Scout the Ox's Next Ox Yoke?

I've got my sights on this Ash log for my next ox yoke. It's probably Green Ash though I'm not certain.That's the youngest of my three grandchildren posing beside it. The Ash tree was cut over a year ago by my son-in-law who does tree trimming and removal.

Ox Takes Time to Smell the Lady's Slippers

Ox Pulling Cart Spots Showy Lady's Slipper Orchid

Scout the Ox Smells the Native Prairie Flowers

Ayrshire Steer and Minnesota State Flower
Cypripedium reginae

Just a Little Cowlick

Music: Love Comes - The Posies (Every Kind of Light)

Ox Steps Through Ox Yoke While Grazing

Scout the Ox discovers a minor difficulty when he puts his head down to graze while wearing his yoke. The yoke slid behind his head and as he stepped forward he stepped into the "bow."

Having lifted his feet frequently when he was small, paid off in remedying this situation. Early training of the ox-to-be is invaluable when he has grown too big to be overcome physically. I weighed him on a registered scale over the weekend and he came in at 1400 pounds. He's a year and eight months old and still growing fast.

Oxen Yoke: Neck, Withers, or Head? Ox Collar

An ox yoke is in it’s most basic definition a piece of wood that transfers power from an ox or oxen into work for mankind. The iconic yoke connects two oxen together for this purpose. Yokes occur in a continuum of designs along which three notable stops are head yokes, neck yokes and withers yokes. A large number of variations have been used based on local needs, resources and customs. The ox collar is an aberration from the traditional yoke but accomplishes the same basic function.



Neck Yoke
The neck yoke is the "traditional" ox yoke of the United States. As the name suggests the yoke rests on the oxen's neck. The beam is held in place by the oxbows.



Withers Yoke
The withers yoke is used with Bos indicus oxen.
Bos indicus oxen have a prominent hump over their withers, against which the oxyoke rests. There is usually a rope or other light fastener that loops under the neck to hold the yoke in place, but the fastner does not  transfer power from the ox to the pole or chain. This particular withers yoke is attached to a wagon pole by lashing it with a rope.  

Head Yoke
Head yokes are secured to the oxen's horns and/or forhead; that lashing transfers the power from the oxen to the yoke, which in turn transfers the power to the work. Headyokes must be carefully fitted to the individual ox. 

Ox Collar
The ox collar does not quite fit the definition of an ox yoke, but it is yet another way to transfer power from the ox to the work at hand. See also: A Horse Collar Doth Not an Ox Collar Make



Jersey Steer Begins Cart Training as an Ox

Anuttama says Makani is a little over a year and a half old and weighs about 1050lbs.

She commented on my video, Hip-Hop Back to the Drawing Board in which Scout's early version of an ox yoke fell apart:

"I just hooked my little boy for the first time today and he was so good. Then we also had an incident: he slipped, fell on his side and broke a shaft! But he wasn't hurt and didn't freak out. I had to unharness him to get him up but then we reharnessed and pulled a drag so that the last thing that happened was good. Your Scout seems sensible, too."

Scout continues to amaze me with his lack of panic in surprising experiences.

Certainly for training on a light cart like this, the horse collar is working well. As you can see in the video they have turned the collar upside-down to make for an improved fit. It is recommended by ox drovers much more experienced than me, however, that a horse collar not be used for heavier work; the ox is likely to be uncomfortable and could develop sores. See also: A Horse Collar Doth Not an Ox Collar Make.

Thanks Anuttama for sharing your video on YouTube. We'll be watching for a progress report on Makani. Happy carting!

Bird Song, Ox Training, and Dog

Pulling the wagon through a variety of terrain was good training for Scout the Ox. It provided different experiences, and minor mishaps, all of which make him a more adaptable and cool headed beast-of-burden. Harry the Dog added a bit of light- heartedness; the sounds of nature and the Spring greenery provided a pleasant backdrop. The video is a little long, and more contemplative than instructional. In the opening clip notice the small tree in the forground as the ox cart passes.

