Using Dexters as Oxen
Purebred Dexter Cattle Association of North America (PDCA)
404 High Street, Prairie Home, MO 65068

Using Dexters As Oxen

By Kathleen Smith

Like most Dexter breeders, I get a fair amount of phone calls that prove to be from people who are gathering information about Dexter cattle. Many of these do someday become owners of Dexters. I always tell them that the important thing is that they buy a Dexter, no matter who it’s from. I encourage them to look at many before making a purchase. In the course of my conversations the topic of our Dexter oxen frequently comes up. Generally the response of disbelief is something like, “You’ve got what?”

My reply will be, “Dexter oxen.”

The question will fire back in a somewhat different form, “But aren’t oxen a special breed or something?”

And then I’m off on my explanation of what oxen are and how they can indeed be Dexters.

Like the rest of us, cattle are born either male or female. The latter generally become happy dams and spend their lives in the sequence of gestation and lactation, raising more of their own kind; leading, feeding, and breeding. The males, who are chosen as superior in their qualities for the breed and species, go on to become generally willing sires of many offspring until their services are no longer required.

Those males who don’t quite make the breeding team, lose possession of the “family jewels” through castration. They are known as steers, most of which find their way to the freezer in a different form. However, lucky little steers are given an education and become oxen. So an ox is a bovine used for draft purposes, generally a castrated male.

This is not to say that females couldn’t be used as draft animals, but their services are usually needed to produce volumes of milk. I would suggest that their amount of milk would likely be negatively affected by great amounts of draft work. I’ve not researched this, but it does seem to make sense.

Oxen can be proud of their place in the history of the United States. They were the tractors, often pulling out the tree stumps to clear land and hauling loads. They moved their fair share of covered wagons across the prairies. They hauled cannons over winter landscapes during the Revolution. They weren’t the ones that took the families on quick trips to church on Sunday, but they surely hauled firewood, hay, stones, manure, etc. around the farms.

Why oxen instead of horses? What are the big advantages with oxen? Well, to people who don’t like cattle and prefer horses or mules, there would be no advantage. However, here are some things to consider that oxen may indeed be better at.

In mud or snow, their cloven hooves do not stick in the depths as much as horse feet do. There isn’t that sucking struggle to get through the mudholes as much as there is with equines. Remember what it’s like getting through a muddy barnyard while you’re wearing your rubber boots? Might it not be easier if you were to go barefooted and let the mud come up between your toes? (Admittedly messier, I grant.) Well, it’s sort of the same if you compare an equine foot to that of the cloven, bovine hoof.

The point of draft (where they can really take a hold to lift and pull) is different from an ox to a horse. For an ox it’s more at the withers, top of the shoulder, or even at the head. For a horse, it’s at the shoulder. Thus, hame collars and traces work for horses and mules. Though horse harness, even with inverted hame collars, can be used on oxen, generally oxen are driven with a yoke. There are basically two kinds: a neck yoke and a head yoke. Either yoke is often considered easier to make and put on the animal than the web of harness required for horses or mules. With some reading, a few tools, and some wood, many people can make their own ox yokes. Nonetheless, making the bows, is a different story. It requires wood that will be strong, but can be bent. In the East, it’s shagbark hickory, that I’m told is the best. We’ve made a few yokes, but the bows we always buy.

A neck yoke sits across the necks of the animals and is held in place by a bow around each animal’s neck. These are fitted not to be so tight as to choke the animal down when pulling, or hit onto the shoulders of the animal which is uncomfortable to say the least. Some oxen may like a bit tighter bow than others. Cattle have preferences, too.

Head yokes fit onto the horns of each animal and must fitted with great precision. The heads of the animals are held in place quite securely with the head yokes, and I’m told that the animals can, and do, adjust their own draft with head yokes. As one drover described to me, “They sort of float their heads to adjust things as they pull.” Fitting a head yoke is not for the uninitiated, and I’ve not gotten involved with it. The yoke itself is make of wood, fitted carefully to the horns, and is held in place with long, leather straps that are drawn tight.

Occasionally oxen are driven with lines, but usually oxen get used to where their driver, or drover as he/she is called. Most often the drover walks next to the left side of the animals. Some people walk to the front and let the oxen follow. Other people walk at the back. With enough training, the oxen may respond quite well to any of these positions as dictated by the needs of the situation such as working in brush, backing up to be hitched, etc.

Many people will insist that hauling logs is safer and easier with oxen because the driver isn’t back by the log. Just think of it. With horses and mules, the teamster has the lines in hand, and must walk behind the animals, which is near the skidding, slipping, rolling log that can pinch a toe, or even break the person’s leg. With oxen, the teamster is up near the front of the animals, and often goes on ahead and calls to the oxen. This keeps the person away from that skidding, slipping, rolling log with all of its dangers to life and limb.

Oxen are pretty calm. What might make a horse upset, an ox may not even notice. They can stand around chewing cud waiting while manure is being loaded. Generally oxen aren’t real speedy, although it should be noted that Dexter oxen are noted for being a bit on the hot side. If you want a fast ride to town, you’d probably better take the horse.

What might be the advantages to keeping Dexter oxen? Well, with the exception of our old pair, Tom and Dick, who live life to pull something not to do PR work, oxen can be great for public relations. Oxen are not breeding animals which means that if you’d like to take them somewhere, they won’t be in any stage of gestation or lactation, and they won’t be looking for their next conquest as a bull would be. My concept of a bull is: horns, hair, and hormones. Their function is to have more on their minds than representing their breed. Thus, because oxen do get so many hours of human interaction when they are being trained, they are quite friendly and represent their breed well.

I’ve had people specifically request Dexter oxen because they don’t want such a big grocery bill as one would have with larger breeds. In addition, as smaller cattle the yokes aren’t as big to be carrying around and lifting up to put on the animals. They make great kid’s oxen because they don’t get big. In the pulling ring, they will stay at a lower weight, but become older experienced pullers; much like the high school senior who can still wrestle at a weight of 135 pounds, but has more muscle than his freshmen opponents.

Dexters are smart, little hoofers, which is a blessing as well as a curse. They will pick up a bad habit as fast as a good one. Everything is a lesson, good or bad.

I’m no expert by any means, but if I can answer any questions about Dexter oxen, please contact me at krosmith@frontiernet.net or 518-993-2823. A young man by the name of Jesse Burdette in PA, has done some great things with Dexter oxen, as has Vicki Solomon of OH, and the Matteson brothers of NH.

For references on oxen, I would encourage readers to check out the following on the Internet. Rural Heritage magazine from TN usually has at least one ox article per issue. Often Drew Conroy, of Maine, who is a nationally recognized expert writes for this publication. The Small Farmers Journal from OR often prints articles on oxen. Tillers International of MI is a group that has programs on training oxen as well as various supplies. There are also organizations of ox teamsters such as the New England Ox Teamsters and the Midwest Ox Drovers.

There is a great deal of gratification in getting a pair of cattle trained. Walking next to the clanking ring on the yoke, and seeing them give their best to move a load can really warm the heart. It’s just one more way to enjoy and exhibit your Dexters.