While recognizing cow protection as an important branch of our Krishna Conscious society, training and working with the oxen remains to many an ideal yet to be achieved. The upcoming Ox Training Seminar to be held in New Vraja Dhama, Hungary between April 17^thand 24^th, will shed more light on this important, yet less practiced side of cow protection. 

The seminar will teach participants the method of voice command, the gentlest and most loving way to train oxen. This method necessitates creating a personal relationship with the oxen and eliminates the use of violence and is, therefore, in line with the philosophy of cow protection. 

The seminar will include both practical demonstrations of ox training by voice command as well as philosophical classes. The classes will be based on Srila Prabhupada’s instruction on cow protection and ox training which will help devotees understand the cow’s and bull’s spiritual personalities and the role they play in Krishna Consciousness. 

The seminar will be facilitated by Balabhadra Das, who was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1969, has over 30 years experience in cow protection and ox training. His USA-based non-profit organization, ISCOWP, has been caring for cows and oxen since 1990. It serves, not merely as one of USA’s main cow protection projects, but also as an educational center that teaches devotees and non-devotees alike about the importance of the cow and the bull and shows the world both their practical and spiritual values. 

Balabadhra Das also served as the ISKCON Global Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture from 1998 until 2012 when he resigned due to health issues. Now that his health is better, he is once again able to travel and share his knowledge about cow protection. 

The seminar’s program will be as follows: 

Day 1
Orientation/Introduction 3:30 – 4:30

Day 2
Morning from 10:30 to 11:30
Why Voice Commands?
a) Why work oxen
b) Benefits of voice commands

Morning from 12:00 to 1:00
Voice commands Used Internationally
a) Videos with narrated presentation
b) Mantra meditation and how it relates to voice commands.

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00
Getting to know your Oxen
a) Developing a relationship
b) Brushing, etc.

Day 3
Morning from 10:30 to 11:30 
Voice commands Used Internationally
a) Videos with narrated presentation
b) Mantra meditation and how it relates to voice commands.

Morning from 12:00 to 1:00
History of Voice Commands in ISKCON
a) Videos, photos, narrated presentation
b) Minimum Cow Protection ISKCON Standards and Ox Power

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 
Developing Trust with Your Oxen
a) Lifting feet
b) Going for a walk
c) Crawling underneath your ox

Day 4
Morning from 10:30 to 11:30 
Yokes/Yoga
a) Importance of a good fitting yoke
b) Parmananda das’s, first ISKCON cow minister, instructions on making yokes
b) Different types of yokes.

Morning from 12:00 to 1:00 (in the field)
Looking at Yokes used at Vraja Dhama, Hungary 
a) How yokes are designed and why.

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 
Teaching Oxen Voice Commands Part 1
a) All the basic and important commands.

Day 5
Morning from 10:30 to 11:30 
Ox Drawn Implements 
a) Videos, photos discussion
b) What can be done with what implement
a) How to fit ox to the right implement.

Morning from 12:00 to 1:00 
Ox Drawn Machines
a) Videos, Photos discussion
b) What tasks can be accomplished with ox-drawn machines instead of fuel powered machines?
c) Benefits of ox-drawn implements and machines

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 
Teaching Oxen Voice Commands Part 2
a) More practice with all the basic and important commands.

Day 6 (all in the field)
Morning from 10:30 to 12:00
Picking Oxen to Make a Team
a) Things to consider like size, temperament and how the oxen relate to each other.
Yoking Oxen
a) Yoking up
a) Learning to work together

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 
Hooking up to a Load
a) Yoking up and hooking up to a load 
b) Pulling a load.
c) What happens when there is a load to pull

Day 7
Morning 10:30 – 1:00
More Detailed Coverage of Requested Topics
a) Questions and Answers
b) Networking
c) Moving to the oxen if participants would like more practice with the oxen.

Afternoon from 2:30 to 4:30 or 5:00 
More Practice With the Oxen
a) Aspects of working with the oxen which participants would like to practice and gain more instruction about.  

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To register visit (https://goo.gl/forms/kwL1wKJd2qYYlzQG3) 

Please note that your registration is not complete until you submit the seminar attendance fee in full.

Make your payment Through PayPal, you can find the PayPal button on our website: http://www.navavrajadhama.hu/en/ox-training-seminar-2019