the test about a month ago. I was riding in the ox cart (converted garden cart.) I slid way to the back to take a picture and the cart reared up. Scout spooked and started running. The tipped-back cart was fishtailing wildly and I was hanging on with one hand, while trying to protect my camera with the other. Things were well out of control when I decided to yell "WHOA!" Scout stopped immediately for which I was well pleased.

Training one ox hardly makes me an authority on the subject, but I am of the impression that single oxen present a few challenges that teams are less prone to. Single oxen are more free to follow their own whims than they might be if they were yoked to a team mate. However, there is ample evidence in the historical record to suggest that single oxen were trained to be reliable enough to pull passengers in carts.

Single ox pulling ladies in ox cart near Newport News, Virginia, USA (estimated c1900-1920).

These prim ladies keep their white petticoats high above the muddy road near Newport News, Virginia. Their mighty ox appears to be completely under the control of the driver who holds the reins in her hands.

(Note the bed of this cart has been leveled. I've noticed ox carts often were tipped back. I wonder if it was because they were built to fit a younger animal who often out-grew expectations.)

Women and boy in ox cart pulled by single ox -- c1910, southern USA. 
Single ox yoke, reins.

This woman and her son appear equally at ease with their sleek ox pulling a tidy oxcart on the road of a southern USA town.

Older man in rickety wagon pulled by a single ox in a southern USA town c1910
Single ox yoke with dropped hitch points.

Being seated on kitchen chairs in this rickety old wagon would suggest that this older gentleman has a great deal of faith in the reliability of his single ox.

This single ox yoke is a nice example of a yoke with dropped hitch points. The dropped hitch points pull the yoke down into the shoulder --- a straight yoke, as in the first picture, tends to roll back.

One Very Large Steer!

Wouldn't it be fun to train this "big ox" of a steer for riding, or for pulling a giant ox cart! See photos and read about him at:

Mail Online/News  UK.
(click)

So Precious! Oxen Team and Young Girl



Oxen and Girl

Photo from JimElong's photobucket album titled: Rendezvous

Grandkids Wild Ox-Cart Ride

Traveling 1st Class in Northwestern Minnesota (via Ox Cart)

Single Ayrshire Ox Pulling Ox Cart with Wooden Ox Yoke

With all the tempting vegetation in the roadside ditches covered with snow,  it is a good time to get Scout the Ox used to the idea of me riding in the ox cart. In the summer he quickly learned that as soon as I got on the cart he could head to the ditch and grab a few mouthfuls of grass.....the little stinker!

Single Ayrshire Ox Pulling Ox Cart with Wooden Ox Yoke - Minnesota Winter

At -15 degrees F. (-26 degrees C.) Scout the ox grew a white beard and I an icy white moustache. On January 22 the sun sets about 6:30 PM CST,  but dusk lasts quite a while longer. 

Single Ayrshire Ox with Horns and Yoke - Exhaust

It was a beautiful, silent evening with stars beginning to show in the sky. The 5mph wind dropped off to near zero and the steam rising from Scout the Ox's breath  reminded me of the exhaust from an idling internal combustion engine. Getting the pictures and video without frost-bitten fingers was tricky though.

See in video format  --- 29 seconds.

Snapshots; Haul'n Wood with an Ox

Hauling Firewood with an Ox

Turning the Ox Yoke

20/20 Hindsight

1. When walking backwards make sure you have a clear path so you don't stumble.
2. Avoid hitching to anything so high that the chains can pass easily over the ox's back.
3. Hitch oriented in the direction you want to pull so the ox doesn't need to step sideways to get lined up

It is also possible for a team of oxen to turn their yoke. If they both turn 180 degrees, but in opposite directions, the yoke has to flip. Said another way, if they swing their tails apart until their tails meet again, the yoke will be forced to turn.

Single or team, turning the yoke is obviously to be avoided; it could result in bruising the oxen's neck or throat.

