Page 64 - The Pocket Guide to Equine Knots
P. 64

of the rope and the top of the loop, pulling it tight (step 3). Start with a good-sized loop,
  perhaps a foot in diameter, because by the time you tighten the knot, pulling on the loop and

  on each side of the picket line, the loop will shrink considerably in size (step 4).



















                                                   Picket line loop, step 4.


  Dutchman
  To  create  what’s  called  a  Dutchman,  a  device  that  gives  mechanical  advantage  for

  tightening the highline, tie one of these picket line loops several feet from the tree, put the
  end of the highline through the ring on the tree-saver or cinch, then bring it back through the
  picket line loop. You’ve now created a block and tackle with a 2:1 mechanical advantage
  when you pull back toward the tree. Again, tie a slipped half hitch with another doubled half

  hitch on top of it.
     Of course, there’s a question of whether a highline needs to be violin-string-tight. I don’t
  think so. It’s more important that it be high enough that the horses stay under it. I space the
  tie loops about six feet apart, and I make sure each horse is tied short enough that it can’t

  encircle  a  neighbor  and  twist  their  lead  ropes  together.  Also,  remember  to  tie  them  with
  some  sort  of  swivel  in  the  lead.  Obviously,  you  should  never  tie  a  saddled  animal  to  a
  highline. A saddle horn caught on the highline could create a major wreck.
     Invariably  the  highline  will  tend  to  loosen  during  your  stay,  and  the  Dutchman  system

  described makes it easy to tighten it periodically. Animals can get testy with each other on
  highlines. Tying a dominant horse to one of the end loops decreases his chance to disrupt
  the others, and in some cases, you may have to leave an empty space between the bully
  and the next animal. I occasionally hobble a horse on the highline to discourage excessive

  pawing and the damage to the ground it causes.























         Dutchman for tightening highline, shown here with steel picket line loop, but works as well with picket line knot.
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