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What is an ox?
An ox is a trained bovine, usually male, versus a steer, which is an untrained, castrated male bovine. A bull is an uncastrated male bovine. Castration removes much of the testosterone from the animal's body, resulting in a much less aggressive demeanor than is common in bulls. While still muscular in body, an ox or steer's (castrated as a calf) face somewhat resembles that of a cow, making him easy to distinguish from a bull. In some rare occasions, cows (females) may be used as oxen, although not as strong. It is also somewhat common for bulls to be used as oxen in African and Asian countries where the indigenous Zebu breeds are much smaller, and the dual-purpose of breeding is valuable.
What is a nigh or off ox?
The nigh (or near) ox is the ox that walks closest to the drover on the left of the yoke. The off ox walks furthest from the drover on the right side of the yoke. Tillers' teams are typically named such that the nigh ox's name is said first, followed by the off ox. For example, Marco (nigh) and Polo (off).
How much does an ox weigh?
Depending on the breed, an ox can weigh anywhere from about 500 to 3,000 pounds. The oxen that Tillers works with in Uganda, for example, are Shorthorn Zebu, which start around 500 pounds. Tillers' Milking Shorthorns (and many Western breeds) typically weigh in around 2,000 pounds when full grown.
Isn't driving an ox with a whip cruel?
Tillers teaches low-stress training techniques. We start our oxen in training at about six months old to gradually accustom them to handling and teach them the basic set of training commands, a process which involves a lot of pleasant scratching and relationship building. We work to build trust between animals and handlers. The whip/stick/quirt is used primarily as a communication tool, reinforcing the verbal command given by the driver. If the team is well-trained and well-behaved, the driver may not need to actually touch the animal with the whip. If the team doesn't respond to initial gentle commands, the command signal is repeated with the whip firmly but not painfully. Only if the team continues to ignore its driver or misbehave is pain used to reinforce a command. A misbehaved team is a dangerous team.
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