Civil War Era Currycomb

A Currycomb Patented by Sarah Jane Wheeler, 1861

"Included in the New Britain Industrial Museum collection is a curry comb recovered from a Union army supply barge, the General Meade, which exploded and sank at City Point , Virginia on the James River . The comb was patented in 1861 by Sarah Jane Wheeler, who was the first woman in  New Britain  to receive a United States patent."

quoted from

Connecticut Explored

Currying Favor with the Ox

Snow, ice, mud or manure in the coat of the ox robs the fur of its insulating value.  The currycomb is the ideal tool to keep the ox's coat clean and dry. While many a feedlot steer may survive without ever being touched by a currycomb, its frequent application certainly adds to the creature's comfort.



Grooming the Ox with a Currycomb

 As an added bonus currying replicates the grooming behavior seen amongst members of a herd of cattle. The use of the currycomb can be a bonding tool between teamsters and their oxen. If you've ever been licked by an ox you know the roughness of an ox's tongue has much the same feel as a currycomb.

Why Is It Called a Currycomb?



Currycomb

One of my earliest memories of livestock was watching our landlords daughter, Roxy,  putting neat squiggles on the side of her wet Hereford, 4-H steer, using a round, metal currycomb with a red handle. Recently while using the same style currycomb with the same red handle I have wondered “why is it is called a currycomb?”

This is what I found. From the late 13th century Anglo-French word curreier comes the English word curry, meaning, to rub down a horse. The Oxford English Dictionary quotes a phrase from 1398 as “coryed wyth an horse combe.” So, logically, a comb used to curry a horse might come to be called a curry-comb.

 

"Der behexte Stallknecht"
("The Bewitched Stable Boy")
Hans Baldung Grien (1544)
German Renaissance woodcut
This unfortunate stable boy has dropped his 16th-century currycomb on the stable floor.



An interesting side-note is that the phrase “to curry favor” rose from a satirical 14th century French poem Roman de Fauvel. In the poem Fauvel, a horse, moves from the barn into the largest room in the house. He represents sin and corruption; Fauvel’s name  is an acronym (in French) for the seven deadly sins. In the story the occupants of the house, who metaphorically represented church and state leaders, not only allowed Fauvel to dwell in the house, they even lowered themselves to curry and clean his coat.

Hence, the common expression "to curry favor" is believed to be a mistaken English adaptation of the French phrase to curreier Fauvel. In the English language, to curry favor has come to mean seeking favor by fawning or flattery.



Roman de Fauvel
Musical satire from early 14th century France.

 

Did you know?


On October 22, 2009 Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China, gave U.S. President Barack Obama a porcelain sculpture of five oxen that has been valued at $1200.00.

From the Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 11/ Tuesday, January 18, 2011

President Hu Jintao and President Obama

Watering the Ox: How Much Water Will a Yearling Steer Drink?

My online blogger friend Chuck (for whom oxen hold spiritual significance,) signs off on his weekly blog-cast Friday Night Oxen with "Have a nice weekend, in service to the Oxen."

I sometimes think of that and smile when carrying water, feeding hay, or forking manure in the wee hours of the morning --- or late at night. Keeping an ox is not entirely a practical matter. But it sure is fun! Especially when the temperature dips below zero to -35 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind is blowing. (Tongue frozen in cheek.)  Just think, I might be at the health club laboring away on a treadmill and getting nowhere --- while inhaling the smell of somebody's sweaty socks.

Minnesota Winter: An Ox in a Snowstorm



Scout the Ox, an Ayrshire Steer with Horns
Minnesota Winter Snowstorm

"If I might say...."

Scout the Ox, an Ayrshire Steer with Horns
Minnesota Winter Snowstorm

..  "....it's a bit blustery."

Leading the Single Ox

Leading the Single Ox: Advantages and Disadvantages

The single ox is more prone to go astray due to distraction than a team of oxen. Leading the ox all but eliminates the straying problem. Leading also eliminates a lot of guess work for the ox. By being led he understands exactly what it is you want him to do.

Not being in the enviable position to work together daily, leading also makes up for the lack of daily reinforcement of the Gee and Haw commands.

One day I was leading Scout the Ox and we were crossing a ditch at the top of which the snow was very deep. I was getting stuck in the deep snow and unable to go any further when to my surprise he got his horns under me and boosted me up onto solid ground. Now that's teamwork!

