Chinese Almanac Calendar

教牛马

In traditional Chinese farming activities, "Train Livestock" as "Training Cattle and Horses" (教牛马 - Jiao Niu Ma) refers to the custom of training or teaching domestic animals such as cattle and horses at specific times. This custom is primarily associated with agricultural production and the lunar solar terms, especially in spring, which is a crucial period for farmers to start preparing for spring plowing. In the Almanac (Huangli), certain days are marked as "Days to Train Cattle," meaning these days are suitable for training cattle and horses so they can better serve agricultural production.

1. Ancient Background

In ancient China, agriculture was the foundation of the socio-economic structure, and cattle and horses were an indispensable and important force in agricultural production. Cattle were primarily used for plowing, while horses were used for transportation or other tasks requiring speed. Therefore, how to manage and train these livestock was crucial for improving production efficiency.

2. Training Cattle

1. Taming: First, the cattle must be accustomed to human presence and not fear their surroundings. This is usually achieved by treating them gently and gradually increasing contact.
2. Learning Basic Commands: Teaching the cattle to understand simple commands such as moving forward, stopping, and turning. This is accomplished through repetitive practice and appropriate reward mechanisms.
3. Plowing Skills: Further training the cattle to learn how to effectively pull a plow and till the soil. This involves a feel for the land and coordination with humans.

3. Training Horses

1. Building Trust: Similar to cattle, the first step is to build a sense of trust between human and horse.
2. Basic Obedience Training: Including basic behaviors such as standing still, walking on command, and stopping.
3. Riding Training: Teaching the horse to accept a person riding on its back and to act according to the rider's instructions.
4. Cart-pulling Skills: If the purpose is to transport goods, the horse needs to be specifically trained on how to pull a cart.

4. Points to Note

• Patience: Whether cattle or horses, they need enough time to adapt to new environments and learn new skills.
• Gentle Methods: Using gentle rather than violent methods for training achieves better results and avoids harming the animals.
• Timely Rewards: Giving food or other forms of rewards when the animals perform well can reinforce their positive behavior.
• Health Assurance: Ensuring the cattle and horses are in good health is necessary to guarantee the effectiveness of the training and the smooth progress of subsequent work.

5. Conclusion

Although the degree of mechanization in modern society has greatly increased, "Training Cattle and Horses" still retains its cultural value and social function in some remote mountainous areas or traditional villages. For fields such as the study of the development history of Chinese agrarian civilization and folklore, understanding this custom remains highly significant.

From the above introduction, it can be seen that "Training Cattle and Horses" is not only an agricultural technical activity but also a traditional custom carrying rich historical information and cultural symbols. It bears witness to China's long-standing agrarian civilization and serves as a bridge connecting the past and the present.