Page 34 - The Pocket Guide to Equine Knots

attachment, without a metal snap to click along, annoying both you and your horse. Yet, it’s
easily removable. And, if you decide you prefer a snap, you can attach the snap to the eye

splice the same way. (We’ll discuss making lead ropes with eye splices and back splices in
chapter 7, see page 164.)
Much as I recognize the superior strength of tied-type synthetic rope halters (and I use
them a great deal), I actually prefer flat strap-type halters and lead ropes with strong snaps
for riding. Here’s why: Since tying with reins is taboo except in emergencies (the reins are

weak, and a pull on the bit can hurt a horse’s mouth), I tend to ride with the halter in place
under the bridle. A flat halter so placed is more comfortable for the horse than a rope
halter, with its knots and circular material.

The key is to buy high-quality halters. Very nice leather halters used to be common, and
they’re still available. Good ones are expensive, but it’s true that there’s probably nothing
nicer for the horse against his skin than leather, the most natural material of all, and some
are also padded or lined with soft latigo leather. But leather must be cared for, cleaned, and
occasionally oiled, and most horsemen are a bit too impatient to care for gear properly.

Thus, nylon has largely replaced leather for halters in everyday use, but nylon halters
aren’t all the same. The very thin ones, often priced as low as ten bucks, are flimsy, and
their hardware is extremely suspect. Spend a little more, and get halters of high quality.

These will have relatively thick nylon or doubled strapping. The metal rings on them are
likely to be of higher quality.
My reason for preferring lead ropes with swivel snaps rather than those with ropes
attached semi-permanently (the factory knots pulled tight are hard to untie) stems from my
work in the backcountry, where I’m likely to use a highline to restrain my horses. The

horse’s lead must have a swivel where it attaches to the highline, since the animal is free to
move in a circular pattern under the highline. Lack of a swivel will mean a ruined rope by
morning. Hardware highline loops with swivels are available, but in my experience a swivel

on the lead rope itself is still necessary. If the horse circles contrary to the direction in which
the rope was twisted as it was made, a rope without a swivel simply unravels. Other types
of rope will twist into knots.
The snap should not be a weak sliding type made of brass. A “bull” snap is stronger, if

less handy, assuming it’s of high-quality construction. I’ve seen a few poorly made ones. As
mentioned, a lead rope with a heavy snap at one end should not be left attached to the
halter as you ride. The snap will annoy the horse and even affect his sensitivity to the neck
rein. Coil the rope compactly and tie it to your saddle strings, making sure the string goes

through the snap itself as part of the coil. Tie it off with a square knot.

Tie-Up Knot
There are many ways to tie a horse up with his lead rope attached to something solid. For

maximum security, you might use a bowline, and I’ve been known to do that in wilderness
country when I need to leave my horse for a long period of time. However, the tie-up knot I
normally use is an extremely simple one taught me by my wife and father-in-law. It’s a type

of slip knot, quick to tie and relatively quick to release, unless it has withstood extreme
pressure.