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Lauren's Story

I met all kinds of helpful people: Drew Conroy and Howie Van Ord, Dick Roosenberg, and all of the wonderful people too numerous to name that make up the MODA. I went back two more years to help out.

I worked with all breeds of oxen there, but really liked the Brown Swiss as far as temperment and speed. "Pokey", Drew calls them. I was forturnate enough to find the OLD style, more beef type at Admeir Dairy in Yarrow, since moved to Salmon Arm, B.C. It was in blizzard conditions, of course, when I brought them home. There had been a virus at the dairy and one of my calves died from it. I had to wait until Otter was born, 2 1/2 months later and then 3 weeks after that until the weather was better to bring him home.By that time, Doc was used as my "all terrain vehicle" and was really well trained. Otter was put in the neigh ox position so I could work closer to him, and they really worked well together. Dan made all of the ox yokes in the woodshop and the iron in the forge we have. If I ever train another team, I would switch the Neigh and Off ox positions back and forth so they would work either position. I never thought of it as Doc was so much larger. I trained horses for 22 years and knew better: always work on both sides of the animal so all bases are covered.

The only other problem I had was to trim their feet. We made the trimming stand according to all of the literature I found. But, Doc was so large, when his last hoof was just finished, he gave a lurch and the pipe that held the belly straps in place began to turn and the stand caved in on him, resulting in and injury for which I probably should have had him put down. For 2 months, he could hardlly walk. Then on Easter morning, when I had decided to put him down, I walked him out to the front pasture and noticed that he was walking much better.Rest and limited exercise and much time later, he is much improved. In muddy and uneven ground, he still swings his rear leg out and hesitates when he walks. But, at other times, he runs and kicks up his heels and feels much better.

Doc and Otter pull our 14 foot freight wagon and go to the Comox Valley Fall Fair, where we have a display of the first yoke and the present one, a size 12. Also some newspaper articles on them from the Times Colonist in Victoria, and some Tillers brochures to pass around. They are a huge draw for the fair.

I am so excited that you have put together a website for oxen enthusiasts. At our home "Dunroven Oxen Farm & Forge" where we have a B&B and Sea Cottage, our guests love to learn about the oxen and work in the forge. We like to say we bring Hands on History to life. Some weekends, we have 30 to 40 visitors come through.All ages enjoy learning about how the pioneers did things and a much simpler way of life.

I hope that we can convince others to train their own teams of oxen. It is an adventure that they will find nowhere else in life , and that very few experience.

Take care all,
Lauren Ledig Klingbiel

Our other websites:

Our Farm	Cozy Country Cabin	Mural Mural on the Wall	More Art by Gloria	About the Artist