DOI article:
Mingote Calderón, José Luis: Yokes for three cows: a vanished technique for breaking in cattle in La Sierra Norte of Madrid
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49004#0030
22
J. L. MINGOTE CALDERON
one of more or less the same size, strength
and nature. If, however, it is still difficult to
train it place the bullock between two gentle
oxen of the same size and within a period of
two or three days it will be broken in” (Agus-
tin 1988, 165v).
Despite changing the order and adding
some new elements to the text, it still has
strong parallels to that of Columella. The
Castilian translation made in 1724 made a
mistake by turning the triple yoke in to one
for four animals: “yoke the ox between two
or three oxen of its same size”. It has also
translated the term tio (trunk) for peso (load)
(Agustin 1980, 313-314). We might deduce
from it an absolute ignorance regarding the
use of the yoke for three animals as a taming
technique. Should it then be attributed to the
translator’s inexpertise or more probably to
its scarce distribution amongst farmers?
Summarizing
To sum up, the persistence, at least from Ro-
man times, of a series of specific ways of
breaking in cattle should be stressed. Linked
with them we also find a particular attitude
towards the animal being tamed. As Colu-
mella stated there is not a unique method to
follow: some would choose violence whereas
others preferred a peaceful relationship with
the animal. However, despite this difference
several practices and human attitudes in re-
spect to cattle together with a wide knowl-
edge of the subject have been preserved
through time.
What is more, it seems that the use of triple
yokes as elements in the breaking in process
for rebellious cattle has been a widespread
practice in our country. In other countries its
use cannot be assumed since bibliographical
accounts have not been consulted. The Span-
ish distribution for this type has never been
thoroughly studied to be able to establish
narrower limits for it. Even though it is
tempting to support a Castilian environment
for this type of yoke based on the data reco-
vered, we should still be extremely cautious
since other examples have appeared in France
and furthermore the Spanish data is really not
strong enough to support it.
The geographical distribution shows that
the yoke for three animals is only of the horn
yoke type. More research is needed too in
order to observe whether the triple yoke is
exclusively related to one or to the other
type.
It should be borne in mind that the use of
this type of yoke has been a relict practice
during the 19th century at least according to
present data. Brunhes Delamarre (1965: 32)
emphasized the different uses of yokes during
the 19th and 20th centuries. This would apply
even more to a very specific type of yoke
used only sporadically and always in relation
to breaking in cattle.
It should also be pointed out that it was
used with both cows and oxen and there were
also many other ways of coping with rebel-
lious animals. Perhaps, future research should
focus on the possible relations between the
distribution of this type and the docility or
rebelliousness of different bovine races. One
may assume that the higher the proportion of
rebellious animals the greater the need to use
this method. Regarding oxen, on the basis of
the available data alone we cannot consider
their presence as a prerequisite to the use of
this type of yoke. Therefore, a historical anal-
ysis would be needed in order to compare the
different importance of cows and oxen and to
be able to decide whether in the past a clear
relationship between oxen and these yokes
had existed. Texts extracted from Ordenanzas
regarding the Sierra Norte of Madrid show
that oxen had a greater importance in the
Modern period than they have had in the re-
cent past. However, this fact does not imply
that yokes for three animals were not used
J. L. MINGOTE CALDERON
one of more or less the same size, strength
and nature. If, however, it is still difficult to
train it place the bullock between two gentle
oxen of the same size and within a period of
two or three days it will be broken in” (Agus-
tin 1988, 165v).
Despite changing the order and adding
some new elements to the text, it still has
strong parallels to that of Columella. The
Castilian translation made in 1724 made a
mistake by turning the triple yoke in to one
for four animals: “yoke the ox between two
or three oxen of its same size”. It has also
translated the term tio (trunk) for peso (load)
(Agustin 1980, 313-314). We might deduce
from it an absolute ignorance regarding the
use of the yoke for three animals as a taming
technique. Should it then be attributed to the
translator’s inexpertise or more probably to
its scarce distribution amongst farmers?
Summarizing
To sum up, the persistence, at least from Ro-
man times, of a series of specific ways of
breaking in cattle should be stressed. Linked
with them we also find a particular attitude
towards the animal being tamed. As Colu-
mella stated there is not a unique method to
follow: some would choose violence whereas
others preferred a peaceful relationship with
the animal. However, despite this difference
several practices and human attitudes in re-
spect to cattle together with a wide knowl-
edge of the subject have been preserved
through time.
What is more, it seems that the use of triple
yokes as elements in the breaking in process
for rebellious cattle has been a widespread
practice in our country. In other countries its
use cannot be assumed since bibliographical
accounts have not been consulted. The Span-
ish distribution for this type has never been
thoroughly studied to be able to establish
narrower limits for it. Even though it is
tempting to support a Castilian environment
for this type of yoke based on the data reco-
vered, we should still be extremely cautious
since other examples have appeared in France
and furthermore the Spanish data is really not
strong enough to support it.
The geographical distribution shows that
the yoke for three animals is only of the horn
yoke type. More research is needed too in
order to observe whether the triple yoke is
exclusively related to one or to the other
type.
It should be borne in mind that the use of
this type of yoke has been a relict practice
during the 19th century at least according to
present data. Brunhes Delamarre (1965: 32)
emphasized the different uses of yokes during
the 19th and 20th centuries. This would apply
even more to a very specific type of yoke
used only sporadically and always in relation
to breaking in cattle.
It should also be pointed out that it was
used with both cows and oxen and there were
also many other ways of coping with rebel-
lious animals. Perhaps, future research should
focus on the possible relations between the
distribution of this type and the docility or
rebelliousness of different bovine races. One
may assume that the higher the proportion of
rebellious animals the greater the need to use
this method. Regarding oxen, on the basis of
the available data alone we cannot consider
their presence as a prerequisite to the use of
this type of yoke. Therefore, a historical anal-
ysis would be needed in order to compare the
different importance of cows and oxen and to
be able to decide whether in the past a clear
relationship between oxen and these yokes
had existed. Texts extracted from Ordenanzas
regarding the Sierra Norte of Madrid show
that oxen had a greater importance in the
Modern period than they have had in the re-
cent past. However, this fact does not imply
that yokes for three animals were not used