Oxen Training: Ground Tying the Single Ox

Here's another job where the ox has replaced my small tractor on my very small farm. I'm using the dirt from gopher mounds in the pasture to fill low spots in the yard and garden. The problem with this kind of work is that the ox being a grazing animal wants to keep stepping forward to the next best thing to eat. Out of necessity I learned that if there is nothing to tie him to, I can tie him to the pull chain or the wagon. If he attempts to step forward his nose chain snugs up around his nose.

Adjusting Hitch Point on Adjustable Ox Yoke

It's been in the news that oxen are replacing tractors due to high fuel costs and farmers are turning to YouTube to learn how to drive the oxen! I just heard it on the radio.

Well here it is. I used to move the hayfeeder with the tractor but now it is a job for Scout the Ox. This video clip demonstrates how that the longer the pull chain the greater the likelyhood that the yoke will not stay in place. It also demonstrates how adjusting the hitchpoint will affect the proper functioning of the yoke.

See also: Ox Yoke Malfunctions

Dog and Ox Commune with Pair of Wild Geese

Nesting pair of Canadian Geese



Scout the Ox was intrigued by the honking geese.



Harry the Dog did a pretty good job of pointing.

Canadian goose on pond in Minnesota.

 

Harrowing the Garden with an Ox --- Day 2

May 29th, 2011

The garden was drying out a little. Sherry got a few early things planted --- lettuce, radishes, and such that can take a little frost. I tilled it once more and then Scout the Ox and I gave it it's final harrowing. The green clump is garden chives that come back early in the spring. Scout developed a taste for them last fall and seeing his opportunity couldn't resist the temptation. Watch.

Sarah said...
Nice that you have someone to help you with the garden :)

Harrowing the Garden with an Ox --- Day 1

May 8, 2011



We enlarged the garden this year. After Scout the Ox and I hauled in some topsoil to fill low spots, and I roto-tilled what was previously lawn, Scout came in handy to do the harrowing. Harrowing levels the seed bed, breaks up the soil, and helps kill weeds. This Spring harrowing had the added bonus of drying and warming the soil; it was very wet and looking like we wouldn't get our early crops planted. The frost came out late and the ground was much too soft for the garden tractor.


What a good boy! Thank you for sharing this. brianzpartner
on YouTube

School Girls Learn About Oxen and Yokes

Mackenzie and Annamae Try Out the Ox Yoke

Centreville, Mich. --- Centreville High School teacher Rob Collins tried something new with his sociology class this spring. The students studied something old: early Michigan farming and home activities as it tied into a unit about culture. Here students Mackenzie and Annamae learned about oxen and yokes at the demonstration on early Michigan farming.

Read complete story at SturgisJournal.com;

 Original work by Rosalie Currier currier@sturgisjournal.com Posted May 25, 2011 @ 07:02 AM

Copyright © 2006-2011 GateHouse Media, Inc. Some Rights Reserved. Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.

Oxen Turn Sod for Blue Ridge Institute and Museum Building Addition



Oxen Team "Nip and Tuck" Stand Ready to Turn the Sod
Photo courtesy of Ferrum College



April 20, 2011 Ferrum College in historic Virginia found a novel use for the oxen at the neighboring farm museum. They replaced the usual administrators and politicians, wielding golden shovels, with "Nip and Tuck," the oxen team, yoked to a walking plow. The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum preserves Appalachian culture and mountain lore near Ferrum, Virginia.

Fire and Ox

Scout the Ox crosses the fire-line; prairie restoration controlled burn, May 5th, 2011.

The Ox and the Frog(s)

    (April 25th, 2011)

....listen!....                                                                    

 

De la Grenouille & du Boeuf
Les Fables d'Esope Phrygien, mises en Ryme Francoise.
Auec la vie dudit Esope extraite de plusieurs
 autheurs par M. Antoine du Moulin Masconnois.
 A Lyon, Par Iean de Tournes, & Guillaume Gazeau. 1547


  

American Impressionist Painting of Oxen Team Plowing with Walking Plow

Fall Plowing
Edward Henry Potthast (1857 - 1927)

Edward Henry Potthast was an American painter who was influenced by French Impressionism.

