Page 11 - The Pocket Guide to Equine Knots

excessively slippery, but this characteristic seems to fade a bit when the rope becomes well
worn. One criticism I hear of all “poly” rope, however, is that when used for picket lines the

stuff can give a nasty rope burn if rubbed quickly across a pastern or leg. However, it’s not
alone in this respect. On a recent trip a mule pulled a cotton rope through my grip, and it,
too, gave me a nasty burn.

Square Knot

Ropes of many types are our materials, and knots are tools for using them well. And one of
the most fundamental knots, the square knot, is the place where we start and also the

basis for the knot with which we tie our shoes. Although sometimes considered a knot for
joining two rope ends of the same diameter, there are better knots than the square knot for
that purpose. Even though the two ropes may be of the same diameter, one may be of a
stiffer material, and the knot may fail. Thus, the square knot isn’t the best one for escape
from a burning building by tying pieces of various materials together—there would be better

knots for such an emergency (and also considerably worse ones). Still, the square knot is
relatively strong as long as it joins identical diameters and types of rope, and it’s relatively
easy to untie after it’s been pressured, a major consideration with all knots. Its best use is

to secure a line around an object such as a post, for tying a bucket to a corral rail or your
jacket behind the cantle of your saddle on a trail ride.
At sea, the square knot is called the reef knot, because when shortening sail, loops of
rope (“line,” at sea) are tied around the gathered material at the bottom of the sail to make
it smaller when the breeze becomes a wind and the sea turns choppy. The loop of rope

going around the gathered portion of the sail has been traditionally tied with a square (reef)
knot.
On land, the hay bales you feed your horse came from a machine that holds spools of

twine. The person running the machinery ties the twine at the end of one spool to the
beginning of the next with, usually, a square knot, since it’s neat and smooth enough to go
through the knotting devices on the baler. In this case, with twine that’s identical in size,
brand, and texture, the knot holds quite well. However, before trusting the knot, the
operator gives both the standing portions and the end portions of the twine a good strong

pull to tighten the knot, and he trims the ends close to smooth the knot for pulling through
the machine.
Like many “good” knots, the square knot simply looks right when tied. Pass one strand

over and under the other, then bring the ends up, and going the other direction, again pass
the same strand under and over the other.