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CharlyBonifaz
Membermore important than padding is the surface area.
doesn’t that come hand in hand, too?
padding will increase the contact area especially if both parts don’t show an exceptionally well designed complimentary fit
and
padding is necessary in places were the body doesn’t provide any naturallythere is also a lot more loose connective tissue under the bovine shoulder compared to the horse.
I think, that is exactly why a 3-pad-collar is “high technology”, not only in construction but also in application: it has to follow those shoulder movements threedimensionally without constriction and still function under a lot of pressure/draught
elkeMemberunicorn hitch means two animals are hitched one aside of another, and a third in front.
true 😉
yesterday I couldn’t see the first? picture, and with the picture below it didn’t make sense; today there seems to be another one up front … from China? can’t see that one either……
sorry, I am too blond for computers 😮harnesses for cattle were only invented after the withersyoke; people realised padding might be an option, or an increase in touching surface, so the padding spread on downwards from the withers along the shoulders…….
elkeMemberbtw unicorn hitch
???please explain…..
how does an eastern design of a single ox yoke appear in central europe, and just there?
Heinrich Steinmetz in his book “Kuhanspannung in Deutschland” (1936) explains, that double withers yokes took a foothold in the beginning of the 19th century in Pommerania. The Prussian government however already in 1907 forbid the use of these yokes.
So I’m not sure how it got there, but it didn’t last long for the negative effects could be obviously seen.
elkeMembera few measurements
this forehead yoke actually did fit when I got it; after it was restored my ox had outgrown it 🙁
part of the problem: cattle used to be a lot smaller than what we have nowadays (mine is Fleckvieh – Pinzgauer)
but I nevertheless think the proportions can be used and one can take the dimensions of the animal’s head and fit the size accordingly (if still growing may be an inch or 2 wider at the sides)
since we work in metrics, take the inches as approximatesIron:
thick 1cm / 0,5 inch
wide 4 cm / 1,5 inches
long 56 cm / 22 inches
in between medial screws 17 cm / 6,75 inches
on outwards, this is actually where it is bent to follow the outline of the headLeather:
thick 5mm / 0,25 inch
wide 12 cm / 4,75 inches (were it fits in between the medial screws)
long 41 cm / 16,25 inchesFelt:
3 layers in the middle part (between the medial screws), 2 layers at the sides , sort of like a sandwich
we used the very same felt that is on the market as saddle pad/blanket (just saw what these cost in the US 😡 may be it is cheaper to look for the same type in industrial felt)Straps:
thick 3 mm / 1/8 inch
wide 2,5 cm / 1 inch
long 46 cm / 18 inches
plus buckle
they actually were not sewn to the pad, they were in between pad and iron, so they could be exchanged (the only part that may wear out)
my saddler wanted to be perfect and included them into the pad….:rolleyes:as mentioned, the leather has 4 flaps/latches for the screws, but I am sure one can include them into the pad before sewing it together and have them sticking out at the front; you want those connections to be as flat as possible on the inside were the felt and ultimately the head is
hope I included everything, if not…..ask
while you are at cutting leather, you may want to think of a browband against flies……….
and Fabian: your English is good enough to share your wealth of experience! 😀 welcome !
elkeMemberfrom what I know, you’d have to start that while they are little:
the milk bucket will only contain milk, if you speak the magic word; if not, not….
mine would probably also go for the hay, even with a full stomach 🙁 ; so I’d probably deviate him with a little up front, while I load the back…..
elkeMemberthey were ancient and used so we took them apart and cut the new parts according the old ones. Yes, the felt is sewn to the leather, no, it is not easy to do this with a leather-needle 😮
there is 1 layer of leather and 2-3 layers of felt; the leather has latches for the screws so you can pin it to the iron.
you will most likely need only 2 sizes while your ox is growing…….
elkeMemberuploaded 2 pictures in photo gallery (equipment) that might help a little; at least this would be the kind of forehead yoke, I would try to replikate if I had to make one from scratch…….
http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=158
http://www.draftanimalpower.com/photoplog/index.php?n=159
elkeMemberexcept for spreading the tugs away from the ox body. It seems the pad could do it all unless I am missing something.
no, you didn’t miss it; That is the reason: keep the body clear of pressure/rubbing by spreading the tugs
elkeMemberIs the head yoke in the photo bound or attached to the horns or just a pad on the forehead?
If you look at the picture closely, you can see 2 leatherstraps about where the the hornbases are (you can even see the buckle on one side); from the forehead yoke they go all around the horn on each side and thus fix the forehead yoke to the front of the head, actually this implement “falls into place”. Hard to make a mistake there….. Were it not for the straps, it would fall off the animal at every stop….
elkeMemberhallo mathuranatha,
Strapping 20 shoes [home made steel bullock sandals]on 20 hoofs every morning.
how did you fix them to the hooves? how did you fix the rubber ones? Glue? Nail? Strap?
what’s the workload of your oxen? freightwaggons? Lumber? agricultural?
curious for it seems hard to find a smith that can still work cattle especially if we’re talking regularly…..
elkeMemberThe problem is how to attach yourself to the horse in a way that allows you to disconnect in an emergency or in case of a fall. I’ve tried using a windsurfing harness, but have been dragged pretty far before it released…so I’m back to the drawing board. I’d appreciate anyone’s thoughts on that piece…its definately where I am hung up right now.
may be this helps (you can enlarge all the pictures):
http://www.ski-joring.net/home.asp?lang=de&page=13
and I think this is a closeup with a clue 😉
http://www.planet-horse.com/sites/gestion_donnees/modules/photo_album.asp?lang=de&id_album=1037
hope you have lots of fun and snow!
elkeMember2 more options:
using scar tissue to fix the flap by scraping the laryngeal mucosa
inserting auxilliary nerv, that eventually takes over function of handicapped nerve
I don’t have a clue how much money is involved in either treatment ;-(
was just wondering since you said he was such a fine animal……
elkeMembersurgery impossible?
elkeMembermine is worked as a single ox and since he’s the first, I have no way of comparison with oxen teams
I use different harnesses for different work but the same headset
since I plan to ride him, when he is fully grown, I have trained him to a bit, a leather bit; it actually consists of a small leatherbelt run around his lower jaw and through the ends of a regular bridle on the right and left of his mouth; since leather turns soft when wet, it has taken the form his tongue and mouth are most comfortable with. He will eat and drink with it; chewing cud hasn’t been a problem, but he had to learn how to eat long gras with it; when it starts to build up around the leather, he works it loose with his tongue and swallows it with the next bite. the one we are using now has worked well for more than 18 months, although I started him on a new one in between to have one “chewed” ready to go in case the old one eventually gives way…..
he was castrated when he was 3 days old, very early.Membercastration is necessary to produce obedient oxen,
if it comes to that, seems like bulls were also worked for several reasons…..
may be the right time for castration depends on what you want? on what you have got? for what he is supposed to be used? I don’t think there is the best time…..
elke- AuthorPosts