Snowmelt: Ox and Dog at the Water Outlet

April Ox: Hauling Firewood with a Sled

April 16, 2011, fresh snowfall was ideal for sledding firewood out of the woods  with oxen.


Unloading firewood from sled pulled by Ayrshire steer.



Ayrshire single ox-in-training wearing ox yoke.



Ox Yoke Malfunctions: Adjusting the Hitch-Point

To fix the problem I will try lowering the hitch-point and anchoring the pull chain.


After lowering the hitch-point the ox yoke functions properly.

Oxen Cart Tips Over --- Spooks Ox

But....Whoa! is Good
Time spent training the oxen to stop on command is time well spent.

How to Make an Ox Yoke Fit Again



What a difference eight-months makes in the fit of the yoke on a yearling steer!

 In August the yoke was comparable to a shirt two sizes too big; by March Scout the Ox is looking cramped in his single-ox yoke. The neck piece has been let out to the bottom holes. The plastic spacers I had taped in place to "tighten things up a bit" have been removed from the bows.

The problem with the yoke now, is that it is too narrow across the withers (over the top of the neck), which is causing it to pinch the neck under load where the neck begins to widen into the withers.

The narrowness of the yoke over the neck prevents pressure from being distributed evenly against a wide area. Because the yoke cannot sit back against the withers the bows cannot lay on the angular musculature behind the shoulders (at the sides of the neck, sometimes referred to as "in the shoulder sockets.")

In the video below I show how I have widened the seat of the yoke, allowing it to rest back against the withers again, and allowing the bows to rest once again on the angular musculature above and behind the shoulders.

Video: Refitting a Single Ox Yoke on a Growing Steer

After widening the yoke seat, pressure from pulling is distributed over a much wider area as seen in the photo below.
  

Disclaimer: The yoke is experimental in nature. I am attempting to combine some of the best elements of the traditional shoulder yoke and the ox collar. Upcoming will be videos of the newly adjusted yoke in use. My hope is that others can learn from my mistakes as well as from my successes. Comments are welcome.

Tillers International Oxen Plow Inner City Garden

Team of oxen from Tillers International used to plow inner city plot for community garden. Click on link: Kalamazoo News, April 10, 2011, 10:30PM

Maple Sugaring with Oxen: Hardwick, Vermont

Dutch Belted Oxen Team and Teamster Dan Laggis

Video link courtesy of WCAX.com, Vermont's Trusted News Source for 55 Years

Storybrookeripples: OX and dog blog is not endorsed by or affiliated with WCAX.com.

Deutsch Reitkuh! German Girl Goes Off-Road With Her Cow

Video: Somewhere with Elly and Luna

Click Here to Link to this Video
Videos produced by Giniblaxxx
Lunshen1 Production

There are a number of other home videos of Luna here: Lunschen1. Congratulations Regina on your achievements with Luna. Do you really want a horse???

Regina Mayer und ihre Kuh Luna

Regina Mayer and Her Cow Luna.

Two readers, Leauxra, and Bitzi, sent me reference to the above recent general interest news report. Thanks readers!

 

Reitkuhenergie! (Riding cow power!)

Kuh Luna als idealer Pferde-Ersatz

The cow Luna is an ideal replacement for a horse.

Very nice photos here! Click link below to view:
http://www.kleinezeitung.at/nachrichten/sunnseitn/multimedia.do?action=showEntry_detail&project=48842&_vl_backlink=%2Fnachrichten%2Fsunnseitn%2F2716025%2Freitkuh-luna-stellt-alle-pferde-den-schatten.story

Ox and Dog: Crossing the Flooded Plain

Reminiscent of conditions travelers may have encountered crossing the Red River Valley on unimproved ox cart trails, Scout the Ox and Harry the Dog take the snow-melt in stride.  Here they are with me, skirting the edges of a low spot in the trail as evening falls, April 2, 2011.

