~ SSRsi's Draught (Draft) Animals Page ~
While we have other pages for individual animals, draft animals have a few specific task areas that we would like to concentrate on here. Unfortunately, the articles are really hard to find. A little help would be greatly appreciated... .

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Rural Heritage is a bimonthly journal mailed by subscription since 1976 to small-scale farmers and loggers who enthusiastically use draft horse, mule, and ox power.
Draft Dictionary A to Z of draft terminology Draft Horse Info Lots of good info.
Village Smithy Anvils by F. Thomas Breningstall
Gas Forge Welding by F. Thomas Breningstall Hammer Command by F. Thomas Breningstall
The Virtual Blacksmith Vet Clinic the latest information on draft horse health care
The Virtual Vets Draft Mule & Donkey Info
Ox Paddock: Oxen Info Logging Camp: Horse & Mule Logging Info
Tack Room: Draft Horse & Mule
Harness Info
Equipment Shed: Horse-Drawn Implement Info
Definitely one of the best resources on the internet!

Prairie Schooners The most common wagons used for hauling freight back East were the Conestoga's, developed in Pennsylvania by descendants of Dutch colonists. Conestoga wagons were large, heavy, and had beds shaped somewhat like boats, with angled ends and a floor that sloped to the middle so barrels wouldn't roll out when the wagon was climbing or descending a hill. Like the covered wagons of the western pioneers, it had a watertight canvas bonnet to shelter the cargo. Conestoga's were pulled by teams of six or eight horses and could haul up to five tons. Good historical article with a few good illustrations.

Animal Power & Animal Traction & Animal Power & Animal Traction & Animal Power Milling & Animal Traction Harness/Implements A fascinating series of FAO articles on using animals for farming and transportation, as well as the motive power source for a variety of machines.

Farrier's Roundtable: Shoeing Draft Horses Kind of like sitting around a hot stove in the general store.

Packing Equipment The equipment used to pack horses and mules varies from region to region, and it would be impossible in the space available to describe it all. This section will be devoted to the basic equipment.

Build a homestead copy cart I don’t know too many homesteaders, gardeners, or small farmers who haven’t at one time or another wished for one of those fancy big-wheeled garden carts. It seems that there is always something that needs to be toted around on the place, be it hay or straw, rocks, firewood, garden tools, plants, compost, or whatever. Think about it for a bit, and the need for a hand cart on your own place will probably become evident. Well, being the basic cheapskate that I am, when I finally decided that I was going to have one of the carts, I figured that I could save some money if I built it myself.

BUILD YOUR OWN DOG SLED. Charlie Yeager

Making Your Own Ganglines Stephen Lee discusses techniques for making your own rope ganglines.

THE DRAFT HORSE IN AMERICA Power For An Emerging Nation. Excellent historical text on draft horses from the international museum of the horse.

Mount Whitney Diamond Hitch - By Charlie Morgan. It is a simple hitch to learn, and will serve effectively on most loads. It requires about 40 ft. of rope, 1/2 inch cotton or spun nylon, and a 36 inch lash cinch which has a hook at one end. Step by step instructions with illustrations.

Box Hitch. An illustrated guide to tying one of the most popular packing hitches. The box hitch is one of the most popular hitches used in packing loads on horses and mules. The hitch requires the use of a lash rope which is made of either cotton, poly or nylon rope and is about 50 foot long and is tied to a 30 to 36 inch cinch which has a hook on one end.About donkeys Donkeys, zebras and mules all differ somewhat from horses in conformation. The most noticeable difference is of course the ears. Donkeys ears are MUCH longer in proportion to their size than a horse's. The necks are characteristically straighter in the longears, and most donkeys and all zebras lack a true wither. The croup and rump are also a different shape in the donkey and it's hybrids, lacking the double-curve muscled haunch. The back is straighter due to the lack of withers. Dipped loins or severely swayed backs are a conformation fault, unless in old animals or brood jennies who have produced many foals, and not due to genetic factors.

About Barefooted horses These pages are for people interested in horse hoof care and natural trimming. According to farriers and other hoof care professionals, the traditional nailed on horse shoe is not fully safe for the health of the horse. The nailed on shoe does cause a reduction in the hoof mechanism and does reduce the natural hoof expansion necessary for a healthy hoof.