One downside to leading is an occasional horn in the back. I'm planning to make a longer lead stick for the times when leading seems the best option, and I will also continue to drive him from the side or behind when working on the road or in open country.

Ox Checks Out Camera

Curious as a cow, Scout the Ox investigates the stationary camera. In hindsight, the results were predictable.

Making Firewood With an OX and a Dog: Day 2

Scout the Ox started easily on this cold and windy day. No block-heaters or jumper cables to deal with. We got out several small loads of firewood. I have switched from the wagon to a sled, and have replaced the lead rope with the broomstick.

Haltering and Hitching the Ox: A Two Act Play

I set everything up for an unflawed demonstration of haltering and hitching the ox to a sled, but everything didn't exactly go as planned! To start with Harry the Dog stole Scout the Ox's collar --- and wouldn't give it back--- Scout the Ox took over from there. It all turned out to be a bit of a yoke. 

PitambarTheRedBull commented on YouTube

Loved it! Made me smile!

 

http://www.enasco.com/product/C02446N

I have no association with eNasco nor do I endorse this particular halter. I have done business with this company and have been a satisfied customer

This type of rope and sliding chain cattle halter has been an excellent training tool. It offers some control by tightening around the nose when the ox-in-training resists. Once the animal complies, a gentle shake of the rope relieves the tension as a reward for correct behavior. Rough or indiscriminate use would constitute aversive behavior training, or even cruelty, and is to be avoided.

As Scout the Ox's training progresses I use this halter less and less. In a work situation I prefer a standard nylon web halter. The ox should be controlled primarily with the gentle guidance of the whip or goad --- not by tugging on the halter. Playing tug-of-war with an ox sets you up for failure.

With teams of oxen the halter should be removed as soon as reasonable control makes that possible. With the single oxen, in complicated working situations, the halter may continue to be a desirable tool for communication and to help him overcome distractions. Some teamsters would maintain, however, that the ultimate goal should be to eliminate the use of any halter.

The yoke pictured in the video is highlighted in this previous post.

The broomstick used in place of a lead rope is highlighted in this previous post. It has been a valuable training aid, and when it's unsnapped from the ox it doubles as a goad.

Scout the Ox: Can You Come Out and Play Now?

 

Scout the Ox managed to pop the latch on the pasture gate. He didn't wander away, but rather, came to our front door to see what was happening. He voiced his arrival, and I have little doubt but that he would have come right in if the door had been open.

Here's a video of a Pitambar the Red Bull who lives on a distant tropical island.  He is being trained as an ox. In this clip he is allowed a visit in the house --- but don't tell the the lady's husband! 

 Pitambar the Red Bull in the House.

Ox on a Stick: Whoa. Get-up.

At just over a year Scout the Ox is doing well with Get-up and Whoa. But take a look (video below) at this team of three-year old Highland oxen!




The trainer of this beautiful team of oxen is doing an excellent job. He projects what dog trainer Cesar Millan calls calm-assertive energy.

More about this breed: American Highland Cattle Association
Comprehensive information on all cattle breeds: Oklahoma State University
Oxen commands demonstrated: Get-up, whoa, back, gee (right), haw (left), and head-up.

This video is from AnythingOxen's YouTube Channel

There is only one video posted there now, but we hope to see more.

Winter Vignette: A Man an Ox and a Dog

Crossing a snowy meadow with a dog, and an ox pulling a sled.

Winter Vignette: Ox-Breath at Sunset

Ox-breath, one of the wonderful touches of Winter!

An Outing on a Winter Evening Pays Big Dividends for the Dog

 

Harry the Dog discovers a frozen deer hide left behind by deer-hunters. 

Scout the Ox smells something of interest on the wind.

The deer hide was heavy and we had a long way to go. After several tries Harry the dog allowed me to put it in the sled and Scout the Ox pulled it the rest of the way home.

 

For the next several days Harry may have been the happiest dog on earth --- carrying this thing around and chewing it to bits!

(No this won't cause a dog to chase deer. It's the excitement of  "the chase" that causes that. Our sheep guardian dogs regularly ate dead sheep without it causing them to kill sheep.)