Ma Wishes They'd Have Kept the Ox

There may be blossoms on the cherry trees in South Carolina, but up here in the more Northern Latitudes we're still enjoying winter. The boys decided to take Ma to town to get sugar and flour, on the way there Ma said, "I wish they'd have kept the ox."

Video link courtesy of retromobilis.
My title and story are fictitious.

Ox Pulls Cargo Sled and Woodsplitter

When my lawn tractor had a flat tire, while I was splitting firewood, I went back to the garage and threw the jack and tools into the cargo sled. I hitched Scout the Ox to the sled and we went to retrieve the flat tire. I took along the forcart (pair of wheels) that I use when Scout pulls the garden cart.

In lieu of finding time to get a larger, wooden sled built, I had bought this rugged, plastic, cargo sled at the farm store as an intermediate size for pulling firewood from the woods. (It's proven itself useful for a variety of tasks.)

In this picture Scout the Ox, Harry the Dog, and I head back to the woodpile to retrieve the wood splitter. Hitched to the splitter, Scout the Ox did a fine job of pulling it back to the garage.

The next time I split wood, I skipped using the garden tractor and used Scout the Ox instead. At the woodpile I tied his lead rope to a piece of firewood, and he nibbled tall grass nearby while I worked.

See also:
How to Convert a Garden Cart Into a Small Wagon to Pull With a Single Ox

Ox In Training: Feeling His Oats!

As Spring approaches (March 5, 2011) the snow has melted enough to allow us a walk in the woods. Scout the Ox stopped to scour his horns on some bushes while Harry the Dog and I continued on ahead. I was ready with the camera when he decided to catch up.

I consider this an important part of training --- just out having fun together. It's a time to be part of the herd, a time to strengthen bonds, and a time to lay to rest any negative feelings that may have been generated in more vigorous training sessions.

Ox Team's Yoke Weighs Over 90 Pounds



Oxen's Yoke
Copyright 2008 Elaine Meinel Supkis
War and Peace Blog
(used here with permission)

Elaine Meinel Supkis holds her oxen Chip and Dale’s yoke, which weighs over 90 pounds.




Oxen Team Chip and Dale
Copyright 2008  Elaine Meinel Supkis
War and Peace Blog
(used here with permission)

"They were very loving, loyal beasts," she wrote on her March 4, 2008 Blog entry, "The bees, cats, dogs, sheep, horses, oxen, chickens, turkeys, ducks, the wild animals, all were part of the circle we had going, and all were needed."

Beautiful Yoke of Oxen at Watering Trough



Pair of Oxen at the Clinton Fair, 1913
Leon Hampartzoum Abdalian, photographer
Some rights reserved
Boston Public Library



Ox Bows and Ox Yokes For Sale (circa 1890-1899)

Ox Bows, $7.50/dozen
Undated illustration from
Hibbard Spencer Bartlett and Co. Catalog
Chicago, Illinois

The Iowa Farming Tool Co. of Fort Madison, Iowa, USA, was producing 1200 ox yokes a year in 1891, according to the Iowa Bureau of Labor Statistics of that year. The company also made pitch forks, hoes, rakes, scythe snaths, and grain cradles. The ox yokes and other items were manufactured by convicts who were leased from the Iowa Penitentiary of Fort Madison for fifty cents an hour. The workshops were located in the prison.

The two inch diameter ox bows were sold by a Chicago distributor, Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., for $7.50/ dozen (sixty-two cents each). Heavy lumberman’s bows were $16.00 a dozen.


Ox Yokes, $6.60 each
Undated illustration from
Hibbard Spencer Bartlett and Co.Catalog
Chicago, Illinois

A complete medium sized ox yoke (ironed and bowed) sold for $6.60. If you wanted that in the large size it was $6.75.

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.