Four Kinds of Donkey by Paul & Betsy Hutchins. Donkeys range in size from 300-pound minis to American Mammoth jackstock, which may be as big as draft horses and capable of handling similar work. Mammoth jacks are often crossed with draft mares, most commonly Belgian or Percheron, to produce draft mules.

Breeding Questions Two of the most frequently asked questions we get are, "Should I buy a jack and a jennet and let them grow up together?" , and "How old should the jennet be before we breed her?" Unfortunately, we sometimes DON'T get asked this question before the fact, and owners end up with unexpected foals from under-age donkey parents.

About Jacks When Does a Jack COLT become a Jack?

Lingo Official American Donkey and Mule Society Terminology. See also: Longear Lingo by Paul & Betsy Hutchins

Diseases in Longears Appears to be a work in progress

Foaling A complete foaling sequence with Photos can be found in the Mar/April 2001 BRAYER magazine, or in the book Definitive Donkey, offered through the Hee Haw Book Service.

Measuring Equines Equines are measured in units. Which unit of measure is used depends on the association doing the registration. Some registries use inches to determine size, since it is easier than trying to convert to hands. A hand is four inches.

Miniature Donkey Talk Magazine This magazine has all you'll ever need to know! The magazine is absolutely PERFECT for the NEW OWNER as well as established breeders! Published since 1987!

Miniature Donkey Details Miniature donkeys are native to the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia. It is difficult to import them now because 1) The quality of donkey left in Sicily and Sardinia is not good, and, 2) It is very difficult to pass the tests given by quarantine stations at the Dept. of Agriculture. However, this writer purchased two donkeys imported into this country from Sicily some time ago so the task is not impossible, just improbable. Miniature Donkeys have not been bred down in size per se. The 25-30 Miniature Donkeys originally imported into the U.S. were between the sizes of 32" and 38" with the majority of them being in the 35"-37" size range. Over the years, breeders have concentrated more on the 32"-33" size and today your most desirable and well-conformed donkeys are from 31" to 35". The word "miniature" usually connotates animals that have been bred-down in size, so keep in mind that 'miniature donkeys' are simply diminutive and not bred down such is the case of many other 'miniature' animals.

Western Mule Magazine Subscribe for ALL the articles, or visit the site for select articles from past issues

Donkey Facts Donkeys, zebras and mules all differ somewhat from horses in conformation. The most noticeable difference is of course the ears. Donkeys ears are MUCH longer in proportion to their size than a horse’s. The necks are characteristically straighter in the longears, and most donkeys and all zebras lack a true wither. The croup and rump are also a different shape in the donkey and it’s hybrids, lacking the double-curve muscled haunch. The back is straighter due to the lack of withers. Dipped or swayed backs are a conformation fault, unless in old animals or brood jennies who have produced many foals, and not due to genetic factors.

What Can a Donkey Do? Many people like to own these fine animals for their wonderful personalities and their fine pet qualities. There is probably no more adorable baby in the animal world than the little donkey with its long ears and long legs and sweet face and fuzzy coat. However, there are many uses for donkeys. Here are some of them for your information

Donkey Information & Links. Whoa! A goldmine of info on donkeys! Courtesy of the Robinson Ranch.

Guidelines for Using Donkeys as Guard Animals with Sheep There has been significant interest in using livestock guard animals, sometimes also referred to as predator control animals or mobile flock protectors, as a non-lethal means of reducing predation. Livestock guard animals live with the flock, protecting the sheep from predation, without harming or interfering with the flock. Guard animals currently being used with sheep include specially trained dogs, llamas and donkeys. Donkeys are gaining in popularity due to their relatively low cost, minor maintenance requirements, longevity and their compatibility with other predator control methods. Donkeys also offer the additional advantage in that they can be fed in much the same manner as sheep.

About Mules The Mule is a cross between a donkey stallion (called a jack) and a horse mare. Hinnies are just the opposite - a stallion horse crossed to a donkey jennet. For all purposes, hinnies and mules are classified and shown together under the general term Mule. A mule or hinny may be a male (horse mule or horse hinny) or a female (mare mule or mare hinny). Sometimes horse mules (the males) are called Johns, and the mares are called Mollies. Both male and female mules have all the correct "parts" but they are sterile and cannot breed. A VERY few (about 1 in 1 million) mare mules have had foals, but these are VERY, very rare. No male mule has ever sired a foal.

