Page 44 - The Pocket Guide to Equine Knots

4. PACKHORSE KNOTS

Expert horse and mule packers rival traditional sailors in their knowledge of knots and their
many uses. A thorough knowledge of the various knots, hitches, and slings, including the
diamond hitch and its many variations, can require a lifelong study. Among my packing

acquaintances, however, most seem to have settled on a system that suits them and that
answers their various needs, with further expertise interesting but not required. I’ve gone
that same direction.

No-Knot Pack Systems
Of course, you can begin packing without using knots at all! Packing systems are marketed
which use the absence of knots as a selling point, perhaps tapping into the modern
penchant for instant gratification. It’s much easier in some folks’ eyes if no learning is

required.
There’s nothing wrong with such systems. Usually they consist of a couple of soft
panniers (bags that hang on each side of the animal) with web loops that attach over the

crossed wooden slats of a sawbuck packsaddle or through the D-rings that form the top
frame of a Decker saddle (more on these in a bit). A strap with buckle attaches under the
belly of the pack animal to keep the panniers from flopping around. Then, buckles attach a
top pack to the two panniers.
Use a little common sense, keep softer items next to the horse, harder items away from

him, match the two panniers in weight, and you can hit the trail, assuming your pack animal
has been trained to carry inanimate weight, and he’s used to the breeching under his tail.
But like most easy things in life, such a system has its limitations. First, it allows packing

only what fits conveniently into the panniers. Second, in an emergency, such as a packhorse
falling or becoming bogged down, it may be nearly impossible to release the load and save
the animal without cutting straps, an action that will leave the system very hard to use after
the crisis is over.
With systems using ropes and knots, you can use quick-release knots (which sometimes

aren’t all that easy to release after extreme pressure) or other knots and a sharp knife for
such an emergency. If you must cut a rope, you can splice it or replace it with an extra
picket rope from your packs and be on your way. And, since several packing systems don’t

require more than a few easily-learned knots, learning more about the art and science of
packing, rather than taking the easiest route, will be well worth the trouble (and a good
share of the fun).