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I thought traditionally oxen were considered draught animals and primarily used in medieval agriculture around the world no matter the country. Horses I presum

I thought traditionally oxen were considered draught animals and primarily used in medieval agriculture around the world no matter the country. Horses I presume were used but I'm thinking they were much more expensive and less multi-purpose than oxen? I mean one can also point out a period where civilization was between a pre-oxen standard and that of post-oxen. I understand the part horses play in war but agriculture tends to affect more in history generally speaking.

gascan 9y ago
I'm not well-versed, but the reason you see oxen dominant in antiquity is because the ox yoke is far simpler to make than horse collar. I'd be curious to hear about distinct advantages to plow horses. They must exist, otherwise no one would plow with horses.
- woodandsteel 9y ago
  Horses are stronger and have much better endurance. From what I have read the reason for oxen being used as draft animals is that the horse collar had not yet been invented. Once it was, agricultural production skyrocketed, and the new wealth made possible the Middle Ages.
  - motohagiography 9y ago
    A technology change in the 1730s made horses viable viable plow animals. It was a lighter metal plow (name escapes me), and ploughmen switched from oxen to horses. Horses were previously used mainly for military and business transportation via carriage and carts, but this change made them economical for farmers and ploughmen. Thing is, the temperament and intelligence of horses were different, and the non-military horseman as a profession was born. That was the origin of a lot of the so-called "gypsy," mysticism about "whispering," as there were tricks of the trade that ploughmen used to protect their business. The history is fascinating, and not unlike the way crypto is today. Where a former exclusively military technology proliferated to a trade class, who organized to "professionalize," it to preserve the integrity and value of its secrets. They formed something called "the society of the horseman's word," which was a pseudo-masonic group modeled after what Millers had done in their own trade. There is a bunch of hocus pocus around their history, but viewed as a trade association or guild, it makes economic sense.
    - JoeAltmaier 9y ago
      Hm. Horse collars were the major invention to allow horses to pull a plow. They were in use in Europe since 1000AD.
      - motohagiography 9y ago
        According to a history of ploughman culture, it was a lighter metal plow that made them economical vs. oxen in the 1730s.
        woodandsteel 9y ago
        "The horse collar eventually spread to Europe c. 920 AD, and became universal by the 12th century.[21] The Scandinavians were among the first to utilize a horse collar that did not constrain the breathing passages of the horses.[22] Prior to this development, oxen still remained the primary choice of animal for farm labor, as all the previous harnesses and collars could only be worn by them without physical penalty." --https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_collar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_collar I guess your history of ploughman culture is mistaken.
        motohagiography 9y ago
        Not disputing horse collar. Point made in a history of horsemanship (an in turn ploughman trades) was that the trade of ploughmen in england moved away from oxen more to horses as the result of a change in plough design. This excerpt may have been the design change that was referenced. "There was little attempt to change the design of the plough until the mid 1600's with the Dutch being among the first in improving its shape. This change in shape was soon discovered in Northern England and Scotland with Joseph Foljambe from Rotherham building and patented a plough having what was described as, the perfect implement then in use." "http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-plough" http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-plough" Perhaps there is a more direct way to discredit the implications of my original post?

gascan 9y ago

I'm not well-versed, but the reason you see oxen dominant in antiquity is because the ox yoke is far simpler to make than horse collar. I'd be curious to hear about distinct advantages to plow horses. They must exist, otherwise no one would plow with horses.

woodandsteel 9y ago
Horses are stronger and have much better endurance. From what I have read the reason for oxen being used as draft animals is that the horse collar had not yet been invented. Once it was, agricultural production skyrocketed, and the new wealth made possible the Middle Ages.
- motohagiography 9y ago
  A technology change in the 1730s made horses viable viable plow animals. It was a lighter metal plow (name escapes me), and ploughmen switched from oxen to horses. Horses were previously used mainly for military and business transportation via carriage and carts, but this change made them economical for farmers and ploughmen. Thing is, the temperament and intelligence of horses were different, and the non-military horseman as a profession was born. That was the origin of a lot of the so-called "gypsy," mysticism about "whispering," as there were tricks of the trade that ploughmen used to protect their business. The history is fascinating, and not unlike the way crypto is today. Where a former exclusively military technology proliferated to a trade class, who organized to "professionalize," it to preserve the integrity and value of its secrets. They formed something called "the society of the horseman's word," which was a pseudo-masonic group modeled after what Millers had done in their own trade. There is a bunch of hocus pocus around their history, but viewed as a trade association or guild, it makes economic sense.
  - JoeAltmaier 9y ago
    Hm. Horse collars were the major invention to allow horses to pull a plow. They were in use in Europe since 1000AD.
    - motohagiography 9y ago
      According to a history of ploughman culture, it was a lighter metal plow that made them economical vs. oxen in the 1730s.
      - woodandsteel 9y ago
        "The horse collar eventually spread to Europe c. 920 AD, and became universal by the 12th century.[21] The Scandinavians were among the first to utilize a horse collar that did not constrain the breathing passages of the horses.[22] Prior to this development, oxen still remained the primary choice of animal for farm labor, as all the previous harnesses and collars could only be worn by them without physical penalty." --https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_collar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_collar I guess your history of ploughman culture is mistaken.
        motohagiography 9y ago
        Not disputing horse collar. Point made in a history of horsemanship (an in turn ploughman trades) was that the trade of ploughmen in england moved away from oxen more to horses as the result of a change in plough design. This excerpt may have been the design change that was referenced. "There was little attempt to change the design of the plough until the mid 1600's with the Dutch being among the first in improving its shape. This change in shape was soon discovered in Northern England and Scotland with Joseph Foljambe from Rotherham building and patented a plough having what was described as, the perfect implement then in use." "http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-plough" http://www.ploughmen.co.uk/about-us/history-of-the-plough" Perhaps there is a more direct way to discredit the implications of my original post?