What is a Mule? by Paul & Betsy Hutchins. A mule is the hybrid that results from mating a female horse (mare) with a male donkey (jack). The horse's breed is used to designate the mule's breed; a Belgian mule, for example, has a Belgian mare for its dam. The mare may be any breed, and may be mated to a jack of appropriate size

Why Mules? by Paul & Betsy Hutchins. "Why would you prefer a mule to a horse?" mule lovers are asked over and over again. Here are some of our reasons...

Gelding the John Mule by Marlene Malcher. A john [male] mule that is not castrated can be much more dangerous than a rank horse stallion. We used to castrate our john mules at one or two months of age, but we had several problems with bleeders and in one case the mule eviscerated and died. Now we wait until they are at least 5 or 6 months old before calling out our vet. By this age the stomach wall has strengthened and the danger of a tragic outcome is greatly reduced. On the other hand, if you put it off much beyond the age of 9 months, the john can become difficult to handle.

Estimate Your Mule's Weight by Mari Lintin. Knowing your mule's weight is important for things like ordering harness, giving medications, and monitoring your mule's condition. To estimate your mule's weight, measure its girth and length as show in the illustration, enter those numbers in the fields provided below, and click on the "Weight Estimate" button.

Communicating with Your Mule by Sophia Sarember. Communicating with an animal is like communicating with a person who speaks a foreign language. If I am trying to get a person who speaks only Chinese to do a task for me and I speak to him in English, he will not understand. If I yell at him in English, wave my arms, and get angry he still won't understand and he may become fearful of what I am about to do. (If this sounds ridiculous, consider for a moment how some teamsters lose their tempers with their equines, which undoubtedly have perfect hearing and are quite intelligent.) In the process of getting my Chinese-speaking friend to help me in my work, I will learn a little Chinese and he will learn some English.

Making and Unmaking the Balky Mule by Sophia Sarember. Balky mules are made, not born. If your mule has this habit you will have to retrain him, perhaps starting over from the beginning. If you are breaking in a young mule you must be tactful and careful not to teach him anything wrong.

To Make a Mule by Marlene Malcher. If you are interested in breeding your mare to a jack in the hopes of getting a baby mule, let me give you some helpful information and some experiences I have had. Although I don't claim to be an expert, I have learned some things the hard way, so why not pass on the knowledge?

Horse + Donkey = Mule by Morris Helmig & Sybil E. Sewell. A mule combines the traits of its horse dam and donkey sire to create a new animal with its own distinctive characteristics. Here are the notable differences between horses, donkeys, and mules.

Why Not Hinnies? by Gail Damerow. "Why are mules more common than hinnies?" a listener put me on the spot during a call-in radio interview about draft animals. When you're live on the radio, you have to keep talking. I explained that a mule is the offspring of a mare and a jack. A hinny is the offspring of a jennet and a stallion. At sales and shows, mules and hinnies are grouped together as mules.

Mule or Hinny? by Betsy Hutchins. At first glance a hinny seems to be a mule, but on closer inspection the hinny is more subtly like a horse. The hinny's head and face are often more horselike; the ears are usually shorter and sometimes rounder than a mule's ears.

Horse Power vs. Horsepower by Gail Damerow (comparison between draft animals and machinery) Looking for a lifestyle that gives you more time to smell the roses? Nothing will do that for you quicker than working your land with draft animals. While doing fieldwork you'll have plenty of time to notice the natural world around you, and without the constant smell of gasoline or diesel exhaust clogging up your nostrils. Sure a draft animal will "exhaust" occasionally, but the brief odor only serves as a reminder that your soil's fertility is being boosted.

How to Buy a Mule by Betsy Hutchins. Buying a good mule is harder than buying a horse because fewer mules exist compared to horses and many trainers do not know how to train mules. Improper training ruins too many good-looking mules with good dispositions. Experienced gentle, bomb-proof mules are greatly valued by their owners. Well-mannered mules are no more readily sold than comparable horses, or are sold to friends of the owner without advertisement.

Western Mule Magazine Subscribe for ALL the articles, or visit the site for select articles from past issues

Mules & More Magazine Are you aware of "Mules & More" magazine? We have been in circulation since 1980. We publish monthly, from 92 to 100 pages. We try to cover everything, from jacks and jennets to all kinds of mules. Attention Jack owners! Don't miss the annual Jack issue. Every equine enthusiast can find useful articles and interesting columns in this magazine.

