Yokes and Yoking
Ancient Technology in the Modern World
Yokes and Yoking
The ox yoke is such an ancient and once common tool that we all know it when we see it. The classic curves of the beam and the bend of the bows. We know the form even if we have never actually seen oxen in person. Old barn hangers decorate the wall of a steak house or we have seen one in a western movie somewhere. The shape and form of the yoke is timeless because it works. It is proven technology. I often get asked if I have tried X technology or Y farming gadget. I quip that I only use technology with a ten thousand year track record. Now that isn’t entirely true but the sentiment is. The ox yoke is something that has stood the test of time and honestly can’t be improved upon with modern technology.
The root of the word “yoke” stems from the Proto Indo European root word “yug” which means to join together. Interestingly it shares the same root as the word “yoga.” Yoga is the joining together of the mind and the body similarly to the way two oxen are joined together with the yoke. Because together the two parts are greater together. Two oxen are stronger together than they are separately.
Originally the ox yoke was simply a stick lashed between the horns of two animals. This is the simplest form of an ox yoke and there are still parts of the world that use this “head yoke” style. Most of the time it has been refined from a simple stick to a carved beam that is custom fitted to the head and horn shape of each animal. In many ways this is the most ergonomic style of yoking because cattle are physiologically designed to apply maximum pressure to the tips of their horns. The horn is the ultimate protective weapon and the amount of force they can generate there is incredible. You can watch videos of bulls lifting up cars easily with their horns.
The head yoke is a great way to maximize the force that you can apply to the work to be done. In Nova Scotia where they still maintain a strong head yoking culture it is commonly thought that a head yoked team can out pull a bow yoked team.
Bow yoking is what I use. It is also probably what you pictured when I started talking about oxen yokes. It consists of a large beam and the oxen wear an ox bow around their necks. The bows are usually bent wooden staves, but they can also be metal or even PVC on smaller training yokes. The main benefit of the bow yoke is ease of use. It is easy to fit the yoke onto almost any team and once it is made it can be used for different teams. Adjustments are simple and it is quick to put on. I can yoke a team in under two minutes with a bow yoke. It is a simple matter of setting some pins and then I can start pulling right away.
It is not using the full skeletal structure of the animals. It is like carrying a bucket in the crook of your elbow. You can do it but it is more ergonomic and it uses your skeletal structure more if you carry it with your hands. The other thing that the bow yoke does do is allow the oxen to swing their heads naturally. Cattle initiate all of their movement with the tips of their horns. They dip their heads with their gait. Kind of like how humans swing our arms when we walk. We can walk without moving our arms but it is more natural for us to swing them with our gait. The bow yoke facilitates this movement, but we compromise power.
It is worth the ease of yoking for me to use the bow yoke over the head yoke. I do love the look of a head yoked team. Especially the beautifully decorated versions in places like Nova Scotia. The bow yoke allows me to get a team pulling in under five minutes and I value that time so much that a small compromise on power makes sense.
The third type of yoke is a withers yoke and it is used exclusively on humped cattle breeds. You will see this style wherever the more heat tolerant Bos Indicus are raised. It is simple because the cattle can use their hump to pull the load. It has a beam and usually a couple of straight staves hold it in place.
The least common way to work draft cattle is with a harness setup. These systems look more like what is used with horses but it has to be adapted to the bovine physiology. The reason the bow yoke works so well has to do with the way the shoulder joint moves on cattle. The point of the shoulder projects forward with each step. If you put a horse collar on an ox it would rub and become irritated. The bow will fit into this “pocket” and allow the shoulder to move freely.
A well designed bow yoke places very little pressure on the shoulders and it carries most of the weight on the neck which is very strong in cattle. Bulls have the most developed neck muscles which is one of their defining features. The form of the yoke is simple and elegant. It has stood the test of time and is still the best way to harness bovine traction. I love tools that are so fitted to the task that they need no tweaking or improvement.
The purpose of the yoke is to join together the team. When I yoke my oxen everyday I feel a deep connection to the history and legacy of the many teamsters who came before me. The yoke symbolizes this connection and I am grateful for this timeless technology. The yoke joins me with the it’s legacy and history. I am connected with my team and all of our ancestors.
Delightful read, love this stuff. Why do you work oxen rather than draft horses? I’d like to read your take on the pros and cons of each.
Thank you so much for this piece - I grew up admiring the sets of yokes hung on our barn walls, after treads and tires had long ago replaced hooves. I loved learning about how these were made to work with the animal's physiology. Agriculture category, @Substack! Make it happen!