USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Which would be best to pull your heavy wagons? Mules are strong, can go faster, but are often tricky to handle. Mules also had tendencies to bolt and become unruly. Oxen are slower, but more reliable and tougher than mules.

Detailed explanation-2: -The covered wagon was one of the main methods of transportation, often drawn by oxen or mules.

Detailed explanation-3: -Oxen were most often used for pulling this type of wagon. It required two yoke (pairs) of oxen. A spare yoke often trailed behind so that the livestock could be rotated and rested. For those who preferred mules, an equivalent number of harnessed mules could have been used in place of oxen.

Detailed explanation-4: -Each Conestoga wagon was pulled by four to six horses, ideally of a type bred in the region and known as Conestoga horses. These horses were docile and strong, and could cover some 12 to 14 miles a day.

Detailed explanation-5: -The covered wagon or prairie wagon, historically also referred to as an ambulance, a whitetop, or a prairie schooner, was a vehicle usually made out of wood and canvas that was used for transportation, prominently in 19th-century America.