Gaited Mule Information For years high quality gaited mules have been much-sought-after in the United States. Until recently, however, Gaited mules have been relatively unmarketed in the Gaited Horse Community. Gaited mares produce wonderful mules with a smooth, ground covering, easy to ride gait and a remarkably docile nature.

G2740 - Functional Anatomy of the Horse Foot A horse's hoof is composed of the wall, sole and frog. The wall is simply that part of the hoof that is visible when the horse is standing. It covers the front and sides of the third phalanx, or coffin bone. The wall is made up of the toe (front), quarters (sides) and heel.

G2742 - Splints in Horses Most people who own or breed horses are familiar with the cannon bone of the horse limb. On each side of the cannon bone is a small bone known as the splint bone. The small splint bones are thin and taper to become a small knob about two-thirds of the way down the cannon bone

G2743 - Navicular Syndrome in Horses Navicular disease often begins as an inflammation of the bursa between the deep digital flexor tendon and the navicular bone of the foot

G2806 - Feeds for Light Horses Feed ingredients needed for horses are the same as for other livestock. They are carbohydrates, fats, protein, minerals, vitamins and water. The first three of these can yield energy. Major sources of energy and protein are grains and roughages, including pasture.

G2807 - Feeding Horses In balancing rations for horses, the goals are to furnish horses with a daily supply of nutrients in the correct amounts to prevent digestive upsets and to use feedstuffs that are palatable, easily obtained and economical.

G2826 - Basic Principles of Foot Care and Cold Shoeing of Horses The old adage "no foot, no horse" is as true as ever. Lameness of feet and legs is the cause of most permanent incapacitations of horses. The foot care your horse receives can hasten or delay permanent unsoundness.

G2835 - Buying a Horse Buying a horse should be well planned and carefully thought out. Don't settle for less than you expect or more than you can handle. There are always other horses and other days.

G2836 - Selecting Your Riding Horse Horses should be selected for a specific purpose. If the purpose changes, the horse may not be able to adapt to it. Some horses have great versatility, but none can excel at all of the activities required of horses.

G2839 - Care of Your Horse's Feet Foot care is one of the most neglected horse management practices. Most lameness that impairs the usefulness of a horse can be prevented by proper foot care and reasonable management.

G2840 - Unsoundness and Blemishes of Horses: Feet and Legs Any abnormal deviation in the structure or action of a horse can render it partly or completely useless. Therefore, any defect that affects serviceability is considered an unsoundness, i.e., lameness, blindness, faulty wind, etc.

G2841 - Unsoundness and Blemishes of Horses: Head, Body, Respiratory Tract and Stable Vices Any defect that affects serviceability is considered an unsoundness. A defect that detracts from appearance but does not impair serviceability is considered a blemish.

G2842 - Determining Age of Horses by Their Teeth The art of determining the age of horses by inspection of the teeth is an old one. It can be developed to a considerable degree of accuracy in determining the age of young horses. The probability of error increases as age advances and becomes a guess after the horse reaches 10 to 14 years of age. Stabled animals tend to appear younger than they are, whereas those grazing sandy areas, such as range horses, appear relatively old because of wear on the teeth.

G2843 - Leg Set: Its Effect on Action and Soundness of Horses It is difficult to over-emphasize underpinning (feet and legs) when appraising the worth of a horse. Except for breeding stock, horses are useful only when in motion. In a very real sense, the horse is an athlete. Any physical handicap that causes it to be clumsy, use excessive energy to perform a task, be hard riding, lack strength or speed, or wear excessively, decreases its potential usefulness.

G2844 - Haltering and Tying Horses Halters are designed to help catch, hold, lead and tie horses and ponies. They are nothing else. Every horse should have its own halter correctly sized and adjusted to fit

G2845 - Choosing, Assembling and Using Bridles Bridles are used to control horses and achieve desired performance. Although horses can be worked without them or with substitutes, a bridle with one or two bits can add extra finesse. The bridle allows you to communicate and control your mount.

G2851 - Health Hints for Your Horse One of the real disappointments of horse ownership is planning a number of horse activities, then finding that your animal is physically incapable or mentally unwilling to engage in them. Horse owners who don't practice "preventive maintenance" may find themselves in this situation.

G2854 - Controlling Internal Parasites of Horses More than 150 types of internal parasites are known to infect horses. From a practical standpoint, the most important ones are strongyles, ascarids, tapeworms and bots. The digestive tract, or stomach and intestines, is the most commonly affected area, although larvae migrate through all tissues of the horse's body.

