pluoghing land

[BDG]

I have held onto the plough at a local museum. It all seemed rather easy, however, I did not harness up or set the plough up. Was a bit of setting up to do, getting the plough to the right depth and so on. I do know that the kit to be used is different to - while you could put the same plough behind oxen or horses, you could not for instance harness horse to yolk or use horse tackle on oxen. I remember something I read a while back about a woman that trained oxen to be read was that it did not matter much if milk breeds or meat breeds were used for beasts of burden, but obviously, the bigger and stronger the animal is, the more work will be done.

Should a bad event occur where by I find my need to plough, I shall more than likely be using oxen - big cattle are more abundant to breed from than heavy horse, cattle that have been bred from for milk produce 50% females, 50 % males, the male can be utalised rather than killed as an animal to plough with and I have been told by people who have seen oxen and the like put to use in the far east that the kit used to plough seems a lot less specialises - a heavy branch, a couple of decent branches, cordage or leather and a lump of bumper from a truck to make a plough as opposed to all of the finery you see heavy horses dressed in.

Having said as such, my experience of use so far is holding on to a plough that did one furrow at a time! There is a museum just up the road that does this kind of thing and it is something I have always wanted to have a good go of.