Recently, the Record-Bee Newspaper in California published this story comparing Oxen and Horses as they were used in heading to Lake County California in the 1800's. A companion article here fills in more of the tale. Taken together, they give a look at Oxen on the westward trail from the primary source perspective.
An excerpt from the article, and the books it's taken from, is below:
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| Photo from Ed Nelson's Postcard Collection |
“The natures of horses and oxen were entirely different from one another. Unlike horses, if a load did not move easily, oxen did not buck, balk, plunge, rear up or panic.
“I’ve met some bulls and cows I suspect were as smart as some horses. I’d like to think oxen do not panic or buck when it came to being between a rock and a hard place, because they have seen more of the vicissitudes and hardships of life. The nature of their work and the demands made upon them may have given them a better outlook and a calmer outlook.”
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