G2861 - Longe Line Training Longeing is a procedure in which the horse travels in a large circle around the handler on a long strap or line.

G2862 - Practical Horse Psychology Every time people use horses, they exercise psychology, because their strength is no match to that of horses. If we don't use superior psychology, we may find horses using us to achieve objectives that are not consistent with the intended goal. Such a situation results in owner dissatisfaction and a spoiled horse whose value may dangerously approach those packed in cans for dog and cat food.

G2864 - Pre-Bit Hackamore Training Hackamores are used to start colts in training. An untrained colt makes many mistakes, and the trainer needs to correct them. A hackamore doesn't injure sensitive tissue in the colt's mouth, yet it provides firm, safe control.

G2865 - Horse Training by Driving Training a foal begins while it is still on the mare. Handling and teaching it to lead at this young age will help develop a more dependable horse through the years. Halter breaking is not difficult if done appropriately while the foal is young.

G2870 - Tips for Pony Pleasure Drivers Who hasn't had visions of driving or riding a pony? It is one of the easiest, most economical and most rewarding horse experiences you can have. A pony offers endless hours of companionship, experience, pleasure and peer recognition, both in casual pleasure use and in organized group activities.

G2878 - Safe Ground Handling of Horses During the last decade, participation in horse-related activities has continued to grow. Basic safety practices are essential in every horse operation. This publication describes some important safety precautions that should be taken to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience with your horse.

G2881 - Horse Safety: Saddling, Bridling and Riding Western Horse sports are very rewarding when safety practices are followed. But maintaining safe working conditions when handling horses cannot be overemphasized.

G2887 - Selecting a Saddle A saddle is one of the first pieces of equipment most people buy after they acquire a horse. It is a major investment; selecting and purchasing require much deliberation and knowledge. The life span of most saddles is several times that of a horse, so take great care in selecting a saddle.

G2910 - Heritability and its Use in Animal Breeding How much advantage for a particular trait do superior animals transmit to their offspring? Heritability estimates help us answer this important question. This publication explains the meaning of heritability estimates, how they are calculated and their influence in changing livestock performance.

G2911 - Inbreeding: Its Meaning, Uses and Effects on Farm Animals Various mating schemes of animals are classified under two broad categories -- inbreeding and outbreeding. Classification depends on the closeness of the biological relationship between mates. Within each category, a wide variation in intensity of this relationship exists. A very fine line separates the two categories.

G2925 - Miniature and Hunting Mules of Missouri The miniature and hunting mule, tack, harness and wagon business is booming in Missouri and has spread to surrounding states. Miniature mules are 50 inches tall or less. Hunting mules can be any height, but those carrying adult riders are about 50 inches or taller. Size is the only visible difference, as both groups are bred alike and perform in about the same activities. Height is used mainly for show classification.

G2952 - Livestock Judging Techniques Livestock judging consists of carefully analyzing animals and measuring them against a standard that is commonly accepted as being ideal. Livestock judging also has been defined as a study of the relationship between an animal's form and function.

G4695 - Horse Pastures A grass-legume pasture can produce enough protein, vitamins and minerals to meet the maintenance requirements of most adult horses. Lactating mares, growing horses and hard-working horses usually need additional energy in the form of grain. Hard-working horses usually are fed hay and grain rather than pasture.

OX POWER - KI JAYA! An Ox-Power Handbook Amazing resource - best on the internet.

Using cows for work [PDF File] Many people involved in farming on a small scale in the world are mixed farmers. They keep a variety of livestock and grow food and some cash crops. When farming is carried out on a small scale on land areas of 1–4 ha it is often not economic to use motor power for land cultivation and cropping.

Reshaping Crooked Horns in Oxen by Drew Conroy Unlike the horse's droopy ears or the sheep's long tail, an ox's horns may be corrected without radical surgery. The idea isn't new, just something that many cattle fanciers no longer consider, since most cattle today are dehorned or naturally polled. I've seen many working teams with no horns at all. The only reason they need horns is to help them hold back a load when they wear a neck or withers yoke, or to provide a place for fastening a head yoke.

Logging with Oxen In rural New England logging is historically a winter activity. In the 1600s and 1700s oxen were used to clear our forests of large virgin timber. As there was no farm work to be done, and no stumps and stones to be moved, many colonial farmers became lumbermen during the winter, their farm teams transformed into woods teams.

