pluoghing land

[Tartar Horde]

Does anyone have any experience of ploughing with Horses/Oxen.

[uks]

(30 October 2012, 14:13)Tartar Horde Wrote: Does anyone have any experience of ploughing with Horses/Oxen.

I was shown about 2 years ago, i was planning on getting one for my smallholding that im currently looking for

[NorthernRaider]

Fraid not, i did read very recently about some place actually running ploughman courses using big bloody shire horses but thats my lot, I did use a huge rotavator once and it dragged me across the field............

[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.

[bigpaul]

most horses were taken off the farms in the second world war and tractors replaced them, my (recently late) brother in law used to plough with horses, i think i read somewhere that an experienced ploughman can plough 1 acre per day..thats probably a 12 hour day and using a team(i.e.2) of horses.

[Tigs]

i have a tractor !! one on my neighbours does tho he is regularly at the linconshire and great yorkshire show doing it

[BrixhamBadger]

Aye.... I had a few goes when we lived in Co. Wicklow some years back.... believe me, it is not as easy as it looks...!!!

[Prepper1]

Doesnt seem that hard if you have a suitable plough...

---

Couple of cows, horses, immigrants tied to the front and your away...

---

---

The Rotherham Plough

http://www.rotherhamweb.co.uk/h/plough.htm

[Tartar Horde]

Our (my) lack of knowledge on this subject makes me think about the very real need to grow "grains" after any significant event. Given that an experienced Ploughman could do an Acre a day (not that big really) gives us an idea how demanding this work can be, without any experience someone attempting the same task I reckon would struggle. I don't mind admitting I would find it a steep learning curve.
Regarding Horses you would definately need a larger framed Horse like Hunters or Shires, I don't think smaller Horses and Ponies will have the power to pull a Plough. Cattle seem to be the best choice for pulling power, and I think there would be more cattle available than large Horses. It seems a plough is not just a plough, there are different designs for differing soil types etc. I know how to saddle a Horse, but yoking a team of them to a plough is a different thing altogether.
I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject, and will it even be necessary to plough etc.

[bigpaul]

(2 November 2012, 12:53)Tartar Horde Wrote: Our (my) lack of knowledge on this subject makes me think about the very real need to grow "grains" after any significant event. Given that an experienced Ploughman could do an Acre a day (not that big really) gives us an idea how demanding this work can be, without any experience someone attempting the same task I reckon would struggle. I don't mind admitting I would find it a steep learning curve.
Regarding Horses you would definately need a larger framed Horse like Hunters or Shires, I don't think smaller Horses and Ponies will have the power to pull a Plough. Cattle seem to be the best choice for pulling power, and I think there would be more cattle available than large Horses. It seems a plough is not just a plough, there are different designs for differing soil types etc. I know how to saddle a Horse, but yoking a team of them to a plough is a different thing altogether.
I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject, and will it even be necessary to plough etc.

forget "hunters", they are too highly strung to pull ANYTHING, you need a shire or a cob for that sort of work.