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Dumb question #5 how shoe an ox

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nr

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How did folks convince an ox to pick up his foot for shoeing in the old days ?
 
nr said:
How did folks convince an ox to pick up his foot for shoeing in the old days ?


They used to get Haymaker to argue with the the Ox and finally the Ox would give up and lay down on it's back and play dead. :wink: :cowboy:
 
I have found that with an ox all you have to do is feed him.....ohhh your talking about real ox..oxen as in bovine :wink:
 
Did they even shoe oxen? I didn't realize that and I have never come across it.

It would be very hard to accomplish, IMO, because oxen are cloven hoofed. Which means each side of the hoof moves independently. It would take a very wide-webbed shoe to stabalize the foot.

Interesting question, nr.
 
FH they did shoe Oxen but they used a two piece shoe.it was two flat plates in the half moon shape roughly .I would think Oxen could easily be trained to stand for shoeing. I have only seen them driving them on RFD but they work mostly from voice commands that would take avery long time to get horses working that way.
 
Faster horses said:
Did they even shoe oxen? I didn't realize that and I have never come across it.

It would be very hard to accomplish, IMO, because oxen are cloven hoofed. Which means each side of the hoof moves independently. It would take a very wide-webbed shoe to stabalize the foot.

Interesting question, nr.

They used 2 small shoes on each ''hoof''. They roped and threw them on there side so the legs could be restrained, sometimes they would roll them on there side in a ditch or low spot to help restrain them :shock: It took a special person to deal with the small shoes and they had to be nimble and quick to deal with 8 ''shoes on one beast.
 
I have no idea how they shod an oxen, but I did find pictures of some of the shoes when I did a search.
Amanda has messed with her show heifer from last year enuff that she can pick up her feet, LOL but I don't think muffin would stand still for shoes.
Here's the link.

http://www.ask.com/web?q=ox+shoes+picture&qsrc=1&o=0
 
FH I know I like to see to understand better Found these...
6579e890.jpg

19b7df6b.jpg
 
Thanks for the pictures. I am in awe.

Took some hardy folks to nail those on.
This is something I never thought about before. Of course, the oxen
would need something for support and protection as far as they
travelled.

Very interesting to say the least.
 
nr I do have to ask.....what are the first 4 dumb questions LOL and who has been keeping count? I would hate to know what number I am up to.................
I ask ALOT of questions
 
Faster horses said:
Thanks for the pictures. I am in awe.

Took some hardy folks to nail those on.
This is something I never thought about before. Of course, the oxen
would need something for support and protection as far as they
travelled.

Very interesting to say the least.

The shoes for oxen were used on mainly the draft animals that pulled the heavy loads. They were used a lot in the early logging camps. They were much easier to feed and care for than horses. They could also eat the ones that were hurt or had other problems . They were not as strong as horses so they sometimes hitched large no.s at one time. They usually did not start using them untill they were 3-4 years old so they had there growth and the bones and joints were hardened. Using a ''new'' team of oxen would give a whole new meaning to :cowboy:
 
1800swornshoe.jpg
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sideview.jpg
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Some photos of our early Minnesota relatives' ox shoes-
looks like shoe styles don't change when it comes to oxen. The blurry one was to show the raised tabs front and back.
Thank you for the info on applying them- sounded like risky work.
 
nr, they use a set of stocks, quite often.

Stocks are similar to a chute for cattle or horse. An animal can't leave and there is a a strong pipe or pole that ran horizontilly, with nothing below it, so that you can tie a foot up to the pole and hold it where it is handy to tack on the shoe and there isn't anything i your way.. At least they did this in the northeast, where they worked oxen more often. Some farriers still have them and use them on broncy horses. And draft horses, as they are so much bigger and it takes more strength to hold one of their feet up.

I read of ranches in Arizona, where they used shoes on the bulls, as it was so rough and rocky, if they didn't, the bulls would get sore footed and wouldn't get around to all of the cattle to breed them.

I'm sure that they roped and tied down a few out west, but I'll bet it was the last resort. Have you ever tried to trim a horswe or tack shoes on one, who is laying on his side? It's a pain!
 
Jinglebob said:
nr, they use a set of stocks, quite often.

Stocks are similar to a chute for cattle or horse. An animal can't leave and there is a a strong pipe or pole that ran horizontilly, with nothing below it, so that you can tie a foot up to the pole and hold it where it is handy to tack on the shoe and there isn't anything i your way.. At least they did this in the northeast, where they worked oxen more often. Some farriers still have them and use them on broncy horses. And draft horses, as they are so much bigger and it takes more strength to hold one of their feet up.

I read of ranches in Arizona, where they used shoes on the bulls, as it was so rough and rocky, if they didn't, the bulls would get sore footed and wouldn't get around to all of the cattle to breed them.

I'm sure that they roped and tied down a few out west, but I'll bet it was the last resort. Have you ever tried to trim a horswe or tack shoes on one, who is laying on his side? It's a pain!

LOL no I've never tried to trim or tack shoes on an ox- either standing or lying on his side :lol: I'll add that to my To Do List. :)
Tying the leg to a post sounds less risky. I read that in New England they shoed oxen who would be pulling logs on steep icy slopes- they didn't say if those shoes had special treads to keep from slipping or not. Wonder if the horizontal pole in the stocks is like what broke Clarence's leg?
 
My mother told the story of an old bachelor who farmed with an ox. I don't know where she heard it. This old fellow took a turnip along for his noon lunch. He sliced it and shared it with his ox, saying one for me, one for you, one for me one for you.
 
The rest of what the bachelor said to the ox
had to have been:
"My heart beets for you, with your turnip nose,
and radish face. You are a peach.
If we cantaloupe, lettuce marry.
Weed make a swell pear." :heart:
Wonder how long that's been around.
 

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