Standing oxen

[Rod]

Their was quite a bit of discussion on this forum in the past about standing horse teams while preparing work, loading etc. The consensus was that it was always prudent and advisable to tie or otherwise secure them until you have the reins in your hands and are ready to take control. My experience is the same ie: either keep the reins in my hands or tie them up. Two separate runaway incidents have reinforced this lesson well.

I wonder if it’s the same with a trained oxen team or can they be trusted to stand while you prepare the load etc. I know oxen are a lot less jumpy and impatient. Does anyone have any words of wisdom on this subject?

[Howie]

Although I never tie mine, I think it is the same with oxen as with horses. It is primarily in their training. Thirty plus years ago I bought a pair that all you had to do was take your eyes off of them and they would be gone. I bought a pair about twenty years ago that would stand real well until they got bored then the would wander off. It is all in the training.;)

[Vicki]

My oxen will stand fine while I hitch or prepare the load, or on display for an hour or more– if I am nearby. If I go where they cannot see or hear me, after about 10 min. they will go to the best looking food or head to their paddock or trailer. I don’t need to be right by them as long as they can hear me say,”Whoa, stand.” I was too lazy to train them to stand for longer periods while out of sight.

[Tim Harrigan]

I think it is a combination of training, common sense and the situation you are in. I often want my team to stand when I am working on fence or other things when there is no place to tie them. So standing has been an emphasis for me. We have had a few go-arounds over the years but they will stand for long periods even when I am quite a distance from them. I still occasionally hide behind a tree and watch them to make sure they do not move when I tell them to stand. And they do not try to graze while they are waiting. But that is out in the woods/pasture where there are not many distractions for them. As the potential for distraction increases I draw the line a little closer. If the regret for having them jump out of line is high I may ask them to stand but I am not going to test them by hiding behind a tree. Because few of us have the time to spend to get our team sharp and responsive in all the things we would like them to do we need to set priorities. I think you need to choose the things you want to be comfortable with. If you want to do fairs or parades start early and go often. Thats not my thing, but they will stand for an hour in the woods whether they can see me or not. I want them to be sharp with the things we do every day.

[Carl Russell]

Rod;6310 wrote:

Their was quite a bit of discussion on this forum in the past about standing horse teams while preparing work, loading etc. The consensus was that it was always prudent and advisable to tie or otherwise secure them until you have the reins in your hands and are ready to take control. My experience is the same ie: either keep the reins in my hands or tie them up. Two separate runaway incidents have reinforced this lesson well.

I wonder if it’s the same with a trained oxen team or can they be trusted to stand while you prepare the load etc. I know oxen are a lot less jumpy and impatient. Does anyone have any words of wisdom on this subject?

I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that logic. If you are tying them instead of training them to stand, then they are going to be more apt to run away. If you train them to stand while you are working them, they will be less likely to run away. This is not to say that you are not ultimately responsible for any trouble they may get into, which is the biggest reason to hitch them.

When cutting trees, I always chained my steers out of harm’s way, but loading manure, or wood, or generally working around them, I always expected them to stand. I wouldn’t walk off and leave them, that is not the purpose for my wanting to work with them, but I could easily perform supporting tasks associated with the work at hand, without having to tie them.

Carl

[Robert MoonShadow]

Interesting & important topic. I’m very curious as to how you would work things if you do keep the lines in hand… hooking a log or loading/unloading something, hitching them to the wagon, etc.? I’m not coordinated enough to see think I’d be able to hold the lines while doing any of this. I’m not disagreeing with the idea, just wondering how it’s done.

[Carl Russell]

I train mine so I can put down the line for all those situations.

Carl

[Lane Linnenkohl]

My opinion is… If you work horses, or rather use horses in your work, at some point you’ll have to lay down the lines where there is no place to tie them. You better be able to trust them to stand.

Regular work helps a lot with a team standing quietly. Start for short periods of time and short distances. Gradually lengthen time and increase distance.

I’d rather not lay down the lines, but I’m out on the farm by myself with the horses quite often. That being said, if I have to do something where I’ll be out of sight of the team or for some time, I’ll unhitch the team and tie them to the back of the wagon, or to some other object until I’m ready for them again.

I suppose the same can be said for oxen. Although, in my limited experience with oxen, they tend to learn to stand quietly quicker than horses do.

[mstacy]

I have two young Devon teams (heifer & bull and a pair of soon-to-be-snipped bulls). They are teaching me as we go. I have them stand, without tying, while I load firewood on their sled. At first I had to say “whoa” VERY often while shuttling wood to/from the sled. Now they stand very well on their own.

They are very steady when they can see me. If I am working behind them they have a tendency to turn sideways and look back if they lose sight of me behind them. The sound of my voice will ussually keep them planted in those situations. Ussually an occasional reminder suffices. I try to expose them to distractions (open/close garage door, rattling chains, tossing wood onto the sled, etc) regularly.

They have walked off a couple of times. That is more likely if I stop them pointed down hill. We’re still working on that! 😉 Turning them to face a wall, bank, tree or other suitable obstacle helps tremendously but really doesn’t address the underlying issue. I believe patience and repetition is the only real solution.

I agree with Carl’s point. Train them to stand still while you work, but don’t depend on them when the consequences of failure are not acceptable. They’re just animals and we as teamsters own the consequences of any actions / inactions.

Matt

[Donn Hewes]

Don’t know anything about oxen, but it seems to me that your horses and your oxen are sure getting mixed together in this thread.

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