Holly and the Oxen - blackmamba recently posted a series on the Budweiser Clydesdales and marveled at their size. I remembered that I had taken these pictures a couple of years ago and though I'd show another gentle giant.

In 1810 Jonathan Hale purchased 500 acres from the Connecticut Land Company for land located in the Cuyahoga Valley in what became known as the Western Reserve. Cleveland's Western Reserve Historical Society has restored the house and farm and it is open to the public much like Williamsburg in Virgina. My friend, Holly manages the animals on the farm including a pair of oxen. Oxen are castrated bulls which makes them steers used primarily for meat. When they survive that fate and mature they become oxen and are typically 16 hands (4"/hand) at the shoulder and weigh around 2000 lbs. They are versatile draft animals which can be used to plough, drag trees for lumber out of forests, pull wagons (were preferred means of pulling Conestoga wagons later in our westward expansion) or any other task needing strength and control

This series of pictures is Holly demonstrating controlling a pair of yoked oxen and pulling a light load to simulate any of the above tasks. Holly is about 5'10" and svelte for a size comparison.

Holly and the Oxen - blackmamba recently posted a series on the Budweiser Clydesdales and marveled at their size. I remembered that I had taken these pictures a couple of years ago and though I'd show another gentle giant.

In 1810 Jonathan Hale purchased 500 acres from the Connecticut Land Company for land located in the Cuyahoga Valley in what became known as the Western Reserve. Cleveland's Western Reserve Historical Society has restored the house and farm and it is open to the public much like Williamsburg in Virgina. My friend, Holly manages the animals on the farm including a pair of oxen. Oxen are castrated bulls which makes them steers used primarily for meat. When they survive that fate and mature they become oxen and are typically 16 hands (4"/hand) at the shoulder and weigh around 2000 lbs. They are versatile draft animals which can be used to plough, drag trees for lumber out of forests, pull wagons (were preferred means of pulling Conestoga wagons later in our westward expansion) or any other task needing strength and control

This series of pictures is Holly demonstrating controlling a pair of yoked oxen and pulling a light load to simulate any of the above tasks. Holly is about 5'10" and svelte for a size comparison.

I was really shocked there for awhile when she was rubbing under the ones chin until I saw were the sled was tied to for them to pull after seeing pictures before that one. I thought no wonder they are so gentle seeing where it looked like the sled was tied to.