Ox Logging Basics by Drew Conroy. Logging with oxen requires well trained animals conditioned to the work, although many animals have begun their training in the woods and gradually became "hardened" and trained at the same time. Training animals with real work is a technique I encourage. Provided the animals learn the basic commands and are started with light loads, few activities would provide better training. The team learns to avoid obstacles and to draw loads of varying amounts under different conditions, and the repetition of moving log after log, load after load, is a wonderful teaching tool.

Using Draft Animals to Skid Logs: Fact Sheet courtesy of University of Kentucky

Working Cattle in Early America by Howard Van Ord. A few years ago an ox was defined as any bovine animal trained to work. In modern terminology an ox is a steer that has been trained to work and has reached maturity. The accepted age seems to be 4-years-old. The ox was probably the first wild animal that was trained to serve man as a draft animal. A cow likely was used, due to the ease in handling her as opposed to handling a bull.

What Is an Ox? by Drew Conroy. An ox, to early American farmers who used the beast, was a mature castrated male belonging to the domestic cattle family, or genus Bos, most likely trained (like draft horses, some never got trained) to work, and at the end of its life inevitably used for meat.

Breeds and Crossbreeds by Drew Conroy. The American Milking Devon is an old English breed that has been used for centuries as a draft animal. Early American and English agricultural books frequently cite the Devon, or North Devon, as one of the best breeds for draft purposes. Because Milking Devons have a livelier temperament than other breeds, they are usually not recommended for the beginning teamster. For someone who wants an outstanding work animal, and has the time and knack for training cattle, though, they make fine work animals.

Selecting Oxen by Bev Zimmer. An ox may be defined as any breed of cattle trained to wear a yoke, obey commands, and work as a beast of burden. No one breed is best. Consider the following points in making your choice...

Horse (& Ox) Power vs. Horsepower by Gail Damerow. Looking for a lifestyle that gives you more time to smell the roses? Nothing will do that for you quicker than working your land with draft animals. While doing fieldwork you'll have plenty of time to notice the natural world around you, and without the constant smell of gasoline or diesel exhaust clogging up your nostrils. Sure a draft animal will "exhaust" occasionally, but the brief odor only serves as a reminder that your soil's fertility is being boosted.

Estimate Your Ox's Weight by Mackenzie Chauncey. Periodically measuring and recording the weight of each ox in a team lets you adjust the amount of feed for the faster-growing ox to keep both animals close to the same size. To estimate an ox's weight, measure its girth and length as show in the illustration, enter those numbers in the fields provided below, and click on the "Weight Estimate" button. If you wish to keep records for several oxen, enter each ox's name before printing the page showing its estimated weight.

Conformational Defects by Drew Conroy. The hooves of most newborn calves are similar in size and shape, but the conformation of the animal's legs will quickly influence how the hooves grow and develop.

Ox Hoof Anatomy from "Cattle Lameness".

Farm-level economic benefits of using oxen for plowing and weeding [PDF File] Work oxen were introduced into the agriculture of Sierra Leone in 1928. Projects promoted the use of animal traction in the 1950s and 1970s, but had little impact. Since the 1980s the Sierra Leone Work Oxen project has been researching and promoting the use of draft power. Field trials were undertaken at Njala University College in which pairs of N’Dama oxen were used in the cultivation of maize, groundnuts, upland rice, swamp rice and cowpeas.

Oxen-drawn weeders reduce workload Long, heavy working days during the weeding season are felt by farmers, particularly the women, to be one of the major problems in agriculture in North Sukumaland, Tanzania. Following participatory surveys by the Lake Zone Farming Systems Research program in 1992 farmers have successfully tested the use of oxen-drawn weeders to reduce labor constraints.

THE OX

Crist Logging and Timber ... The carts were drawn by three and four yoke of oxen. In a three yoke team the front yoke was called the lead, the second yoke was called the swings, and the third yoke was called the tongue yoke. In a four yoke team the front yoke was called the leads, the second yoke the lead swings, the third yoke the tongue swings and the fourth yoke the tongue. The yokes were made of gum trees, a hard wood...

Draft Animal Power (DAP) Slow-loading graphics. This page attempts to show the amount of work (power) produced by various animals. Interesting applications make it worth a visit.

Wagonload. Typical packing list for pioneers on the Oregon Trail. Interesting and possibly useful info. If they could live on this stuff while traveling, so could you. Several hundred thousand folks can’t be wrong – can they?

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