What is an ox?
An ox (or oxen, the plural) is an adult, castrated male of any breed of cattle. These steers can live up to 16 years, working most of their lives. They are trained to pull vehicles and plows, and in North America they were the most widely used draft animal up to about the 1850s. There was great debate amongst emigrants as to whether it was better to use oxen or mules (a cross breed between a horse and a donkey) to pull their wagons. Both had their advantages and disadvantages. Oxen were slower, walking two to three miles per hour, but could pull great weight, survive on little feed, were patient, gentle, and easily trainable. They were less expensive and more widely available than mules – and, in a pinch, they could provide beef. Although horses could travel the fastest, they required more feed, could not pull as heavy loads, were susceptible to injury, and were a tempting target to thieves, rustlers, or Plains Indians. Mules traveled faster than oxen, and could pull heavy loads on lit
